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As filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on September 10, 2021.
Registration Statement No. 333-       
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form F-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Exscientia Limited+
England and Wales
2836
Not applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organisation)
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
The Schrödinger Building
Oxford Science Park
Oxford OX4 4GE
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1865 818941
(Address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Exscientia Inc.
Office 316
2125 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, Florida 33137
United States
Tel: +1 954 406 8602
(Name, address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies of all communications, including communications sent to agent for service, should be sent to:
Divakar Gupta
Marc Recht
Cooley LLP
55 Hudson Yards
New York, New York 10001
+1 212 479 6000
David Boles
Claire Keast-Butler
Cooley (UK) LLP
22 Bishopsgate
London EC2N 4BQ
United Kingdom
+44 20 7583 4055
Andrew Harrow
Goodwin Procter (UK) LLP
100 Cheapside
London EC2V 6DY
United Kingdom
+44 20 7447 4200
Robert Puopolo
Seo Salimi
William Magioncalda
Goodwin Procter LLP
100 Northern Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
+1 617 570-1000
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public:
As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.  ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered
Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering
Price(1)
Amount of
Registration Fee(2)
Ordinary shares, nominal value £0.16 per share(3)(4)
$100,000,000
$ 10,910
(1)
Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Includes the aggregate offering price of additional American Depositary Shares, or ADSs, that the underwriters have the option to purchase.
(2)
Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, based on an estimate of the proposed maximum aggregate offering price.
(3)
These ordinary shares are represented by ADSs, each of which represents one ordinary share of the Registrant.
(4)
ADSs issuable upon deposit of the ordinary shares registered hereby are being registered pursuant to a separate registration statement on Form F-6 (File No. 333-           ).
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to such Section 8(a), shall determine.
+
Prior to the completion of this offering, we intend to re-register the Registrant as a public limited company under the laws of England and Wales and will change the Registrant’s name from Exscientia Limited to Exscientia plc. See the section titled “Corporate Reorganisation” in the prospectus which forms a part of this registration statement.

The term “new or revised financial accounting standards” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

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The information contained in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion. Dated September 10, 2021.
American Depositary Shares
(Representing           Ordinary Shares)
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This is an initial offering of American depositary shares, or ADSs, representing ordinary shares of Exscientia plc.
We are offering          ADSs. Each ADS represents the right to receive one ordinary share, nominal value £         per share, and may be evidenced by American depositary receipts, or ADRs.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the ADSs or our ordinary shares. We have applied to list our ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “EXAI”.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a “foreign private issuer” as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws and, as such, will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. See “Prospectus summary — Implications of being an emerging growth company” and “— Implications of being a foreign private issuer” for additional information.
Investing in our ADSs involves a high degree of risk. Before buying any ADSs, you should carefully read the discussion of material risks of investing in our ADSs in “Risk Factors” beginning on page 19 of this prospectus.
PER ADS
TOTAL
Initial public offering price
$        $       
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)
Proceeds, before expenses, to us
(1)
See “Underwriting” for additional information regarding total underwriter compensation.
The underwriters may also exercise their option to purchase up to an additional ADSs from us at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting commissions and commissions, for 30 days after the date of the final prospectus.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has agreed to purchase from us, concurrently with this offering in a private placement, $35.0 million of our ADSs, each ADS representing one of our ordinary shares, at a price per ADS equal to the price per ADS in this offering. The sale of ADSs in the concurrent private placement will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and these ADSs will be subject to a 180-day lock-up agreement with the underwriters for this offering. The closing of this offering is not conditioned upon the closing of the concurrent private placement. The ADSs purchased in the concurrent private placement will not be subject to any underwriting discounts or commissions. See “Concurrent Private Placement.”
The underwriters expect to deliver the ADSs to purchasers on or about           , 2021.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any U.S. state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence.
Joint Book-Running Managers
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Morgan Stanley BofA Securities Barclays
The date of this prospectus is              , 2021.

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F-1
Neither we nor the underwriters have authorised anyone to provide you with information that is different from that contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus we may authorise to be delivered or made available to you. Neither we nor the underwriters take any responsibility for, or provide any assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We and the underwriters are offering to sell ADSs and seeking offers to purchase ADSs only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of ADSs.
For investors outside the United States: Neither we nor any of the underwriters have taken any action to permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. You are required to inform yourselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus.
We are incorporated under the laws of England and Wales and a majority of our outstanding securities is owned by non-U.S. residents. Under the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, we are currently, and upon completion of our corporate reorganisation, expect to remain, eligible for treatment as a “foreign private issuer”. As a foreign private issuer, we will not be required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as domestic registrants whose securities are registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
Prior to the completion of this offering, we are undertaking a corporate reorganisation, as described in the section titled “Corporate Reorganisation”, pursuant to which Exscientia Limited (formerly Exscientia Holdings Limited), a company with limited liability that we have recently incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, acquired all the issued shares of Exscientia AI Limited (formerly Exscientia Limited), incorporated under the laws of Scotland, in a share for share exchange, or the Share Exchange. Following the Share Exchange, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited, a new wholly-owned subsidiary of Exscientia Limited, incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, acquired all the issued shares of Exscientia AI Limited from Exscientia Limited in consideration for the issue of an additional share in Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited to Exscientia Limited. On August 18, 2021, Exscientia Holdings Limited, incorporated in England and Wales, changed its name to Exscientia Limited and Exscientia Limited, incorporated in Scotland, changed its name to Exscientia AI Limited. Subsequently, Exscientia Limited will re-register as a public limited company and change its name to Exscientia plc.
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus to (i) the terms “Exscientia AI Limited” or “Exscientia Scotland” refer to Exscientia AI Limited, incorporated in Scotland in July 2012 with company number SC428761 which changed its name from Exscientia Limited to Exscientia AI Limited on August 18, 2021 and (ii) the terms “Exscientia Limited” or “Exscientia Holdco” refer to Exscientia Limited, incorporated in England and Wales in June 2021 with company number 13483814 which changed its name from Exscientia Holdings Limited to Exscientia Limited on August 18, 2021. In the financial statements on pages F-1 to F-66, references to Exscientia Limited are to Exscientia AI Limited incorporated in Scotland, which as of the dates of such financial statements was named Exscientia Limited.
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus to the terms “Exscientia”, “the Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to (i) prior to the Share Exchange, Exscientia AI Limited and its subsidiaries, (ii) after the Share Exchange and prior to the re-registration as a public limited company described above, Exscientia Limited and its subsidiaries and (iii) after the Share Exchange and re-registration as a public limited company, Exscientia plc and its subsidiaries. See the section titled “Corporate Reorganisation” for additional information.
This prospectus includes trademarks, tradenames and service marks, certain of which belong to us and others that are the property of other organisations. Solely for convenience, trademarks, tradenames and service marks referred to in this prospectus appear without the ®, ™ and SM symbols, but the absence of those symbols is not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert our rights or that the applicable owner will not assert its rights to these trademarks, tradenames and service marks to the fullest extent under applicable law. We do not intend our use or display of other parties’ trademarks, trade names or service marks to imply, and such use or display should not be construed to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other parties.
PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Our financial statements in this prospectus were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IASB. None of our financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Our financial information is presented in pounds sterling. For the convenience of the reader, in this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated, translations from pounds sterling into U.S. dollars were made at the rate of £1.00 to $1.3806, which was the noon buying rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on June 30, 2021. Such U.S. dollar amounts are not necessarily indicative of the amounts of U.S. dollars that could actually have been purchased upon exchange of pounds sterling at the dates indicated or any other date.
All references in this prospectus to “$” mean U.S. dollars and all references to “£” and “GBP” mean pounds sterling.
We have made rounding adjustments to some of the figures included in this prospectus. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in some tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that preceded them.
 
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We have historically conducted our business through Exscientia AI Limited, and therefore, our historical consolidated financial statements present the consolidated results of operations of Exscientia AI Limited (which, as of the dates of such financial statements, was named Exscientia Limited) and its subsidiaries. Following the completion of the transactions described in the section titled “Corporate Reorganisation”, our consolidated financial statements will present the consolidated financial results of operations of Exscientia plc and its subsidiaries.
 
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this prospectus and does not contain all of the information you should consider in making your investment decision. Before investing in our ADSs, you should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, and our financial statements and the related notes, in each case contained elsewhere in this prospectus. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters discussed in the section titled “Business” before making an investment decision.
Overview
We are an artificial intelligence-driven pharmatech company committed to discovering, designing and developing the best possible drugs in the fastest and most effective manner. Our goal is to change the pharmaceutical industry’s underlying pharmacoeconomic model, what we call "Shifting the Curve", by improving the probability of success, time and cost involved with creating new medicines. Our pipeline demonstrates our ability to rapidly translate scientific concepts into precision-designed therapeutic candidates. We have built a complete end-to-end solution of artificial intelligence, or AI, and experimental technologies for target identification, drug candidate design, translational models and patient selection. Our platform has enabled us to design candidate drug molecules that have progressed into clinical trials as well as to provide patients with potentially more applicable drug therapies through AI guided assessment. Our patient-first AI process is comprised of the following four elements:

Precision Target: deep learning approaches to prioritise projects;

Precision Design: an extensive platform of AI technologies to design innovative drugs;

Precision Experiment: tech-enabled precision experimentation to derive better data; and

Precision Medicine: integrated analysis of patient data to ensure clinical relevance.
Our AI-design capabilities include a wide range of deep-learning and machine-learning algorithms, generative methods, active learning and natural language processing. These methods are used to guide target selection, to design the precise molecular architecture of potential drug molecules and to analyse patient tissues to prioritise the molecules that are likely to provide the best response for an individual’s specific tumour.
Demonstrating the Impact of our AI
The first three AI-designed drug candidates to enter human clinical trials.    We originated the first three AI-designed precision drug candidates to enter human clinical trials. Our most advanced internally developed drug candidate, EXS21546, is one of these, and we began the first Phase 1 clinical trial of this drug candidate in December 2020. The other two drug candidates, also currently in Phase 1 clinical trials, are being developed by our collaboration partner, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., or Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, which has sole economic rights to these drug candidates. We have designed four additional drug candidates currently undergoing advanced profiling for submission of investigational new drug, or IND, applications and have more than 25 active projects in total. Although we and our collaboration partners have to date not received regulatory approval for any of our drug candidates, we believe that the quality of our molecules has been demonstrated by the partnership expansions and product-licensing arrangements we have entered into with our collaborators, including Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi S.A., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, EQRx, Inc. and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
First AI system demonstrated to improve clinical outcomes in oncology.   Our platform is designed to anticipate the effectiveness of potential cancer treatments in the clinic through AI analysis of drug activity in live patient samples at single-cell resolution. In the EXALT-1 clinical study (n=56), which was completed in January 2020, tissue samples from late-stage haemato-oncology patients were collected, the samples’ reactions to more than 100 clinically-approved third-party anticancer drugs were evaluated, which therapies included the patients’ prior treatments, and a treatment recommendation was made based on these reactions. Patients who were treated using the AI-recommended therapy
 
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achieved a 55% overall response rate and a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival, or PFS, over their respective prior line of therapy. Specifically, 30 out of 56 patients (54%) reached a PFS under assay-guided therapy that was >1.3-fold longer than in their respective previous therapy, with a median ratio of 3.4. We believe that the results of EXALT-1 were very encouraging and warranted further investigation. In June 2020, we initiated the EXALT-2 clinical trial, a Phase 1 prospective, randomised trial of up to 150 patients to further investigate the original findings from the EXALT-1 trial. We currently deploy our patient tissue AI to support our drug design, discovery and development efforts and do not currently plan to use our AI platform to treat patients in a clinical setting.
End-to-end platform generates ideas, data and drug candidates.    Using our extensive AI and experimental technologies, we prioritise proteins as transformative drug targets, create proprietary drug candidates, analyse their performance and select patients for treatment. Our AI platform is data-agnostic and designs from any configuration of high-content, structural or biochemical data, which allows us to advance into the most cutting-edge, data-sparse target categories. We use AI methods, including evolutionary algorithms, reinforcement learning, deep learning and active learning, to design virtually all of our novel molecules.
Solutions custom-designed to address complex problems.   Every project in our pipeline starts with the desired specification of the ideal drug molecule, including not only target potency and selectivity, but also addressing therapeutic index, predicted human dosing levels and frequency, brain penetration and other important characteristics. Because we can design for multiple parameters in parallel, we set our objectives to achieve all of the design goals rather than prioritising one over another. This allows us, using our AI, to design high-quality molecules with balanced properties and to produce an optimised drug candidate for a specific disease and patient population.
Our platform continually learns from new data integration.   Our platform is designed to learn and becomes increasingly powerful and accurate with each incremental piece of data analysed. We build and automatically update more than 2,500 data-driven models to predict the properties of every drug candidate we design. We also use outcomes data in conjunction with data from patient tissue to define the optimum target product profile. By anticipating the many characteristics a drug will need in an actual patient setting, our platform is designed to find the optimal balance of properties to maximise future probability of success.
Exceptional, repeated efficiency.   We have repeatedly demonstrated our ability to create novel optimised drug candidates several years faster than the industry average. The term ‘‘optimised drug candidate’’ is an industry standard term meaning a molecule that has been nominated to progress to toxicology profiling and preclinical testing. Our entire process, from the AI generation of the first novel molecules within a particular project to the design of a development candidate, has historically taken approximately one year. In addition, use of our AI has historically resulted in significantly fewer compounds needing to be synthesised and tested than the industry average of 2,500. By targeting efficiencies with each new project, we are able to concurrently advance more than 25 projects, despite having fewer than 225 employees.
 
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REDUCTION IN DISCOVERY TIME FROM TARGET TO CANDIDATE IDENTIFICATION BY 70%
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The figures above show a comparison of our timelines and process to the industry averages of 54 months and 2,500 molecules required to discover a drug candidate.
Advancing small molecule target druggability.   Our AI platform has enabled the exploration of challenging design hypotheses, such as purely phenotypic-based projects or engineering bispecific small molecules. We believe our AI-based design can begin to solve some of the same scientific problems for which large molecules are currently used. For example, we have designed multiple highly selective bispecific small molecules. This is a design category where biologics are typically used because a design process would be almost impossible using conventional small molecule drug discovery techniques. We believe there are other similar categories where small molecules could be applied using our technology to expand the overall addressable market.
Focused on shifting the curve through improved probability of success, time and cost.   The investment model for new drugs has been dramatically impacted by the industry’s 96% failure rate from project inception to drug approval, resulting in an average cost of $1.8 billion per drug over more than 10 years of development. Although we and our collaboration partners have not to date received marketing approval for any of our drug candidates, by focusing on improving the probability of success, time and
 
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cost of drug creation, our goal is to enable a broad portfolio approach to pipeline development while minimising the capital and resources required for each individual project. In addition, our efficiency allows us to advance many projects simultaneously with a variety of business models, including wholly-owned projects, joint ventures and partnerships. As a result, near-term cash flows from partnerships can balance long-term investments in our own pipeline, as is demonstrated by our last twelve-month operating cash flows of only £(11.1) million.
The chart below shows our strategy of shifting the curve for drug development can have a significant impact on investment profile, and thereby overall pharmacoeconomics. We estimate that the data from our first seven development candidates show that our efficiency in drug discovery results in four times the net present value of an industry standard project at initiation. Although we cannot provide any guarantee that we will achieve similar development timelines with future development candidates, our goal is to demonstrate an even greater return as our projects move through clinical development.
OPERATIONAL FOCUS ON IMPROVING PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS, TIME AND COST
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Reinventing the Drug Design Process
Our mission is to bring about a revolution in the entire process of inventing small molecule drugs, replacing the sequential, artisanal approach that currently dominates the industry, with an efficient, integrated, AI-first, patient-based learning system that is suited to the complexity of drug discovery. We are driven to codify and systematise drug discovery, to move away from this sequential approach and scale the creation of precision engineered drugs.
From Data to Drug
We believe thousands of druggable proteins remain to be explored as new therapeutic targets. Oral small molecule drugs are the largest drug class and remain the therapeutic agent of choice. They accounted for 75% of the $1.2 trillion in drug sales in 2019. Small molecules are capable of performing biological functions, such as intracellular activation or inhibition, that are not possible with other modalities and can be distributed easily into the brain. Our end-to-end discovery AI technology platform is designed to identify, generate, analyse and optimise small molecules to ultimately exploit many more of these opportunities. Our philosophy is as follows:

Every atom counts.   A drug’s potential utility is encoded into its chemical structure from the moment it is first designed. Before a compound is ever tested, the placement of each atom and bond will have predetermined how it will interact with the incredible complexity of human
 
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biology and disease. The molecular structure of the compound determines its potency, selectivity, safety, absorption, dose requirements and manufacturability as well as many other features that define a drug product. We believe every drug candidate should be designed at the atomic level to drive optimal efficacy with minimal side effects.

Drug design is a learning problem.   When designing truly innovative drugs, there will be insufficient information available at the start of the project and the right solution will not already exist in big datasets or screening libraries. In other words, drug design is a learning — not a screening — problem. This is true for both novel targets, where no work has been done before, and established targets, where new approaches must be devised that are distinct from existing efforts. As we start to explore novel chemical space, we are likely to be at the limit of predictive power or the domain of applicability for current models. Our systems and models are designed to learn and evolve which, like nature, allows them to find optimum solutions to problems.

Design from virtually any data.   High-quality drugs need to satisfy an extensive range of diverse parameters, defined as a “target product profile,” which cannot be determined from any single data type. Our AI platform is data-agnostic, capable of modelling and exploiting virtually any configuration of protein structural data, high content screening data and/or pharmacology data through thousands of machine learning, physics-based and other predictive models. We have developed proprietary tech-enabled laboratory capabilities to generate internally a wide variety of high-fidelity screening data (high content, biophysical, pharmacological and biochemical) and structural biology data to provided differentiated insights for our projects.

The patient is the best model.   Data from screening can be irrelevant or misleading if the cell types screened do not accurately represent actual patient biology. Currently-available model systems such as cell lines, organoids or mouse models are heavily transformed and do not recapitulate the complexity of human disease. We use a wide variety of technologies to ensure that the way we measure success in the drug design process translates as closely as possible to human biology. In particular, we can measure drug activity by applying deep-learning AI to actual patient samples to derive the most accurate representations of patient biology.
Patient-First AI
We have put AI systems at the heart of everything we do, from target selection and design, to patient selection and trial design, and we have invested in experimental strategies that utilise patient tissues directly to reflect the potential clinical setting for the medicine. We believe we have built a new process that will accelerate small molecule drug discovery and smooth the path of future medicines through the clinic to the right patient. Our platform has grown by applying our core principles:

learning fast is more important than screening big;

learn from all types of data;

encode and automate wherever possible; and

the patient is the best model to ensure translation from the lab to the clinic.
We have developed our extensive platform by applying AI and automation to solve problems we encounter during the design process. This has allowed us to create systems that have continuity and application throughout the drug discovery process.
The Learning Loop of Drug Discovery
To maximise our ability to learn across drug discovery and development, we have engineered a comprehensive suite of AI-enabled computational tools that work in concert with our laboratory experimental platforms. Our experimental platforms are AI-enabled and fully integrated with our AI-driven computational platform to perform four key tasks:
 
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Precision Target — select the right target;

Precision Design — design the right molecule;

Precision Experiment — collect the right data; and

Precision Medicine — select the right patient.
This creates a closed loop learning system that allows data to feed from experiment to design and from patient to target selection. This flywheel effect drives the perpetual growth in the power of our predictive models.
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Business Model
Platform with a history of operational execution.   From our founding in 2012 until 2020, we were funded solely through business performance and collaboration partners, so every project had to have real-world results. We are concurrently advancing more than 25 projects, including the first three AI-designed drug candidates to enter Phase 1 clinical trials, one of which we are developing internally, and two of which are being developed by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, which has all development and economic rights to these two programmes. In addition, both Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi have in-licenced candidates we designed through our collaborations. As we have scaled our business and invested in our wholly-owned pipeline, we have maintained our core culture of blending visionary goals with results-based pragmatism.
Tech driven scalability.   Our focus on encoding and automating critical functions in drug discovery has meant we can readily scale our business. The technology has the potential to be applied to small molecule discovery, in any therapeutic indication, in any disease area. Our goal is to expand our range of partnerships and seek out new drug discovery problems to challenge and expand our technology platform. We continue to build in three distinct project categories:

our wholly-owned projects in oncology, immunology and anti-virals;

50/50 joint ventures, where we provide end-to-end drug discovery capabilities and our partners provide clinical and commercial infrastructure across a range of therapeutic areas; and

large pharma partnerships, where we receive upfront payments, milestone payments and royalties in exchange for our drug-discovery capabilities.
We expect our future development efforts to be balanced among these three categories.
Our Internal and Collaboration Projects
The following table summarises our pipeline programmes that are in late discovery or more advanced development:
 
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In addition, we have more than 20 programmes initiated in early discovery.
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Risks Associated with Our Business
Our business is subject to a number of risks of which you should be aware before making an investment decision. You should carefully consider all of the information set forth in this prospectus and, in particular, should evaluate the specific factors set forth in the section titled “Risk Factors” before deciding whether to invest in our ADSs. Among these important risks are the following:

We have a history of significant operating losses, and we expect to incur losses over the next several years.

Our operating history may make it difficult for you to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.

If we and our present and future collaborators are unable to successfully develop and commercialise drug products, our revenues may be insufficient for us to achieve or maintain profitability.

We are substantially dependent on our technology platform to identify promising molecules to accelerate drug discovery and development. Our platform technology may fail to discover and design molecules with therapeutic potential or may not result in the discovery and development of commercially viable products for us or our collaborators.

All of our drug candidates are in early-stage clinical development or in preclinical development. If we are unable to advance our drug candidates through clinical development, obtain regulatory approval and ultimately commercialise our drug candidates, or if we experience significant delays in doing so, our business will be materially harmed.

We have never successfully completed a clinical trial, and we may be unable to do so for any drug candidates we develop.

Our research activities and clinical trials may fail to demonstrate adequately the safety, efficacy, potency and purity of our lead drug candidate or any other drug candidate, which would prevent or delay development, regulatory approval and commercialisation.

We face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercialising products before or more successfully than we do.

We have invested, and expect to continue to invest, in research and development efforts that further enhance our technology platform. Such investments may affect our operating results, and, if the return on these investments is lower or develops more slowly than we expect, our revenue and operating results may suffer.

The effects of health epidemics, including the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, in regions where we, or the third parties on which we rely, have business operations could adversely impact our business, including our preclinical studies and clinical trials, as well as the business or operations of our contract research organisations or other third parties with whom we conduct business.

We contract with third parties for the manufacture of our drug candidates for preclinical development and clinical testing, and we expect to continue to do so for commercialisation if any of our drug candidates are approved. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our drug candidates or products or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialisation efforts.

If we are unable to obtain, maintain and enforce patent protection for our technology and drug candidates, or if the scope of the patent protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialise technology and products similar or identical to ours, and our ability to successfully develop and commercialise our technology and drug candidates may be adversely affected.

If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position may be harmed.
 
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Our future success depends on our ability to retain key executives and to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel.

We are pursuing multiple business strategies and expect to expand our development and regulatory capabilities, and as a result, we may encounter difficulties in managing our multiple business units and our growth, which could disrupt our operations.

We are subject to economic, political, regulatory and other risks associated with international operations.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and may identify material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain proper and effective internal controls, which may impair our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or prevent fraud. If we are unable to establish and maintain effective internal controls, shareholders could lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our ADSs.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other burdens that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies in the United States. These provisions include:

the ability to present only two years of audited financial statements in addition to any required interim financial statements and correspondingly reduced disclosure in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in this prospectus;

reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements;

an exemption from the non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation, including golden parachute arrangements; and

an exemption from the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
As a result, we do not know if some investors will find our ADSs less attractive. The result may be a less active trading market for our ADSs, and the price of our ADSs may become more volatile. We may choose to take advantage of some or all these provisions until the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary of this offering or such earlier time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company if we have more than $1.07 billion in total annual gross revenue, have more than $700 million in market value of our ADSs held by non-affiliates or issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period.
Implications of Being a Foreign Private Issuer
Our status as a foreign private issuer also exempts us from compliance with certain laws and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and certain regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market, or Nasdaq. Consequently, even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, we are not subject to all of the disclosure requirements applicable to U.S. public companies. For example, we are exempt from certain rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, that regulate disclosure obligations and procedural requirements related to the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorisations applicable to a security registered under the Exchange Act. In addition, our executive officers and directors are exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and related rules with respect to their purchases and sales of our securities. Moreover, we are not required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. public companies. Accordingly, there may be less publicly-available information concerning our company than there is for U.S. public companies.
 
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In addition, foreign private issuers are not required to file their annual report on Form 20-F until 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, while U.S. domestic issuers that are accelerated filers are required to file their annual report on Form 10-K within 75 days after the end of each fiscal year. Foreign private issuers are also exempt from the Regulation Fair Disclosure, or Regulation FD, aimed at preventing issuers from making selective disclosures of material information.
We may take advantage of these exemptions until such time as we no longer qualify as a foreign private issuer. To maintain our current status as a foreign private issuer, either a majority of our outstanding voting securities must be directly or indirectly held of record by non-residents of the United States, or, if a majority of our outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly held of record by residents of the United States, a majority of our executive officers or directors may not be United States citizens or residents, more than 50% of our assets cannot be located in the United States and our business must be administered principally outside the United States.
We have taken advantage of certain of these reduced reporting and other requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different from the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold equity securities.
Corporate Information
Exscientia AI Limited was incorporated under the laws of Scotland in July 2012, with company registration number SC428761 with the company name Ex Scientia Limited (changed to Exscientia Limited in December 2018) and changed its name to Exscientia AI Limited on August 18, 2021. Exscientia Limited was incorporated under the laws of England and Wales in June 2021 with company registration number 13483814 and changed its name to Exscientia Limited on August 18, 2021. Our global headquarters and registered office is at The Schrödinger Building, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, United Kingdom, and the telephone number of our registered office is +44(0) 1382 202136.
The principal office for our U.S. subsidiary is located at Office 316, 2125 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, Florida 33137, United States, and our telephone number at that office is +1 954 406 8602.
Our website address is www.exscientia.ai. We have included our website address in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider information on our website to be part of this prospectus. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Exscientia Inc.
Corporate Reorganisation
Prior to the completion of this offering, we are undertaking a corporate reorganisation pursuant to which Exscientia Limited (formerly Exscientia Holdings Limited), or Exscientia Holdco, a company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, acquired all the issued shares in Exscientia AI Limited (formerly Exscientia Limited), or Exscientia Scotland, in consideration for the issue by Exscientia Holdco of newly-issued shares of the same class, and with the same rights attaching thereto, of Exscientia Holdco and, as a result, Exscientia Scotland became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Exscientia Holdco. Following this transaction, which we refer to as the Share Exchange, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited, a new wholly-owned subsidiary of Exscientia Holdco incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, acquired all the issued shares in Exscientia Scotland from Exscientia Holdco in consideration for the issue of an additional share in Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited to Exscientia Holdco and, as a result, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited became the direct holding company of Exscientia Scotland.
Subsequently, Exscientia Holdco will re-register as a public limited company and change its name from Exscientia Limited to Exscientia plc. Immediately prior to completion of this offering, it is expected that Exscientia plc’s share capital will be reorganised such that it consists of a single class of ordinary shares. The consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus do not give effect to our corporate reorganisation. Please see the section titled “Corporate Reorganisation” for additional information.
 
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Concurrent Private Placement
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, or the Gates Foundation, has agreed to purchase $35.0 million of our ADSs in a concurrent private placement at a price per ADS equal to the price per ADS in this offering, or the concurrent private placement. Based on the initial public offering price of $     per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus, the Gates Foundation will purchase          ADSs. We will receive the net proceeds from this concurrent private placement. The Gates Foundation has agreed to enter into a lock-up agreement with the underwriters for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus. The closing of this offering is not conditioned upon the closing of the concurrent private placement.
In connection with the concurrent private placement, we entered into a collaboration agreement with the Gates Foundation to expand our pandemic preparedness programme. We have committed to contribute a matching amount of $35.0 million to the collaboration, through operations and funding for third party activities. Please see the sections titled “Business — Partnership Agreements with Non-Profit Organisations” and “Concurrent Private Placement” for additional information.
 
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THE OFFERING
ADSs offered by us
       ADSs, each representing one ordinary share.
Underwriters’ option to purchase additional ADSs
We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional         ADSs from us.
ADSs sold by us in the concurrent private
placement
     ADSs, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $   per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. We will receive the full proceeds from the sale and will not pay any underwriting discounts or commissions with respect to the ADSs that are sold in the concurrent private placement.
Ordinary shares to be outstanding immediately after this offering and the concurrent private
placement
        ordinary shares (or        ordinary shares if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase an additional ADSs).
American Depositary Shares
Each ADS represents one ordinary share, nominal value £      per ordinary share. As a holder of ADSs, you will not be treated as one of our shareholders and you will not have shareholder rights. You will have the rights of an ADS holder or beneficial owner of ADSs (as applicable) as provided in the deposit agreement among us, the depositary and holders and beneficial owners of ADSs from time to time. To better understand the terms of our ADSs, see “Description of American Depositary Shares”. We also encourage you to read the deposit agreement, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Depositary
Citibank, N.A.
Use of proceeds
We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, to be approximately $       million, or $         million if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase an additional        ADSs, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, to continue to develop our propriety technology platform, to fund clinical development of our product candidates, to fund research and discovery with respect to our ongoing and future projects, including with respect to our pandemic preparedness programme, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” for additional information regarding the intended use of proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement.
 
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Risk factors
See “Risk Factors” and the other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our ADSs.
Proposed Nasdaq Global Select Market symbol
“EXAI”
The number of ordinary shares, including ordinary shares represented by ADSs, that will be outstanding after this offering and the concurrent private placement is based on         ordinary shares outstanding as of June 30, 2021 and gives effect to our corporate reorganisation as well as the issuance of 8,726 of our class A ordinary shares, or A Ordinary Shares, as partial consideration for our acquisition of Allcyte GmbH, or Allcyte, completed on August 18, 2021, and excludes:

A Ordinary Shares and           B Ordinary Shares, issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding under our existing equity incentive plans as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of £      per share; and

           ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2021 EIP, which will increase to an aggregate of            ordinary shares effective in connection with this offering, as well as any automatic annual increases in the number of ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under the 2021 EIP, as more fully described in the section titled “Management — Equity Incentive Plans.”
Except as otherwise noted, the information in this prospectus assumes:

the completion of the transactions described in the section titled “Corporate Reorganisation” prior to the completion of this offering;

the adoption of our new articles of association immediately prior to the completion of this offering;

no issuance or exercise of outstanding options described above after June 30, 2021;

an initial public offering price of $        per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus;

the closing of the concurrent private placement of          ADSs subsequent to the completion of this offering, based upon an initial public offering price of $    per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus; and

no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to additional         ADSs in this offering.
 
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SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The following tables present summary consolidated financial data as of the dates and for the periods indicated. Our audited annual consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS, as issued by the IASB. We derived the summary consolidated statements of loss and other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 and summary consolidated statement of financial position data as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2021 have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34, “Interim Financial Reporting,” or IAS34, as issued by the IASB. We derived the summary consolidated statements of loss and other comprehensive income for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 and summary consolidated statement of financial position data as of June 30, 2021 from our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The accounting policies and methods of computation applied in the preparation of the interim financial statements are consistent with those applied in our annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 except for the estimation of income tax (see note 10 to the annual financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus).
Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future, and our results for the six months ended June 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future, and our results for the six months ended June 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021. Our audited consolidated financial statements and our interim condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus do not include adjustments for our corporate reorganisation. You should read the consolidated financial data set forth below in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes and the information in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained elsewhere in this prospectus.
 
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Six Months Ended
June 30,
Year ended
December 31,
2021
2020
2020
2019
Consolidated Statement of Loss and Other Comprehensive Loss Data
Revenue
$ 7,697 £ 5,575 £ 4,753 $ 13,353 £ 9,672 £ 9,107
Costs of sales
(10,327) (7,480) (6,909) (19,640) (14,226) (5,634)
Gross (loss)
(2,630) (1,905) (2,156) (6,287) (4,554) 3,473
Research and development expenses
(17,091) (12,379) (4,323) (15,072) (10,917) (6,671)
General administrative expenses
(14,915) (10,803) (2,916) (12,319) (8,923) (5,512)
Foreign exchange losses/(gains)
(4,002) (2,899) 1,488
Other income
1,729 1,252 450 1,664 1,205 534
Operating loss
(36,909) (26,734) (7,456) (32,015) (23,189) (8,176)
Finance income
7 5 77 152 110 272
Finance expenses
(81) (59) (26) (123) (89) (50)
Share of loss of joint venture
(1,026) (743) (449) (1,672) (1,211) (90)
Gain on derivative financial instruments
1,881 1,362
Loss before taxation
(36,128) (26,169) (7,854) (33,658) (24,379) (8,044)
Income tax benefit
2,905 2,104 675 2,894 2,096 1,727
Loss for the period
$ (33,223) £ (24,065) £ (7,179) $ (30,764) £ (22,283) £ (6,317)
Other comprehensive loss
Foreign currency income/(loss) on translation of foreign operations
8 6 31 (142) (103) (8)
Change in fair value of financial assets at fair value
414 300
Total other comprehensive income/
(loss) for the period, net tax
422 306 31 (142) (103) (8)
Total comprehensive loss for the period
(23,759) (7,148) (30,906) (22,386) (6,325)
Basic diluted loss per share (pence
per share)(1)
(0.35) (0.25) (0.07) (0.30) (0.22) (0.64)
Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding – basic and diluted
95,223 100,737 101,923 99,106
Pro forma net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders, basic and diluted (unaudited)(2)
Pro forma weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding, basic and diluted (unaudited)
(1)
See Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus for details on the calculation of basic and diluted net loss per share.
(2)
Pro forma net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders, basic and diluted, were computed to give effect to the
 
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issuance of 8,726 A ordinary shares paid as partial consideration in our August 2021 acquisition of Allcyte and our corporate reorganisation, reflected as though these events had occurred as of the beginning of the period presented or the date of issuance, if later.
As of June 30, 2021
Actual
Pro Forma(1)
Pro Forma
as Adjusted(2)
(in thousands)
Consolidated statement of financial position data:
Cash and cash equivalents
£ 245,593
      
      
Total assets
270,443
Share capital
Total liabilities
49,406
Share premium
272,223
Foreign exchange reserve
(105)
Share-based payment reserve
6,330
Fair value reserve
300
Accumulated loss
(57,711)
Total equity (deficit) attributable to owners of the parent
£ 221,037
(1)
The pro forma balance sheet data give effect to the consideration paid in our August 2021 acquisition of Allcyte and the receipt of the $20 million BMS milestone payment.
(2)
Pro forma as adjusted balance sheet data give effect to (i) the adjustments listed in footnote (1); (ii) our corporate reorganization; (iii) our issuance and sale of                 ADSs in this offering and our receipt of the net proceeds therefrom, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $      per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us; and (iv) our issuance and sale of        ADSs in a concurrent private placement at an assumed initial public offering price of $      per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting estimated fees and expenses payable by us.
   
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price (and thus the purchase price in the concurrent private placement) of $      per ADS would increase (decrease) the as-adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total equity attributable to owners of the parent by the pound sterling equivalent of $      million, assuming that the total number of ADSs offered by us in this offering and in the concurrent private placement, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. Similarly, an increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 in the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the as-adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total equity attributable to owners of the parent by the pound sterling equivalent of $      million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price per ADS remains the same. This as adjusted information is illustrative only and will depend on the actual initial public offering price per ADS and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
 
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in our ADSs involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information in this prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, before deciding whether to invest in our ADSs. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In such an event, the market price of our ADSs could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations.
Risks Related to Our Financial Position
We have a history of significant operating losses, and we expect to incur losses over the next several years.
We have a history of significant operating losses. Our net losses before taxation were £24.1 million and £22.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2020, respectively. As of June 30, 2021, we had an accumulated deficit of £57.7 million. We anticipate that our operating expenses will increase substantially in the foreseeable future as we continue to invest in our internal drug discovery programmes, our computational platform and marketing infrastructure. We are still in the early stages of development of our own drug discovery programmes. We have no drug products licenced for commercial sale and have not generated any revenue from our own drug product sales to date. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses over the next several years. Our operating expenses and net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially as we:

continue to invest in and develop our computational platform and software solutions and submit investigational new drug applications, or INDs, for our drug candidates;

continue our research and development efforts for our internal and joint arrangement drug discovery programmes;

conduct preclinical studies and clinical trials for any of our current or future drug candidates;

seek marketing approvals for any drug candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;

establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure and scale-up manufacturing capabilities, whether alone or with third parties, to commercialise any drug candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval, if any;

maintain, expand, enforce, defend and protect our intellectual property;

hire additional software engineers, programmers, sales and marketing and other personnel to support the development of our software solutions;

hire additional clinical, quality control and other scientific personnel;

experience any delays or encounter any issues with any of the above, including but not limited to failed studies, complex results, safety issues or other regulatory challenges;

acquire and integrate new technologies, businesses or other assets; and

add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel to support our operations as a public company.
Our operating history may make it difficult for you to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.
We commenced operations in July 2012, and our operations to date have been limited to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, conducting discovery and research activities, developing our drug discovery platform, filing patent applications, identifying potential drug candidates,
 
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undertaking research activities and identifying and entering into collaborations that would allow us to further develop viable drug candidates. We have not yet demonstrated our ability to successfully complete any clinical trials, obtain marketing approvals, manufacture a commercial-scale product or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales, marketing and distribution activities necessary for successful product commercialisation. Consequently, any predictions you make about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history.
In addition, as an early-stage company, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors. We will need to transition at some point from a company with a research and development focus to a company capable of supporting commercial activities. We may not be successful in such a transition.
If we and our present and future collaborators are unable to successfully develop and commercialise drug products, our revenues may be insufficient for us to achieve or maintain profitability.
We have never generated revenue from drug product sales and our most advanced drug candidate is in a Phase 1 clinical trial. We have no commercial rights to the two molecules we discovered that are currently being developed by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma. We currently generate revenues primarily from upfront and milestone payments under our agreements with our collaborators. To achieve and maintain profitability, we must succeed in developing, and eventually commercialising, a drug product or drug products that generate significant revenue. As such, we will be dependent on the ability of our platform to identify promising molecules for preclinical and clinical development. Achieving success in drug development will require us and our collaborators to be effective in a range of challenging activities, including completing preclinical testing and clinical trials of drug candidates, obtaining regulatory approval for these drug candidates and manufacturing, marketing and selling any products for which we or our collaborators may obtain regulatory approval. All our wholly-owned drug candidates and those that we have developed with our collaborators are in the preliminary stages of most of these activities. We and they may never succeed in these activities and, even if we or they do, we may never generate revenues that are significant enough to achieve profitability. Because of the intense competition that our technology platform faces in the market and the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with biopharmaceutical product development, we are unable to accurately predict when, or if, we will be able to achieve or sustain profitability.
Even if we achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability. Our failure to become and remain profitable would depress the value of our company and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, maintain our research and development efforts, increase sales of our software, develop a pipeline of drug candidates, enter into collaborations or even continue our operations. A decline in the value of our company could also cause you to lose all or part of your investment.
Our interim and annual results may fluctuate significantly, which could adversely impact the value of our ADSs.
Our results of operations, including our revenues, gross profit, profitability and cash flows, have historically varied from period-to-period, and we expect that they will continue to do so. As a result, period-to-period comparisons of our operating results may not be meaningful, and our interim and annual results should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance. Our interim and annual financial results may fluctuate as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. Factors that may cause fluctuations in our interim and annual financial results include, without limitation, those listed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section and those listed below:

the amount and timing of operating expenses related to the maintenance and expansion of our business, operations and infrastructure;

the success of our drug discovery collaborators in developing and commercialising drug products for which we are entitled to receive upfront payments, milestone or royalty payments and the timing of receipt of such payments, if any;
 
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our ability to enter into new collaboration agreements;

our ability to collect receivables from our collaborators;

unforeseen business disruptions that increase our costs or expenses;

the timing and success of the introduction of new software solutions by us or our competitors or any other change in the competitive dynamics of our industry, including consolidation among competitors, customers or strategic collaborators;

changes in the fair value of or receipt of distributions or proceeds on account of the equity interests we hold in our drug discovery collaborators;

future accounting pronouncements or changes in our accounting policies;

general economic, industry and market conditions, including within the life sciences industry; and

the timing and amount of expenses related to our drug discovery programmes, the development or acquisition of technologies or businesses and potential future charges for impairment of goodwill from acquired companies.
Even if this offering and the concurrent private placement are successful, we may need additional funding. If we are unable to raise additional capital on terms acceptable to us or at all or to generate cash flows necessary to maintain or expand our operations, we may not be able to compete successfully, which would harm our business, operations, financial condition and prospects.
We expect to devote substantial financial resources to our ongoing and planned activities, including the development of our current and future drug discovery programmes and continued investment in our technology platform. We expect our expenses to increase substantially in connection with these activities, particularly as we advance our internal drug discovery programmes, initiate and complete preclinical and investigational new drug enabling studies, and invest in the further development of our platform. Furthermore, upon the closing of this offering, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company.
We and our current drug discovery collaborators, from whom we are entitled to receive milestone payments upon achievement of various development, regulatory and commercial milestones as well as royalties on commercial sales, if any, under the collaboration agreements that we have entered into with them, face numerous risks in the development of drugs, including conducting preclinical and clinical tests, obtaining regulatory approval and achieving product sales. In addition, the amounts we are entitled to receive upon the achievement of such milestones tend to be smaller for near-term development milestones and increase if and as a collaborative drug candidate advances through development to commercialisation and will vary depending on regulatory approval and the level of commercial success achieved, if any. Accordingly, we may need to obtain substantial additional capital to fund our continuing operations.
As of June 30, 2021, we had cash and cash equivalents of £245.6 million. We believe that the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our operations and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next twelve months. However, we have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and our operating plans may change as a result of many factors currently unknown to us. As a result, we could deplete our capital resources sooner than we currently expect.
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

the scope, timing, progress and extent of spending to support research and development efforts of our drug candidates, including preclinical studies and clinical trials;

the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our drug candidates;

the development requirements of other drug candidates that we may pursue;
 
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the costs of acquiring, licensing or investing in drug discovery technologies;

the timing and receipt of payments from our collaborations;

our ability to establish additional discovery collaborations on favourable terms, if at all;

the timing and receipt of any distributions or proceeds we may receive from our equity stakes in companies;

the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, obtaining, maintaining, enforcing and protecting our intellectual property rights and defending intellectual-property-related claims;

the costs of expanding our operations, including our sales and marketing efforts to drive market recognition of our platform and address competitive developments;

the costs of future commercialisation activities, including product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution, for any drug candidate for which we receive marketing approval;

the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; and

the costs of operating as a public company.
In the event that we require additional financing, we may not be able to raise such financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favourable market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If we are unable to raise additional capital on terms acceptable to us or at all or generate cash flows necessary to maintain or expand our operations and invest in our computational platform, we may not be able to compete successfully, which would harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risks Related to the Discovery and Development of Our Drug Candidates
We are substantially dependent on our technology platform to identify promising molecules to accelerate drug discovery and development. Our platform technology may fail to discover and design molecules with therapeutic potential or may not result in the discovery and development of commercially viable products for us or our collaborators.
We use our technology platform to conduct AI-enabled laboratory experimentation and our technology platform underpins all our efforts. As a result, the quality and sophistication of our platform and technology is critical to our ability to conduct our research discovery activities, to design and deliver promising molecule candidates and to accelerate and lower the cost of drug discovery as compared to traditional methods for our partnerships. We originated the first three AI-designed precision drugs to enter human clinical trials: our internal lead drug candidate, EXS21546, and two drug candidates that we developed with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and for which we no longer have commercial rights. Because AI-designed drug candidates are novel, there is greater uncertainty about our ability to develop, advance and commercialise drug candidates using our AI-design process.
While the results of certain of our internal drug discovery programmes and drug discovery collaborators suggest that our platform is capable of accelerating drug discovery and identifying high-quality drug candidates, these results do not assure future success for our drug discovery collaborators or for us with our internal drug discovery programmes. Even if we or our drug discovery collaborators are able to develop drug candidates that demonstrate potential in preclinical studies, we or they may not succeed in demonstrating safety and efficacy of these drug candidates in human clinical trials. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are susceptible to error and inaccurate or varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that believed their drug candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval of their drug candidates.
 
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All of our drug candidates are in early-stage clinical development or in preclinical development. If we are unable to advance our drug candidates through clinical development, to obtain regulatory approval and ultimately to commercialise our drug candidates, or if we experience significant delays in doing so, our business will be materially harmed.
Our lead drug candidate, EXS21546, is our only internally-developed drug candidate in clinical development. To date, only three AI-developed drug candidates have entered clinical trials: EXS21546 and two candidates that we developed with one of our collaborators. Thus far, no approved therapeutics have been developed using AI. There is no assurance that any current or future clinical trials of our drug candidates will be successful or will generate positive clinical data, and we may not receive marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, or other regulatory agencies for any of our drug candidates. We have submitted a Clinical Trial Application, or CTA, in the U.K. for EXS21546, but we have never submitted an IND to the FDA. Our other drug candidates are in preclinical development. There can be no assurance that the FDA will permit the INDs for any of our drug candidates to go into effect in a timely manner or at all.
Biopharmaceutical development is a long, expensive and uncertain process, and delay or failure can occur at any stage of any of our clinical trials. Failure to obtain regulatory approval for our drug candidates will prevent us from commercialising and marketing our drug candidates. Successful development of our drug candidates will depend on many factors, including:

completing preclinical studies;

submission of INDs for and receipt of allowance to proceed with our planned clinical trials or other future clinical trials;

initiating, enrolling and completing clinical trials;

obtaining positive results from our preclinical studies and clinical trials that demonstrate safety and efficacy for our drug candidates;

receiving approvals for commercialisation of our drug candidates from applicable regulatory authorities;

establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities and successfully launching commercial sales of our products, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others;

making arrangements with third-party manufacturers for, or establishing, clinical and commercial manufacturing capabilities;

manufacturing our drug candidates at an acceptable cost;

acceptance of our products, if and when approved, by patients, the medical community and third-party payors; and

maintaining and growing an organisation of scientists, medical professionals and businesspeople who can develop and commercialise our products and technology.
Many of these factors are beyond our control, including the time needed to adequately complete clinical testing and the regulatory submission process. It is possible that none of our drug candidates will ever obtain regulatory approval, even if we expend substantial time and resources seeking such approval. If we do not achieve one or more of the above-listed requirements in a timely manner or at all, or if any other factor impacts the successful development of biopharmaceutical products, we could experience significant delays or an inability to successfully develop our drug candidates, which would materially harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Clinical development involves a lengthy and expensive process with uncertain outcomes. If our preclinical studies and clinical trials are not sufficient to support regulatory approval of any of our drug candidates, we may incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development of such drug candidate.
All of our drug candidates are in preclinical development or early-stage clinical trials and their risk of failure is high. Clinical testing is expensive, is difficult to design and implement, can take many years
 
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to complete and has an uncertain outcome. We cannot guarantee that any of our clinical trials will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, or at all. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing, which may result from a multitude of factors, including, but not limited to, flaws in trial design, dose selection issues, participant enrolment criteria and failure to demonstrate favourable safety or efficacy traits.
Before we can commence clinical trials for a drug candidate, we must complete extensive preclinical testing and studies that support our planned INDs and other regulatory filings in the United States and abroad. We cannot be certain of the timely completion or outcome of our preclinical testing and studies and cannot predict if regulatory authorities will accept our proposed clinical programmes or if the outcome of our preclinical testing and studies will ultimately support the further development of any drug candidates. As a result, we cannot be sure that we will be able to submit INDs or corresponding regulatory filings for our preclinical programmes on the timelines we expect, if at all, and we cannot be sure that submission of INDs or these regulatory filings will result in regulatory authorities allowing clinical trials to begin.
The time required to obtain approval from the FDA, European Medicines Agency, or EMA, or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities is unpredictable but typically takes many years following the commencement of clinical trials and depends upon numerous factors, including the substantial discretion of regulatory authorities. Before obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of any drug candidate, we must complete preclinical development and then conduct extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of such drug candidate in humans. We have not yet completed a clinical trial of any of our drug candidates. Clinical trials may fail to demonstrate that our drug candidates are safe and effective for indicated uses. Even if the clinical trials are successful, changes in marketing approval policies during the development period, changes in or the enactment or promulgation of additional statutes, regulations or guidance or changes in regulatory review for each submitted product application may cause delays in the approval or rejection of an application.
Furthermore, drug candidates are subject to continued preclinical safety studies, which may be conducted concurrently with our clinical testing. The outcomes of these safety studies may delay the launch of or enrolment in future clinical trials and could impact our ability to continue to conduct our clinical trials.
Other events that may prevent successful or timely completion of clinical development include:

inability to generate sufficient preclinical, toxicology or other in vivo or in vitro data to support the initiation of clinical trials;

delays in reaching a consensus with regulatory authorities on trial design;

delays in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective contract research organisations, or CROs and clinical trial sites;

delays related to COVID-19 disruptions at CROs, contract development and manufacturing organisations or CDMOs and/or clinical trial sites;

delays in opening clinical trial sites or obtaining required institutional review board, or IRB, or institutional biosafety committee, or IBC, approval, or that of the equivalent review groups for sites outside the United States, at each clinical trial site;

imposition of a clinical hold by regulatory authorities, including as a result of a serious adverse event or after an inspection of our clinical trial operations or trial sites;

failure by us, any CROs we engage or any other third parties to adhere to clinical trial requirements;

failure to perform in accordance with Good Clinical Practices, or GCPs;

failure by investigators and clinical sites to adhere to protocols leading to variable results;

failure of our delivery approach in humans;
 
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delays in the testing, validation, manufacturing and delivery of our drug candidates to the clinical sites, including delays by third parties with whom we have contracted to perform certain of those functions;

failure of our third-party contractors to comply with regulatory requirements or to meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all;

inability to enrol participants or delays in having enrolled participants complete their participation in a trial or return for post-administration follow-up;

clinical trial sites or participants dropping out of a trial;

selection of clinical endpoints that require prolonged periods of clinical observation or analysis of the resulting data;

clinical trials of our drug candidates may produce negative or inconclusive results, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical trials or abandon development programmes;

occurrence of serious adverse events associated with the drug candidate or administration of the drug candidate that are viewed to outweigh its potential benefits;

occurrence of serious adverse events or other unexpected events in trials of the same class of agents conducted by other sponsors;

changes in regulatory requirements and guidance that require amending or submitting new clinical trial protocols;

changes in the legal or regulatory regimes domestically or internationally related to patient rights and privacy; or

lack of adequate funding to continue a given clinical trial.
Any inability to successfully complete preclinical studies and clinical trials could result in additional costs to us or impair our ability to generate revenues from product sales, regulatory and commercialisation milestones and royalties. In addition, if we make manufacturing or formulation changes to our drug candidates, we may need to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials to bridge our modified drug candidates to earlier versions. Clinical trial delays also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialise our drug candidates or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialise our drug candidates and may harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our research activities and clinical trials may fail to demonstrate adequately the safety and efficacy of EXS21546 or any other drug candidate, which would prevent or delay development, regulatory approval and commercialisation.
Before obtaining regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any drug candidate, including EXS21546, we must demonstrate, through lengthy, complex and expensive research activities and clinical trials, that our drug candidates are both safe and effective for use in each target indication. Research activities and clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete and its outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial processes, and, because EXS21546 is in an early stage of development, there is a high risk of failure and we may never succeed in developing it as a marketable product.
Any clinical trial that we may conduct may not demonstrate the safety and efficacy necessary to obtain regulatory approval to market our drug candidates. If the results of our ongoing or future clinical trials are inconclusive with respect to the safety, potency, purity and efficacy of our drug candidates, if we do not meet the clinical endpoints with statistical and clinically meaningful significance, or if there are safety concerns associated with our drug candidates, we may be prevented from or delayed in obtaining marketing approval for such drug candidates. In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety and efficacy results between different clinical trials of the same drug candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial procedures set forth in protocols, manufacturing variances,
 
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differences in the size and type of the patient populations, changes in and adherence to the clinical trial protocols and the rate of dropout among clinical trial participants.
We have never successfully completed a clinical trial, and we may be unable to do so for any drug candidates we develop.
We have not yet demonstrated our ability to successfully complete any clinical trial, obtain a regulatory approval, manufacture a commercial-scale product or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful commercialisation of a drug candidate. In December 2020, we began our first Phase 1 clinical trial, which is currently ongoing. We may not be able to file an IND or CTA for this or any of our other drug candidates on the timelines we expect, if at all. For example, we may experience manufacturing delays with IND-enabling studies. Moreover, we cannot be sure that submission of an IND will result in the FDA allowing further clinical trials to begin, or that, once begun, issues will not arise that require us to suspend or terminate clinical trials. Commencing each of these clinical trials is subject to finalizing the trial design based on discussions with the FDA and other regulatory authorities. Any guidance we receive from regulatory authorities is subject to change. For example, a regulatory authority could change its position, including on the acceptability of our trial designs or the clinical endpoints selected, which may require us to complete additional clinical trials or impose stricter approval conditions than we currently expect.
If we are required to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials or other testing of our drug candidates beyond those that we currently contemplate, if we are unable to successfully complete clinical trials of our drug candidates or other testing, if the results of these trials or tests are not positive or are only modestly positive or if there are safety concerns, we may:

be delayed in obtaining marketing approval for our drug candidates;

not obtain marketing approval at all;

obtain approval for indications or patient populations that are not as broad as intended or desired;

be subject to post-marketing testing requirements; or

have the product removed from the market after obtaining marketing approval.
We may incur additional costs or experience delays in initiating or completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development and commercialisation of our drug candidates.
We may experience delays in initiating or completing our preclinical studies and clinical trials, including as a result of delays in obtaining, or failure to obtain, the FDA’s clearance to initiate clinical trials under future INDs. Additionally, we cannot be certain that preclinical studies or clinical trials for our drug candidates will not require redesign, enrol an adequate number of subjects on time or be completed on schedule, if at all. We may experience numerous unforeseen events during, or as a result of, preclinical studies and clinical trials that could delay or prevent our ability to receive marketing approval or commercialise our drug candidates, including:

we may receive feedback from regulatory authorities that requires us to modify the design or implementation of our preclinical studies or clinical trials;

regulators, IRBs or ethics committees may not authorise us or our investigators to commence a clinical trial or conduct a clinical trial at a prospective trial site;

we may experience delays in reaching, or fail to reach, agreement on acceptable terms with prospective trial sites and prospective CROs, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;

preclinical studies or clinical trials of our drug candidates may produce negative or inconclusive results, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials or we may decide to abandon product development programmes;
 
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the number of patients required for clinical trials of our drug candidates may be larger than we anticipate, enrolment in these clinical trials may be slower than we anticipate or participants may drop out of these clinical trials or fail to return for post-treatment follow-up at a higher rate than we anticipate;

our third-party contractors may fail to comply with regulatory requirements, fail to maintain adequate quality controls, be unable to provide us with sufficient product supply to conduct or complete preclinical studies or clinical trials, or fail to meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all, or may deviate from the clinical trial protocol or drop out of the trial, which may require that we add new clinical trial sites or investigators;

we may elect to, or regulators, IRBs or ethics committees may require us or our investigators to, suspend or terminate clinical research for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory requirements or a finding that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;

the cost of clinical trials of our drug candidates may be greater than we anticipate;

the supply or quality of our drug candidates or other materials necessary to conduct clinical trials of our drug candidates may be insufficient or inadequate;

our drug candidates may have undesirable side effects or other unexpected characteristics, causing us or our investigators, or regulators, IRBs or ethics committees to suspend or terminate the trials, or reports may arise from preclinical or clinical testing of other cancer therapies that raise safety or efficacy concerns about our drug candidates; and

regulatory authorities may revise the requirements for approving our drug candidates, or such requirements may not be as we anticipate.
We could encounter delays if a clinical trial is suspended or terminated by us, by the IRBs of the institutions at which such trials are being conducted, by the Data Safety Monitoring Board, or DSMB, for such trials or by the FDA or other regulatory authorities. Such authorities may impose such a suspension or termination or clinical hold due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA or other regulatory authorities, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a product, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial. Many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our drug candidates. Further, the FDA may disagree with our clinical trial design and our interpretation of data from clinical trials, or may change the requirements for approval even after it has reviewed and commented on the design for our clinical trials.
Moreover, principal investigators for our current and future clinical trials may serve as scientific advisors or consultants to us from time to time and receive compensation in connection with such services. Under certain circumstances, we may be required to report some of these relationships to the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. The FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority may conclude that a financial relationship between us and a principal investigator has created a conflict of interest or otherwise affected the interpretation of the study. The FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority may therefore question the integrity of the data generated at the applicable clinical trial site and the utility of the clinical trial itself may be jeopardised. This could result in a delay in approval, or rejection, of our marketing applications by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority, as the case may be, and may ultimately lead to the denial of marketing approval of one or more of our drug candidates.
Our product development costs will also increase if we experience delays in testing or obtaining regulatory approvals. We do not know whether any of our future clinical trials will begin as planned, or whether any of our current or future clinical trials will need to be restructured or will be completed on schedule, if at all. Significant preclinical study or clinical trial delays, including those caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive
 
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right to commercialise our drug candidates or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do and impair our ability to successfully commercialise our drug candidates. Any delays in our preclinical or future clinical development programmes may harm our business, financial condition and growth prospects significantly.
If we experience delays or difficulties in the enrolment of patients in clinical trials, our receipt of necessary regulatory approvals could be delayed or prevented.
We may not be able to initiate or continue clinical trials for our drug candidates if we are unable to locate and enrol a sufficient number of eligible patients to participate in these trials as required by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. In particular, because we are deploying our drug discovery platform across a broad target space, our ability to enrol eligible patients may be limited or may result in slower enrolment than we anticipate. For example, because some of our drug candidates target rare diseases, we may have difficulty enrolling a sufficient number of eligible patients or enrolment may be slower than we anticipate. In addition, some of our competitors have ongoing clinical trials for drug candidates that treat the same indications as our drug candidates, and patients who would otherwise be eligible for our clinical trials may instead enrol in clinical trials of our competitors’ drug candidates.
In addition to the competitive trial environment, the eligibility criteria of our planned clinical trials will further limit the pool of available study participants as we will require that patients have specific characteristics that we can measure to assure their cancer is either severe enough or not too advanced to include them in a study. We may not be able to identify, recruit and enrol a sufficient number of patients to complete our clinical studies for a number of reasons, including:

the severity of the disease under investigation;

the eligibility criteria and overall design of the clinical trial in question;

the perceived risks and benefits of the drug candidate under study;

clinicians’ and patients’ perceptions as to the potential advantages of the drug candidate being studied in relation to other available therapies, including any new drugs that may be approved for the indications we are investigating;

the ability to obtain and maintain patient consents;

the efforts to facilitate timely enrolment in clinical trials;

the patient referral practices of physicians;

the size and nature of the patient population required for analysis of the trial’s primary endpoints;

the ability to monitor patients adequately during and after treatment;

the proximity and availability of clinical trial sites for prospective patients;

the risk that patients enrolled in clinical trials will drop out of the clinical trials before completion of their treatment; and

factors we may not be able to control, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic or potential future pandemics that may limit patients, principal investigators, staff or clinical site availability.
Delays in patient enrolment may result in increased costs or may affect the timing or outcome of the planned clinical trials, which could prevent completion of these clinical trials and adversely affect our ability to advance the development of our drug candidates. In addition, many of the factors that may lead to a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our drug candidates.
Success in preclinical studies or clinical trials may not be predictive of results in future clinical trials.
Positive results from early preclinical studies and clinical trials of our drug candidates are not necessarily predictive of the results of later preclinical studies and any future clinical trials of our drug
 
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candidates. Even if we are able to complete our planned preclinical studies and clinical trials of our drug candidates according to our current development timeline, the results from such preclinical studies and clinical trials of our drug candidates may not be replicated in subsequent preclinical studies or clinical trial results. If we cannot replicate such positive results in our later preclinical studies and future clinical trials, we may be unable to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialise our drug candidates.
Many companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in late-stage clinical trials after achieving positive results in early-stage development, and we cannot be certain that we will not face similar setbacks. These setbacks have been caused by, among other things, preclinical and other nonclinical findings made while clinical trials were underway, or safety or efficacy observations made in preclinical studies and clinical trials, including previously unreported adverse events. Moreover, preclinical, nonclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that believed their drug candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials nonetheless failed to obtain FDA or EMA approval.
Additionally, future clinical trials that we may plan might utilise an “open-label” trial design. An “open-label” clinical trial is one where both the patient and investigator know whether the patient is receiving the investigational drug candidate or either an existing approved drug or placebo. Most typically, open-label clinical trials test only the investigational drug candidate and sometimes may do so at different dose levels. Open-label clinical trials are subject to various limitations that may exaggerate any therapeutic effect as patients in open-label clinical trials are aware when they are receiving treatment. Open-label clinical trials may be subject to a “patient bias” where patients perceive their symptoms to have improved merely due to their awareness of receiving an experimental treatment. In addition, open-label clinical trials may be subject to an “investigator bias” where those assessing and reviewing the physiological outcomes of the clinical trials are aware of which patients have received treatment and may interpret the information of the treated group more favourably given this knowledge. The results from an open-label trial may not be predictive of future clinical trial results with any of our drug candidates for which we include an open-label clinical trial when studied in a controlled environment with a placebo or active control.
Interim, “topline”, and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.
From time to time, we may publicly disclose preliminary or topline data from our clinical trials, which is based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change following a more comprehensive review of the data related to the particular study or trial. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully and carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the topline or preliminary results that we report may differ from future results of the same studies, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Topline data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data we previously published. As a result, topline data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. From time to time, we may also disclose interim data from our clinical trials. Interim data from clinical trials that we may complete are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrolment continues and more patient data become available or as patients from our clinical trials continue other treatments for their disease. Adverse differences between preliminary or interim data and final data could significantly harm our business prospects. Further, disclosure of interim data by us or by our competitors could result in volatility in the price of the ADSs after this offering.
If the interim, topline, or preliminary data that we report differ from actual results, or if others, including regulatory authorities, disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to obtain approval for, and commercialise, our drug candidates may be harmed, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, the information we choose to publicly
 
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disclose regarding a particular clinical trial is based on what is typically extensive information, and you or others may not agree with what we determine is material or otherwise appropriate information to include in our disclosure.
Our current and future clinical trials or those of our current or future collaborators may reveal significant adverse events not seen in our preclinical or nonclinical studies and may result in a safety profile that could inhibit regulatory approval or market acceptance of any of our drug candidates.
Before obtaining regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any products, we must demonstrate through lengthy, complex and expensive preclinical studies and clinical trials that our drug candidates are both safe and effective for use in each target indication. Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. There is typically an extremely high rate of attrition for drug candidates proceeding through clinical trials. Drug candidates in later stages of clinical trials also may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy profile despite having progressed through nonclinical studies and initial clinical trials. If the results of our ongoing or future preclinical studies and clinical trials are inconclusive with respect to the safety and efficacy of our drug candidates, if we do not meet the clinical endpoints with statistical and clinically meaningful significance, or if there are safety concerns associated with our drug candidates, we may be prevented from or delayed in obtaining marketing approval for such drug candidates. In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety or efficacy results between different clinical trials of the same drug candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial procedures set forth in protocols, differences in the size and type of the patient populations, changes in and adherence to the clinical trial protocols and the rate of dropout among clinical trial participants. While we have not yet initiated clinical trials for certain of our drug candidates and are in early stages of clinical development for EXS21546, it is likely, as is the case with many oncology therapies, that there will be side effects associated with their use. Results of our trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects. Further, our drug candidates could cause undesirable side effects in clinical trials related to on-target toxicity. If on-target toxicity is observed, or if our drug candidates have characteristics that are unexpected, we may need to abandon their development or limit development to narrower uses or subpopulations in which the undesirable side effects or other characteristics are less prevalent, less severe or more acceptable from a risk-benefit perspective. In addition, our drug candidates could cause undesirable side effects that we have not observed yet to date. We also may develop future drug candidates for use in combination with one or more existing cancer therapies. The uncertainty resulting from the use of our drug candidates in combination with other cancer therapies may make it difficult to accurately predict side effects in future clinical trials. Most drug candidates that commence clinical trials are never approved as products and there can be no assurance that any of our current or future clinical trials will ultimately demonstrate positive results or support further clinical development of any of our drug candidates.
If significant adverse events or other side effects are observed in any of our current or future clinical trials, we may have difficulty recruiting patients to our clinical trials, patients may drop out of our trials or we may be required to abandon the trials or our development efforts of one or more drug candidates altogether. We, the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities, or an IRB may suspend or terminate clinical trials of a drug candidate at any time for various reasons, including a belief that subjects in such trials are being exposed to unacceptable health risks or adverse side effects. Some potential therapeutics that initially showed therapeutic promise in early-stage trials have later been found to cause side effects that prevented their further development. Even if the side effects do not preclude the product from obtaining or maintaining marketing approval, undesirable side effects may inhibit market acceptance of the approved product due to its tolerability versus other therapies. Any of these developments could materially harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We intend to develop EXS21546, and potentially other future drug candidates, for use in combination with other therapies, which exposes us to additional risks.
We intend to develop EXS21546 for use in combination with one or more currently approved cancer therapies. If a drug candidate we develop were to receive marketing approval for use in
 
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combination with these existing therapies, we would continue to bear the risks that the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities could revoke approval of the therapies used in combination with our drug candidate or that safety, efficacy, manufacturing or supply issues could arise with such existing therapies. We would be subject to similar risks if we develop any of our drug candidates for use in combination with other drugs or for indications other than cancer. This could result in our own products being removed from the market or being less successful commercially.
We may also potentially evaluate other drug candidates in combination with one or more other cancer therapies that have not yet been approved for marketing by the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities. We will not be able to market and sell any drug candidate we develop in combination with any such cancer therapies that do not ultimately obtain marketing approval whether alone or in combination with our product. In addition, unapproved cancer therapies face the same risks described with respect to our drug candidates currently in development and clinical trials, including the potential for serious adverse effects, delay in their clinical trials and lack of FDA approval. If safety, efficacy, manufacturing or supply issues arise with the products we choose to evaluate in combination with our drug candidates, we may be unable to obtain approval of or market such combination.
We currently, and may in the future, conduct clinical trials for our drug candidates outside the United States, and the FDA and similar foreign regulatory authorities may not accept data from such trials.
We are currently conducting a clinical trial outside the United States, and we may in the future conduct clinical trials outside the United States, including in China, Australia, Europe, elsewhere in Asia or other foreign jurisdictions. The acceptance of trial data from clinical trials conducted outside the United States by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may be subject to certain conditions. In cases where data from clinical trials conducted outside the United States are intended to serve as the sole basis for marketing approval in the United States, the FDA will generally not approve the application on the basis of such data alone unless (i) the data are applicable to the United States population and United States medical practice; (ii) the trials were performed by clinical investigators of recognised competence pursuant to GCP regulation; and (iii) the data may be considered valid without the need for an on-site inspection by the FDA or, if the FDA considers such an inspection to be necessary, the FDA is able to validate the data through an on-site inspection or other appropriate means. In general, the patient population for any clinical trials conducted outside the United States must be representative of the population for whom we intend to label the drug candidate in the United States. Additionally, the FDA’s clinical trial requirements, including sufficient size of patient populations and statistical powering, must be met. Many foreign regulatory bodies have similar approval requirements. In addition, such foreign trials would be subject to the applicable local laws of the foreign jurisdictions where the trials are conducted. There can be no assurance that the FDA or any similar foreign regulatory authority will accept data from trials conducted outside of the United States or the applicable jurisdiction. If the FDA or any similar foreign regulatory authority does not accept such data, it would result in the need for additional trials, which would be costly and time-consuming and delay aspects of our business plan, and which may result in our drug candidates not receiving approval or clearance for commercialisation in the applicable jurisdiction.
We may seek orphan drug designation for certain of our drug candidates, and we may be unsuccessful or may be unable to maintain the benefits associated with orphan drug designation, including the potential for market exclusivity.
As part of our business strategy, we may seek orphan drug designation for certain of our drug candidates, and such efforts may be unsuccessful. Regulatory authorities in some jurisdictions, including the United States and Europe, may designate drugs for relatively small patient populations as orphan drugs. Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may designate a drug as an orphan drug if it is a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 individuals annually in the United States, or a patient population of 200,000 or more in the United States where there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the drug will be recovered from sales in the United States. In the United States, orphan drug designation entitles a
 
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party to financial incentives such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages and user-fee waivers.
Similarly, in the European Union, the European Commission, upon the recommendation of the EMA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products, grants orphan drug designation to promote the development of drugs that are intended for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions and either the prevalence of the condition is not more than 5 in 10,000 persons in the European Union or, without incentives, it is unlikely that sales of the drug in the European Union would be sufficient to justify the necessary investment in developing the drug. In each case, there must be no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention or treatment of the condition that has been authorised, or, if such a method exists, the product in question must be of significant benefit to those affected by such condition. In the European Union, orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as reduction of fees or fee waivers.
Generally, if a drug candidate with an orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first marketing approval for the indication for which it has such designation, the drug is entitled to a period of marketing exclusivity, which precludes the FDA or the EMA from approving another marketing application for the same drug and indication for that time period, except in limited circumstances. The applicable period is seven years in the United States and ten years in the European Union. The exclusivity period in the European Union can be reduced to six years if, at the end of the fifth year, it is established that a drug no longer meets the criteria for orphan drug designation, including if the drug is sufficiently profitable so that market exclusivity is no longer justified. An additional year of market exclusivity is available in the European Union if, during the first eight years of the ten year period the marketing authorisation holder obtains an authorisation for one or more new indications which are held to bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison with existing therapies.
Even if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity for a drug, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the drug from competition because different drugs can be approved for the same condition. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA and EMA can subsequently approve another drug for the same condition if the FDA and EMA (as applicable) conclude that the later drug is clinically superior in that it is shown to be safer, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care. In addition, a designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received orphan designation. Moreover, orphan drug exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantity of the drug to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition. Orphan drug designation neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a drug nor gives the drug any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process. While we may seek orphan drug designations for our drug candidates, we may never receive such designations. Even if we do receive such designations, there is no guarantee that we will enjoy the benefits that can come from those designations.
Even if we receive regulatory approval for any of our drug candidates, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense. Additionally, our drug candidates, if approved, could be subject to post-market study requirements, marketing and labelling restrictions and even recall or market withdrawal if unanticipated safety issues are discovered following approval. In addition, we may be subject to penalties or other enforcement action if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements.
If the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority approves any of our drug candidates, the manufacturing processes, labelling, packaging, distribution, import, export, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion, monitoring and recordkeeping for the product will be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, establishment registration and listing, as well as continued compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMPs, and GCPs for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. Additionally, manufacturers are required to comply with extensive FDA, and comparable foreign regulatory authority requirements, including ensuring that quality control and
 
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manufacturing procedures conform to cGMP regulations and applicable product tracking and tracing requirements. Any regulatory approvals that we receive for our drug candidates may also be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing studies, including Phase 4 clinical trials, and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product. A product may not be promoted for uses that are not approved by the FDA or such other regulatory agencies as reflected in the product’s approved labelling, although physicians may, in their independent medical judgement, prescribe legally available products for “off-label” uses. If any of our current or future drug candidates is approved for marketing, and we are found to have improperly promoted off-label uses of those products, we may become subject to significant liability. The FDA may also require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, to approve our drug candidates, which could entail requirements for a medication guide, physician communication plans or additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimisation tools. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in, among other things:

restrictions on marketing or manufacturing of the product, withdrawal of the product from the market, or voluntary or mandatory product recalls;

manufacturing delays and supply disruptions where regulatory inspections identify noncompliance requiring remediation;

revisions to the labelling, including limitation on approved uses or the addition of warnings, contraindications or other safety information, including boxed warnings;

imposition of a REMS, which may include distribution or use restrictions;

requirements to conduct additional post-market clinical trials to assess the safety of the product;

clinical trial holds;

fines, warning letters or other regulatory enforcement action;

refusal by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us or suspension or revocation of approvals;

product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; and

injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
The FDA’s and other regulatory authorities’ policies may change, and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of our drug candidates. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our drug candidates in one jurisdiction does not mean that we will be able to obtain regulatory approval of our drug candidates in other jurisdictions.
We may submit marketing applications in countries in addition to the United States. Regulatory authorities in jurisdictions outside of the United States have requirements for approval of drug candidates with which we must comply prior to marketing in those jurisdictions. Obtaining foreign regulatory approvals and compliance with foreign regulatory requirements could result in significant difficulties and costs for us and could delay or prevent the introduction of our products in certain countries. If we fail to comply with the regulatory requirements in international markets and/or receive applicable marketing approvals, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realise the full market potential of our drug candidates will be harmed.
 
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Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our drug candidates in one jurisdiction does not guarantee that we will be able to obtain or maintain regulatory approval in any other jurisdiction, while a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process in others. For example, even if the FDA grants marketing approval of a drug candidate, comparable regulatory authorities in foreign jurisdictions must also approve the manufacturing, marketing and promotion of the drug candidate in those countries. Approval procedures vary among jurisdictions and can involve requirements and administrative review periods different from, and greater than, those in the United States, including additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, as clinical trials conducted in one jurisdiction may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions. In short, the foreign regulatory approval process involves all the risks associated with FDA approval. In many jurisdictions outside the United States, a drug candidate must be approved for reimbursement before it can be approved for sale in that jurisdiction. In some cases, the price that we may intend to charge for our products will also be subject to approval.
Risks Related to Our Business
We may not be successful in our efforts to identify or discover drug candidates and may fail to capitalise on programmes, collaborations or drug candidates that may present a greater commercial opportunity or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.
Research programmes to identify new drug candidates require substantial technical, financial and human resources. As an organisation, aside from EXS21546, we have not yet developed any drug candidates, and we may fail to identify potential drug candidates for clinical development. Similarly, a key element of our business plan is to expand the use of our computational platform through an increase in software sales and drug discovery collaborations. A failure to demonstrate the utility of our platform by using it ourselves to discover drug candidates for internal development could harm our business prospects.
Because we have limited resources, we focus our research programmes on protein targets where we believe our computational assays are a good substitute for experimental assays, where we believe it is theoretically possible to discover a molecule with properties that are required for the molecule to become a drug and where we believe there is a meaningful commercial opportunity, among other factors. Currently, the focus of our internal drug discovery programmes is in the areas of oncology, immunology and anti-virals. We may forego or delay pursuit of opportunities with certain programmes, collaborations or drug candidates or for indications that later prove to have greater commercial potential. However, the development of any drug candidate we pursue may ultimately prove to be unsuccessful or less successful than another potential drug candidate that we might have chosen to pursue on a more aggressive basis with our capital resources. If we do not accurately evaluate the commercial potential for a particular drug candidate, we may relinquish valuable rights to that drug candidate through strategic collaboration, partnership, licensing or other arrangements in cases in which it would have been more advantageous for us to retain sole development and commercialisation rights to such drug candidate. Alternatively, we may allocate internal resources to a drug candidate in a therapeutic area in which it would have been more advantageous to enter into a collaboration.
We face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercialising products before or more successfully than we do.
The development and commercialisation of new pharmaceutical products is highly competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological advancements. We face competition from major multi-national pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and specialty pharmaceutical companies. A number of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies currently market and sell products, or are developing drug candidates, for the treatment of cancer. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large, established companies. Potential competitors also include academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private research organisations.
Our competitors with development-stage programmes may obtain marketing approval from the FDA or other comparable regulatory authorities for their drug candidates more rapidly than we do, and
 
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they could establish a strong market position before we are able to enter the market. In addition, our competitors may succeed in developing, acquiring or licensing technologies and products that are more effective, more effectively marketed and sold or less costly than any drug candidates that we may develop, which could render our drug candidates non-competitive and obsolete and result in our competitors establishing a strong market position for either the product or a specific indication before we are able to enter the market.
Many of our competitors, either alone or with their strategic collaborators, have substantially greater financial, technical and human resources than we do. Accordingly, our competitors may be more successful than we are in obtaining approval for treatments and achieving widespread market acceptance, which may render our treatments obsolete or non-competitive. Mergers and acquisitions in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel and establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical studies, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programmes.
We are aware of several companies using various technologies, including AI and other sophisticated computational tools, to accelerate drug development and improve the quality of identified drug candidates. These companies include Relay Therapeutics, AbCellera, Schrodinger, Recursion Pharmaceuticals, PathAI, Insitro, Valo Health, Cellarity, XtalPi, BenevolentAI, Datavant and Atomwise.
We have invested, and expect to continue to invest, in research and development efforts that further enhance our technology platform. If the return on these investments is lower or develops more slowly than we expect, our revenue and results of operations may suffer.
We use our technological capabilities for the discovery of new drugs and, since our inception, we have invested, and expect to continue to invest, in research and development efforts that further enhance our technology platform. These investments may involve significant time, risks and uncertainties, including the risk that the expenses associated with these investments may affect our margins and results of operations and that such investments may not generate sufficient technological advantages relative to alternatives in the market, which would in turn, impact revenues generated to offset the liabilities assumed and expenses associated with these investments. The software industry changes rapidly as a result of technological and product developments, which may render our platform’s ability to identify and develop drug candidates less efficient than other technologies and platforms. We believe that we must continue to invest a significant amount of time and resources in our technology platform to maintain and improve our competitive position. If we do not achieve the benefits anticipated from these investments, if the achievement of these benefits is delayed or if our technology is not able to accelerate the process of drug discovery as quickly as we anticipate, our revenue and results of operations may be adversely affected.
We must adapt to rapid and significant technological change and respond to introductions of new products and technologies by competitors to remain competitive.
In addition to using our platform for the discovery and development of our own drug candidates, we provide our drug discovery solution and capabilities in industries that are characterised by significant enhancements and evolving industry standards. As a result, our and our collaborators’ needs are rapidly evolving. If we do not appropriately innovate and invest in new technologies, including within the field of AI, our platform may become less competitive, and our collaborators could move to new technologies offered by our competitors or engage in drug discovery themselves. We believe that because of the initial time investment required by many of our collaborators to reach a decision about whether to collaborate with us, it may be difficult to regain a commercial relationship with such collaborators should they enter into a partnership or collaboration agreement with a competitor. Without the timely introduction of new solutions and technological enhancements, our offerings will likely become less competitive over time, in which case our competitive position and results of operations could suffer. Accordingly, we focus significant efforts and resources on the development and identification of new technologies and markets to further broaden and deepen our capabilities and expertise in AI
 
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drug discovery and development. To the extent we fail to timely introduce new and innovative technologies or solutions, adequately predict our collaborators’ needs or fail to obtain desired levels of market acceptance, our business may suffer and our results of operations could be adversely affected.
We rely upon third-party providers of cloud-based infrastructure to host our software solutions. Any disruption in the operations of these third-party providers, limitations on capacity or interference with our use could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We outsource substantially all of the infrastructure relating to our hosted software solutions to third-party hosting services. Customers of our hosted software solutions need to be able to access our computational platform at any time, without interruption or degradation of performance, and we provide them with service-level commitments with respect to uptime. Our hosted software solutions depend on protecting the virtual cloud infrastructure hosted by third-party hosting services by maintaining its configuration, architecture, features and interconnection specifications, as well as the information stored in these virtual data centres, which is transmitted by third-party internet service providers. Any limitation on the capacity of our third-party hosting services could impede our ability to onboard new customers or expand the usage of our existing customers, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any incident affecting our third-party hosting services’ infrastructure that may be caused by cyber-attacks, natural disasters, fires, floods, severe storms, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, terrorist or other attacks and other similar events beyond our control could negatively affect our cloud-based solutions. A prolonged service disruption affecting our cloud-based solutions for any of the foregoing reasons would negatively impact our ability to serve our customers and could damage our reputation with current and potential customers, expose us to liability, cause us to lose customers or otherwise harm our business. We may also incur significant costs for using alternative equipment or taking other actions in preparation for, or in reaction to, events that damage the third-party hosting services we use.
In the event that our service agreements with our third-party hosting services are terminated, or there is a lapse of service, elimination of services or features that we utilise, interruption of internet service provider connectivity or damage to such facilities, we could experience interruptions in access to our platform as well as significant delays and additional expense in arranging or creating new facilities and services and/or re-architecting our hosted software solutions for deployment on a different cloud infrastructure service provider, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Defects or disruptions in our technology platform could result in diminishing demand for the drug candidates discovered using such platforms and a reduction in our revenues, and subject us to substantial liability.
Our ability to effectively deploy our drug discovery platform depends upon the continuous, effective and reliable operation of our software and related tools and functions. Our technology platform is inherently complex and may contain defects or errors. The risk of errors is particularly significant when a new software application is first introduced or when new versions or enhancements of existing software applications are used in our technology platform. We have from time to time found defects in our software, and new errors in our existing software may be detected in the future. Any errors, defects, disruptions or other performance problems with our technology platform could adversely impact the efficacy of our drug discovery processes, delay our drug discovery and collaboration timelines, hurt our reputation or damage our collaborators’ businesses. If any of these events occurs, our collaborators may delay or withhold payment to us, cancel their agreements with us, elect not to renew, make service credit claims, warranty claims or other claims against us, and we could lose future revenues. The occurrence of any of these events could result in diminishing demand for our technology platform and any drug candidates discovered through such a platform, a reduction of our revenues and increased expenses of litigation or substantial liability.
 
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The market opportunities for our drug candidates may be smaller than we anticipated or may be limited to those patients who are ineligible for or have failed prior treatments, and our estimates of the prevalence of our target patient populations may be inaccurate.
Our current and future target patient populations are based on our beliefs and estimates regarding the incidence or prevalence of certain types of cancers that may be addressable by our drug candidates, which is derived from a variety of sources, including scientific literature and surveys of clinics. Our projections may prove to be incorrect and the number of potential patients may turn out to be lower than expected. Even if we obtain significant market share for our drug candidates, because the potential target populations could be small, we may never achieve profitability without obtaining regulatory approval for additional indications, including use of our drug candidates for first-line and second-line therapy.
Cancer therapies are sometimes characterised by line of therapy (first-line, second-line, third-line, etc.), and the FDA often approves new therapies initially only for a particular line or lines of use. When cancer is detected early enough, first-line therapy is sometimes adequate to cure the cancer or prolong life without a cure. Whenever first-line therapy, usually chemotherapy, antibody drugs, tumour-targeted small molecules, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, surgery or a combination of these, proves unsuccessful, second-line therapy may be administered. Second-line therapies often consist of more chemotherapy, radiation, antibody drugs, tumour-targeted small molecules or a combination of these. Third-line therapies can include chemotherapy, antibody drugs and small molecule tumour-targeted therapies, more invasive forms of surgery and new technologies. We expect to initially seek approval of some of our drug candidates as second- or third-line therapies for patients who have failed other approved treatments. Subsequently, for those drug candidates that prove to be sufficiently beneficial, if any, we would expect to seek approval as a second-line therapy and potentially as a first-line therapy, but there is no guarantee that our drug candidates, even if approved for third-line therapy, would be approved for second-line or first-line therapy. In addition, we may have to conduct additional clinical trials prior to gaining approval for any of our current or future drug candidates as potential second-line or first-line therapies.
Even if we obtain regulatory approval of our current or future drug candidates, the products may not gain market acceptance among physicians, patients, hospitals, cancer treatment centres and others in the medical community.
The use of artificial intelligence, machine learning and other technology-based platforms to discover compounds and molecules and develop optimally-designed drug candidates is still a recent phenomenon; and therefore, the drug candidates resulting from such a process may not become broadly accepted by physicians, patients, hospitals and others in the medical community, even if approved by the appropriate regulatory authorities for marketing and sale. If we obtain regulatory approval for any of our current programmes or any future drug candidates and such drug candidates do not gain an adequate level of market acceptance, we could be prevented from or significantly delayed in achieving profitability. Various factors will influence whether our drug candidates, if approved, are accepted in the market, including:

the efficacy of our drug candidates as demonstrated in clinical trials, and, if required by any applicable authority in connection with the approval for the applicable indications, the ability of our drug candidates to provide patients with incremental health benefits, as compared with other available therapies;

potential product liability claims;

physicians, hospitals and patients considering our drug candidates as safe and effective treatment options;

the willingness of the target patient population to try new therapies and of physicians to prescribe these therapies;

the prevalence and severity of any side effects of our drug candidates;
 
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product labelling or product insert requirements of the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities;

limitations or warnings contained in the labelling approved by the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities;

the cost of treatment in relation to current and future treatment alternatives;

pricing of our products and the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors and government authorities;

the willingness of patients to pay out-of-pocket in the absence of coverage by third-party payors and government authorities;

relative convenience and ease of administration, including as compared to current and future alternative treatments and competitive therapies; and

the effectiveness of our sales and marketing efforts.
Even if our drug candidates, if approved, achieve market acceptance, we may not be able to maintain that market acceptance over time if new products or technologies are introduced that are more favourably received than our products, are more cost effective or render our products obsolete.
The effects of health epidemics, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in regions where we, or the third parties on which we rely, have business operations could adversely impact our business, including our preclinical studies and clinical trials, as well as the business or operations of our CROs or other third parties with whom we conduct business.
Our business could be adversely affected by health epidemics in regions where we have concentrations of clinical trial sites or other business operations, and could cause significant disruption in the operations of third-party manufacturers and CROs upon whom we rely. Since December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has spread worldwide. Our company headquarters is located in Oxford, United Kingdom, and our CROs are operating as of the date of this prospectus in Europe and Asia. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, and many governments imposed restrictions on travel and varying levels of economic shutdowns.
In response to such public health directives and orders, we have implemented work-from-home policies to support the community efforts to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and protect employees, complying with guidance from federal, state/provincial or municipal government and health authorities. We implemented a number of measures to ensure employee safety and business continuity. Employees who can work from home have been doing so, while those needing to work in laboratory facilities are divided into shifts to reduce the number of people gathered together at one time. Business travel has been suspended, and online and teleconference technology is used to meet virtually rather than in person. We have taken measures to secure our research and development project activities, while work in laboratories and facilities has been organised to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission.
The effects of the executive orders and our work-from-home policies may negatively impact efficiency, disrupt our business and delay our preclinical and clinical programmes and timelines. The magnitude of the impact will depend, in part, on the length and severity of the restrictions and other limitations on our ability to conduct our business in the ordinary course. These and similar, and perhaps more severe, disruptions in our operations could negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition.
Quarantines, shelter-in-place and similar government orders, or the perception that such orders, shutdowns, or other restrictions on the conduct of business operations could occur, whether related to COVID-19 or other infectious diseases, could impact personnel at third-party manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom and other countries, or the availability or cost of materials, which would disrupt our supply chain.
In addition, our business operations, preclinical studies and clinical trials may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
 
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delays or difficulties in enrolling and retaining patients in our clinical trials, including patients who may not be able or willing to comply with clinical trial protocols such as weekly dosing regimens if quarantines impede patient movement or interrupt healthcare services;

delays or difficulties in clinical site initiation, including difficulties in recruiting and retaining clinical site investigators and clinical site staff;

increased rates of patients withdrawing from our clinical trials following enrolment as a result of risks of exposure to COVID-19, being forced to quarantine or being unable to visit clinical trial locations or otherwise comply with clinical trial protocols;

diversion or prioritisation of healthcare resources away from the conduct of clinical trials and towards the COVID-19 pandemic, including the diversion of hospitals serving as our clinical trial sites and hospital staff supporting the conduct of our clinical trials;

interruption of our clinical supply chain or key clinical trial activities, such as clinical trial site monitoring, due to limitations on travel imposed or recommended by federal, state/provincial or municipal governments, employers and others; and

limitations in healthcare provider and employee resources that would otherwise be focused on the conduct of our preclinical studies and clinical trials, including because of sickness of such healthcare providers, who may have heightened exposure to COVID-19, and employees or their families or the desire of employees to avoid contact with large groups of people.
For our clinical trials that are or that we expect to conduct or be conducted at sites outside the United States, particularly in countries which are experiencing heightened impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to the risks listed above, we may also experience the following adverse impacts:

delays in receiving approval from local regulatory authorities to initiate our planned clinical trials;

delays in clinical sites receiving the supplies and materials needed to conduct our clinical trials;

interruption in global shipping that may affect the transport of clinical trial materials, such as investigational drug product and comparator drugs used in our clinical trials;

changes in federal, state/provincial or municipal regulations as part of a response to the COVID-19 outbreak which may require us to change the ways in which our clinical trials are conducted, potentially resulting in unexpected costs, or to discontinue the clinical trials altogether;

delays in necessary interactions with local regulators, ethics committees and other important agencies and contractors due to limitations in employee resources or forced furlough of government employees; and

the refusal of the FDA to accept data from clinical trials in these affected geographies.
The spread of COVID-19, which has caused a broad impact globally, may materially affect us economically. While the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult to assess or predict, it has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant disruption of global financial markets, reducing our ability to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect our liquidity. In addition, a recession or market correction resulting from the spread of COVID-19 could materially affect our business and the value of our ADSs.
The global outbreak of COVID-19 continues to rapidly evolve. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact our business and clinical trials will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the ultimate geographic spread of the disease, the identification of new variants of the virus, the duration of the outbreak, travel restrictions and social distancing in the United Kingdom, United States and other countries, business closures or business disruptions, vaccination rates, the vaccines’ efficacy against future potential variants and the effectiveness of actions taken in the United Kingdom, United States, and other countries to contain and treat the disease. We may experience a material impact on our operations from the pandemic, and we continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely.
 
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We have in the past and may in the future acquire other companies or technologies, which could divert our management’s attention, result in additional dilution to our shareholders and otherwise disrupt our operations and adversely affect our operating results.
In August 2021, we acquired 100% of the outstanding share capital of Allcyte GmbH, or Allcyte, a precision medicine biotechnology company. We may in the future seek to acquire or invest in additional businesses, solutions or technologies that we believe could complement or expand our solutions, enhance our technical capabilities or otherwise offer growth opportunities. The pursuit of potential acquisitions may divert the attention of management and cause us to incur various expenses in identifying, investigating and pursuing suitable acquisitions, whether or not they are consummated.
We have limited experience in acquiring new businesses. We may not be able to integrate the Allcyte personnel, operations and technologies effectively, efficiently manage the combined business or preserve the operational synergies between our business units that we believe currently exist. If we acquire additional businesses in the future, we will face all of these challenges again. We cannot assure you that following any acquisition we will achieve the expected synergies to justify the transaction, due to a number of factors, including:

inability to integrate or benefit from acquired technologies or services in a profitable manner;

incurrence of acquisition-related costs;

unanticipated costs or liabilities associated with the acquisition;

difficulty integrating the accounting systems, operations and personnel of the acquired business;

difficulties and additional expenses associated with supporting legacy products and hosting infrastructure of the acquired business;

difficulty converting the customers of the acquired business onto our solutions and contract terms, including disparities in the revenues, licensing, support or professional services model of the acquired company;

diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns;

adverse effects to our existing business relationships with business partners and customers as a result of the acquisition;

the potential loss of key employees;

use of resources that are needed in other parts of our business; and

use of substantial portions of our available cash to consummate the acquisition.
In addition, a significant portion of the purchase price of companies we acquire may be allocated to acquired goodwill and other intangible assets, which must be assessed for impairment at least annually. In the future, if our acquisitions do not yield expected returns, we may be required to take charges to our operating results based on this impairment assessment process, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Acquisitions could also result in dilutive issuances of equity securities or the incurrence of debt, which could adversely affect our operating results. In addition, if an acquired business fails to meet our expectations, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may suffer.
Clinical trial and product liability lawsuits against us could divert our resources, cause us to incur substantial liabilities and limit commercialisation of our drug candidates.
We face an inherent risk of clinical trial and product liability exposure related to the testing of drug candidates in clinical trials, and we will face an even greater risk if we commercially sell any products that we may develop. While we currently have no products that have been approved for commercial sale, the current and future use of drug candidates by us in clinical trials, and the sale of any approved products in the future, may expose us to liability claims. These claims might be made by patients who use
 
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the product, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies or others selling such products. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against claims that our drug candidates or products caused injuries, we will incur substantial liabilities. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:

decreased demand for our drug candidates;

injury to our reputation and significant negative media attention;

withdrawal of clinical trial participants;

significant costs to defend any related litigation;

substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients;

loss of revenue;

reduced resources of our management to pursue our business strategy; and

the inability to commercialise our drug candidates.
We will need to increase our insurance coverage as we expand our clinical trials or if we commence commercialisation of any drug candidates. If a successful clinical trial or product liability claim or series of claims is brought against us for uninsured liabilities or in excess of insured liabilities, our assets may not be sufficient to cover such claims and our business operations could be impaired.
Our insurance policies are expensive and protect us only from some business risks, which leaves us exposed to significant uninsured liabilities.
We do not carry insurance for all categories of risk that our business may encounter and our policies have limits and significant deductibles. Some of the policies we currently maintain include clinical trial, product liability, general liability, property, employment and director and officer insurance.
Our existing insurance coverage and any additional coverage we acquire in the future may not be sufficient to reimburse us for expenses or losses we may suffer. Moreover, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive, and we may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses. A successful liability claim or series of claims in which judgements exceed our insurance coverage could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We also expect that operating as a public company will make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. We do not know if we will be able to maintain existing insurance with adequate levels of coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified people to serve on our board of directors, our board committees or as executive officers. Any significant uninsured liability may require us to pay substantial amounts, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risks Related to Collaborators and Other Third Parties
Our drug discovery collaborators have significant discretion regarding the clinical development of the programmes subject to the collaboration. The failure of our collaborators to perform their obligations under our collaboration agreements could negatively impact our business. We may never realise the return on our investment of resources in our drug discovery collaborations.
We use our technology platform to engage in drug discovery with collaborators who are engaged in drug discovery and development. These collaborators include pre-commercial biotechnology companies and large-scale pharmaceutical companies. When we engage in drug discovery with these collaborators, we enter into agreements that provide us the right to receive option fees, cash milestone payments upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory and commercial sales milestones
 
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for the drug discovery targets and potential royalties. From time to time, we may take equity stakes in our drug discovery collaborators.
Our drug discovery collaborations may not lead to development or commercialisation of drug candidates that result in our receipt of such option fees, milestone payments or royalties in a timely manner, or at all. Our drug discovery collaborators may incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development and commercialisation of any drug candidates. In addition, our ability to realise return from our drug discovery collaborations is subject to the following risks:

drug discovery collaborators have significant discretion in determining the amount and timing of efforts and resources that they will apply to our collaborations and may not perform their obligations as expected;

drug discovery collaborators may not pursue development or commercialisation of any drug candidates for which we are entitled to option fees, milestone payments or royalties or may elect not to continue or renew development or commercialisation programmes based on results of clinical trials or other studies, changes in the collaborator’s strategic focus or available funding, or external factors, such as an acquisition, that divert resources or create competing priorities;

drug discovery collaborators may delay clinical trials for which we are entitled to milestone payments;

drug discovery collaborators have significant discretion in determining when to make announcements about the status of our collaborations, including about preclinical and clinical developments and timelines for advancing the collaborative programmes;

we may not have access to, or may be restricted from disclosing, certain information regarding our collaborators’ drug candidates being developed or commercialised and, consequently, may have limited ability to inform our shareholders and ADS holders about the status of, and likelihood of achieving, milestone payments or royalties under such collaborations;

drug discovery collaborators could independently develop, or develop with third parties, products that compete directly or indirectly with any drug candidates and products for which we are entitled to milestone payments or royalties if the collaborator believes that the competitive products are more likely to be developed or can be commercialised under terms that are more economically attractive;

drug candidates discovered in drug discovery collaborations with us may be viewed by our collaborators as competitive with their own drug candidates or products, which may cause our collaborators to cease to devote resources to the commercialisation of any such drug candidates;

existing drug discovery collaborators and potential future drug discovery collaborators may begin to perceive us to be a competitor more generally, particularly as we advance our internal drug discovery programmes, and therefore may be unwilling to continue existing collaborations with us or to enter into new collaborations with us;

drug discovery collaborators may fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements regarding the development, manufacture, distribution or marketing of a drug candidate or product, which may impact our ability to receive milestone payments;

disagreements with drug discovery collaborators, including disagreements over intellectual property or proprietary rights, contract interpretation or the preferred course of development, might cause delays or terminations of the research, development or commercialisation of drug candidates for which we are eligible to receive milestone payments, or might result in litigation or arbitration;

drug discovery collaborators may not properly obtain, maintain, enforce, defend or protect our intellectual property or proprietary rights or may use our proprietary information in such a
 
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way as to potentially lead to disputes or legal proceedings that could jeopardise or invalidate our or their intellectual property or proprietary information or expose us and them to potential litigation;

drug discovery collaborators may infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the intellectual property or proprietary rights of third parties, which may expose us to litigation and potential liability; and

drug discovery collaborations may be terminated prior to our receipt of any significant value from the collaboration.
If any drug discovery collaborations that we enter into do not result in the successful development and commercialisation of drug products that result in option fees, milestone payments, or royalties to us, we may not realise satisfactory, if any, returns on the resources we have invested in the drug discovery collaboration. Moreover, even if a drug discovery collaboration initially leads to the achievement of milestones that result in payments to us, it may not continue to do so.
If we are not able to establish or maintain collaborations to develop and commercialise any of the drug candidates we discover internally, we may have to alter our development and commercialisation plans for those drug candidates and our business could be adversely affected.
We have worked closely with our collaborators, such as Bristol Myers Squibb and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma to develop and advance drug discovery programmes past the discovery stage and into preclinical studies or human clinical trials. We expect to rely on future collaborators for the development and potential commercialisation of drug candidates we discover internally when we believe it will help maximise the commercial value of the drug candidate. We face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators for these activities, and a number of more established companies may also be pursuing development and commercialisation for the same or similar drug candidates. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, financial resources and greater clinical development and commercialisation expertise. Furthermore, collaborations are complex and time-consuming to negotiate and document. Whether we reach a definitive agreement for such collaborations will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation of a number of factors. Those factors may include the design or results of preclinical studies and clinical trials, the likelihood of approval by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States, the potential market for the subject drug candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering such drug candidate to patients, the potential of competing products, the existence of uncertainty with respect to our ownership of technology, which can exist if there is a challenge to such ownership without regard to the merits of the challenge, and industry and market conditions generally. The collaborator may also consider alternative drug candidates or technologies for similar indications that may be available to collaborate on and whether such a collaboration could be more attractive than the one with us for our drug candidate.
If we are unable to reach agreements with suitable collaborators on a timely basis, on acceptable terms or at all, we may have to curtail the development of a drug candidate, reduce or delay its development programme or one or more of our other development programmes or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialisation activities at our own expense. If we elect to fund and undertake development or commercialisation activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional expertise and additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we fail to enter into collaborations and do not have sufficient funds or expertise to undertake the necessary development and commercialisation activities, we may not be able to further develop any drug candidates or bring them to market.
In recent periods, we have depended on a limited number of collaborators for our revenue, the loss of any of which could have an adverse impact on our business.
In recent periods, a limited number of collaborations accounted for a significant portion of our revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2020, one of our partners accounted for 83% of our
 
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revenue. These collaborations cover a large number of programmes under contract, and therefore represent a large portion of potential downstream value. As a result, if we fail to maintain our relationships with our collaborators or if any of our collaborators discontinue their programmes, our future results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We may never realise a return on our equity investments in our drug discovery collaborators.
We have decided to take and may decide in the future to take equity stakes in our drug discovery collaborators. We may never realise a return on our equity investments in our drug discovery collaborators. None of the drug discovery collaborators in which we hold equity generate revenue from commercial sales of drug products. They are therefore dependent on the availability of capital on favourable terms to continue their operations. In addition, if the drug discovery collaborators in which we hold equity raise additional capital, our ownership interest in and degree of control over these drug discovery collaborators will be diluted, unless we have sufficient resources and choose to invest in them further or successfully negotiate contractual anti-dilution protections for our equity investment. The financial success of our equity investment in any collaborator will likely be dependent on a liquidity event, such as a public offering, acquisition or other favourable market event reflecting appreciation in the value of the equity we hold. The capital markets for public offerings and acquisitions are dynamic, and the likelihood of liquidity events for the companies in which we hold equity interests could significantly worsen. Further, valuations of privately held companies are inherently complex due to the lack of readily available market data. If we determine that any of our investments in such companies have experienced a decline in value, we may be required to record an impairment, which could negatively impact our financial results. All of the equity we hold in our drug discovery collaborators is subject to a risk of partial or total loss of our investment.
We contract with third parties for the manufacture of our drug candidates for preclinical development and clinical testing, and expect to continue to do so for commercialisation. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our drug candidates or products or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialisation efforts.
We do not currently own or operate, nor do we have any plans to establish in the future, any manufacturing facilities or personnel. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the manufacture of our drug candidates for preclinical development and clinical testing, as well as for the commercial manufacture of our products if any of our drug candidates receive marketing approval. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will have less direct control over the conduct, timing and completion of such manufacturing and thus, will not have sufficient quantities of our drug candidates or products or such quantities at an acceptable cost or quality, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialisation efforts.
The facilities used by our contract manufacturers to manufacture our drug candidates must be inspected by the FDA pursuant to pre-approval inspections that will be conducted after we submit our marketing applications to the FDA. We do not control the manufacturing process of, and will be completely dependent on, our contract manufacturers for compliance with cGMPs, with which they are required to comply, in connection with the manufacture of our drug candidates. If our contract manufacturers cannot successfully manufacture material that conforms to our specifications and the strict regulatory requirements of the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities, they will not be able to pass regulatory inspections and/or maintain regulatory compliance for their manufacturing facilities. In addition, we have no control over the ability of our contract manufacturers to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel. If the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority finds deficiencies with or does not approve these facilities for the manufacture of our drug candidates or if it finds deficiencies or withdraws any such approval in the future, we may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which would significantly impact our ability to develop, obtain regulatory approval for or market our drug candidates, if approved. Further, our failure, or the failure of our third party manufacturers, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including warning or untitled letters, clinical holds, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension or withdrawal of requisite approvals (including marketing approvals), licence
 
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revocation, seizures or recalls of drug candidates or products, if approved, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect our business and supplies of our drug candidates.
We may be unable to establish any agreements with third-party manufacturers or to do so on acceptable terms. Even if we are able to establish agreements with third-party manufacturers, reliance on third-party manufacturers entails additional risks to those discussed above, including:

reliance on the third party for regulatory compliance and quality assurance;

the possible breach of the manufacturing agreement by the third party;

damage to our brand reputation caused by defective products or drug candidates produced by the third party;

the possible misappropriation of our proprietary information, including our trade secrets and know-how; and

the possible termination or nonrenewal of the agreement by the third party at a time that is costly or inconvenient for us.
Our drug candidates and any products that we may develop may compete with other drug candidates and approved products for access to manufacturing facilities. There is a limited number of manufacturers that operate under cGMP regulations and that might be capable of manufacturing for us. These third-party manufacturers may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be manufacturing certain products and/or drug candidates, which could affect their performance on our behalf.
Any performance failure on the part of our existing or future manufacturers could delay clinical development or marketing approval. If our current contract manufacturers cannot perform as agreed, we may be required to replace such manufacturers, which may cause us to incur additional costs and undergo further delays in identifying and qualifying any such replacement. There is a natural transition period when a new third party commences work, which may cause delays that materially impact our ability to meet the anticipated timelines for manufacturing our products and drug candidates. In addition, changes in manufacturers often involve changes in manufacturing procedures and processes, which could require that we conduct bridging studies between our prior clinical supply used in our clinical trials and that of any new manufacturer. We may be unsuccessful in demonstrating the comparability of clinical supplies which could require the conduct of additional clinical trials.
Given our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the manufacture of our drug candidates or products, if these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols or regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our financial results and the commercial prospects for our drug candidates would be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to generate revenue could be delayed.
We rely on third parties to conduct our Phase 1 clinical trials of EXS21546 and expect to rely on third parties to conduct future clinical trials, as well as investigator-sponsored clinical trials of our drug candidates. If these third parties do not carry out their contractual duties, comply with regulatory requirements or meet expected deadlines, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialise our drug candidates and our business could be substantially harmed.
We do not have the ability to independently conduct clinical trials. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on medical institutions, clinical investigators, contract laboratories, collaborators and other third parties, such as CROs, to conduct or otherwise support clinical trials for our drug candidates, including our Phase 1 clinical trials of EXS21546. We may also rely on academic and private non-academic institutions to conduct and sponsor clinical trials relating to our drug candidates. We will not control the design or conduct of the investigator-sponsored trials, and it is possible that the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory
 
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authorities will not view these investigator-sponsored trials as providing adequate support for future clinical trials, whether controlled by us or third parties, for any one or more reasons, including elements of the design or execution of the trials or safety concerns or other trial results.
Such third-party arrangements will likely provide us certain information rights with respect to the investigator-sponsored trials, including access to and the ability to use and reference the data, including for our own regulatory filings, resulting from the investigator-sponsored trials. However, we would not have control over the timing and reporting of the data from investigator-sponsored trials, nor would we own the data from the investigator-sponsored trials. If we are unable to confirm or replicate the results from the investigator-sponsored trials or if negative results are obtained, we would likely be further delayed or prevented from advancing further clinical development of our drug candidates. Further, if investigators or institutions breach their obligations with respect to the clinical development of our drug candidates, or if the data prove to be inadequate compared to the first-hand knowledge we might have gained had the investigator-sponsored trials been sponsored and conducted by us, then our ability to design and conduct any future clinical trials ourselves may be adversely affected.
Though we rely, and expect to continue to rely, heavily on third parties for execution of clinical trials for our drug candidates and as such, control only certain aspects of their activities, we still remain responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal and regulatory requirements and scientific standards and our reliance on CROs will not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. For any violations of laws and regulations during the conduct of our clinical trials, we could be subject to warning letters or enforcement action that may include civil penalties up to and including criminal prosecution.
We, our principal investigators and our CROs are required to comply with regulations, including GCPs, for conducting, monitoring, recording and reporting the results of clinical trials to ensure that the data and results are scientifically credible and accurate, and that the trial patients are adequately informed of the potential risks of participating in clinical trials and their rights are protected. These regulations are enforced by the FDA, the Competent Authorities of the Member States of the European Economic Area and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for any products in clinical development. The FDA enforces GCP regulations through periodic inspections of clinical trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If we, our principal investigators or our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCPs, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure you that, upon inspection, the FDA will determine that any of our future clinical trials will comply with GCPs. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with drug candidates produced under cGMP regulations. Our failure or the failure of our principal investigators or CROs to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process and could also subject us to enforcement action. We also are required to register ongoing clinical trials and post the results of completed clinical trials on a government-sponsored database, ClinicalTrials.gov, within certain timeframes. Failure to do so can result in fines, adverse publicity and civil and criminal sanctions.
Although we designed our Phase 1 clinical trials of EXS21546 and intend to design the future clinical trials for our drug candidates, we expect that CROs will conduct all of our clinical trials. As a result, many important aspects of our development programmes, including their conduct and timing, are outside of our direct control. Our reliance on third parties to conduct future clinical trials also results in less direct control over the management of data developed through clinical trials than would be the case if we were relying entirely upon our own staff. Communicating with outside parties can also be challenging, potentially leading to mistakes as well as difficulties in coordinating activities. Outside parties may:

have staffing difficulties;

fail to comply with contractual obligations;

experience regulatory compliance issues;

undergo changes in priorities or become financially distressed; or

form relationships with entities, some of which may be our competitors.
 
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These factors may materially adversely affect the willingness or ability of third parties to conduct our clinical trials and may subject us to unexpected cost increases that are beyond our control. If the principal investigators or CROs do not perform clinical trials in a satisfactory manner, breach their obligations to us or fail to comply with regulatory requirements, the development, regulatory approval and commercialisation of our drug candidates may be delayed, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval and commercialise our drug candidates or our development programme may be materially and irreversibly harmed. If we are unable to rely on clinical data collected by our principal investigators or CROs, we could be required to repeat, extend the duration of or increase the size of any clinical trials we conduct and this could significantly delay commercialisation and require significantly greater expenditures.
If any of our relationships with these third-party principal investigators or CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative investigators or CROs. If principal investigators or CROs do not carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols, regulatory requirements or for other reasons, any clinical trials such principal investigators or CROs are associated with may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or successfully commercialise our drug candidates. As a result, we believe that our financial results and the commercial prospects for our drug candidates in the subject indication would be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to generate revenue could be delayed.
The third parties upon whom we rely for the supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredients used in our drug candidates are our sole source of supply, and the loss of any of these suppliers could harm our business.
The active pharmaceutical ingredients, or API, used in our drug candidates are supplied to us from single-source suppliers. Our ability to successfully develop our drug candidates, and to ultimately supply our commercial products in quantities sufficient to meet the market demand, depends in part on our ability to obtain the API for these products in accordance with regulatory requirements and in sufficient quantities for clinical testing and commercialisation. We do not currently have arrangements in place for a redundant or second-source supply of any such API in the event any of our current suppliers of such API cease their operations for any reason. We are also unable to predict how changing global economic conditions or potential global health concerns such as the COVID-19 pandemic will affect our third-party suppliers and manufacturers. For example, several vaccines for COVID-19 were granted Emergency Use Authorisation by the FDA in late 2020 and early 2021, and more may be authorised in the future. The resultant demand for vaccines and potential for manufacturing facilities and materials to be commandeered under the Defense Production Act of 1950, or equivalent foreign legislation, may make it more difficult to obtain materials or manufacturing slots for the products needed for our clinical trials, which could lead to delays in these trials. Any negative impact of such matters on our third-party suppliers and manufacturers may also have an adverse impact on our results of operations or financial condition.
For all of our drug candidates, we intend to identify and qualify additional manufacturers to provide such API prior to submission of a new drug application, or NDA, to the FDA and/or a marketing authorisation application, or MAA, to the EMA. We are not certain, however, that our single-source suppliers will be able to meet our demand for their products, either because of the nature of our agreements with those suppliers, our limited experience with those suppliers or our relative importance as a customer to those suppliers. It may be difficult for us to assess their ability to timely meet our demand in the future based on past performance. While our suppliers have generally met our demand for their products on a timely basis in the past, they may subordinate our needs in the future to their other customers.
Establishing additional or replacement suppliers for the API used in our drug candidates, if required, may not be accomplished quickly. If we are able to find a replacement supplier, such replacement supplier would need to be qualified and may require additional regulatory inspection or approval, which could result in further delay. While we seek to maintain adequate inventory of the API
 
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used in our drug candidates, any interruption or delay in the supply of components or materials, or our inability to obtain such API from alternate sources at acceptable prices in a timely manner could impede, delay, limit or prevent our development efforts, which could harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
We rely on CROs to synthesise any molecules with therapeutic potential that we discover. If such organisations do not meet our supply requirements, development of any drug candidate we may develop may be delayed.
We currently rely and expect to continue to rely on third parties to synthesise any molecules with therapeutic potential that we discover. Reliance on third parties may expose us to different risks than if we were to synthesise molecules ourselves. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, meet expected deadlines or synthesise molecules in accordance with regulatory requirements, if there are disagreements between us and such parties or if such parties are unable to expand capacities, we may not be able to fulfil, or may be delayed in producing sufficient drug candidates to meet, our supply requirements. These facilities may also be affected by natural disasters, such as floods or fire, or geopolitical developments, or such facilities could face production issues, such as contamination or regulatory concerns following a regulatory inspection of such a facility. In such instances, we may need to locate an appropriate replacement third-party facility and establish a contractual relationship, which may not be readily available or on acceptable terms, which would cause additional delay and increased expense, and may have a material adverse effect on our business.
We or any third party may also encounter shortages in the raw materials or API necessary to synthesise any molecule we may discover in the quantities needed for preclinical studies or clinical trials, as a result of capacity constraints or delays or disruptions in the market for the raw materials or API. Even if raw materials or API are available, we may be unable to obtain sufficient quantities at an acceptable cost or quality. The failure by us or the third parties to obtain the raw materials or API necessary to synthesise sufficient quantities of any molecule we may discover could delay, prevent or impair our development efforts and may have a material adverse effect on our business.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
If we fail to comply with our obligations under our existing intellectual property licence agreements or under any future intellectual property licences, or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our current or any future licensors, we could lose intellectual property rights that are important to our business.
We are party to a number of licence agreements pursuant to which we have been granted exclusive and non-exclusive worldwide licences to certain patents, software code and software programmes to, among other things, reproduce, use, execute, copy, operate, sublicence and distribute the licenced technology in connection with the marketing and sale of our software solutions and to develop improvements thereto. Our current licence agreements impose, and we expect that future licences will impose, specified royalty and other obligations on us.
In spite of our best efforts, our current or any future licensors might conclude that we have materially breached our licence agreements with them and might therefore terminate the licence agreements, thereby delaying our ability to market and sell our existing software solutions and develop and commercialise new software solutions that utilise technology covered by these licence agreements. If these in-licences are terminated, or if the underlying intellectual property fails to provide the intended exclusivity, competitors could market products and technologies similar to ours. This could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
 
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Disputes may arise regarding intellectual property subject to a licensing agreement, including with respect to:

the scope of rights granted under the licence agreement and other interpretation-related issues;

the extent to which our technology and processes infringe on intellectual property of the licensor that is not subject to the licensing agreement;

the sublicensing of patent and other rights under any collaborative development relationships;

the inventorship and ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by our current or future licensors and us and our collaborators; and

the priority of invention of patented technology.
In addition, licence agreements are complex, and certain provisions in such agreements may be susceptible to multiple interpretations. The resolution of any contract interpretation disagreement that may arise could narrow what we believe to be the scope of our rights to the relevant intellectual property or technology, or increase what we believe to be our financial or other obligations under the relevant agreement. For example, our counterparties have in the past and may in the future dispute the amounts owed to them pursuant to payment obligations. If disputes over intellectual property that we have licenced prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on commercially acceptable terms, we may experience delays in the development and commercialisation of new software solutions and in our ability to market and sell existing software solutions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our obligations under our existing or future drug discovery collaboration agreements may limit our intellectual property rights that are important to our business. Further, if we fail to comply with our obligations under our existing or future collaboration agreements, or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our prior, current, or future collaborators, we could lose intellectual property rights that are important to our business.
We are party to collaboration agreements with biopharmaceutical companies, pursuant to which we provide drug discovery services but have no ownership rights, or only co-ownership rights, to certain intellectual property generated through the collaborations. We may enter into additional collaboration agreements in the future, pursuant to which we may have no ownership rights, or only co-ownership rights, to certain intellectual property generated through the future collaborations. If we are unable to obtain ownership or licence of such intellectual property generated through our prior, current or future collaborations and overlapping with, or related to, our own proprietary technology or drug candidates, then our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially harmed.
Our existing collaboration agreements contain certain exclusivity obligations that require us to design compounds exclusively for our collaborators with respect to certain specific targets over a specified time period. Our future collaboration agreements may grant similar exclusivity rights to future collaborators with respect to target(s) that are the subject of such collaborations. These existing or future collaboration agreements may impose diligence obligations on us. For example, existing or future collaboration agreements may impose restrictions on us from pursuing the drug development targets for ourselves or for our other current or future collaborators, thereby removing our ability to develop and commercialise, or to jointly develop and commercialise with other current or future collaborators, drug candidates and technology related to the drug development targets. In spite of our best efforts, our prior, current or future collaborators might conclude that we have materially breached our collaboration agreements. If these collaboration agreements are terminated, or if the underlying intellectual property, to the extent we have ownership or licence thereof, fails to provide the intended exclusivity, competitors would have the freedom to seek regulatory approval of, and to market, products and technology identical to ours. This could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
 
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Disputes may arise regarding intellectual property subject to a collaboration agreement, including:

the scope of ownership or licence granted under the collaboration agreement and other interpretation related issues;

the extent to which our technology and drug candidates infringe on intellectual property that is or will be generated through the collaboration, to which we do not have ownership or licence under such collaboration agreement;

the assignment or sublicence of intellectual property rights and other rights under the collaboration agreement;

our diligence obligations under the collaboration agreement and what activities satisfy those diligence obligations; and

the inventorship and ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by us and our current or future collaborators.
In addition, collaboration agreements are complex, and certain provisions in such agreements may be susceptible to multiple interpretations. The resolution of any contract interpretation disagreement that may arise could narrow what we believe to be the scope of our rights to the relevant intellectual property, or increase what we believe to be our obligations under the relevant agreements, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Moreover, if disputes over intellectual property that we have owned, co-owned or in-licenced under the collaboration agreements prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current collaboration arrangements on commercially acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialise the affected technology or drug candidates, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we are unable to obtain, maintain, enforce and protect patent protection for our technology and drug candidates or if the scope of the patent protection obtained is not sufficiently broad, our competitors could develop and commercialise technology and products similar or identical to ours, and our ability to successfully develop and commercialise our technology and drug candidates may be adversely affected.
Our success depends in large part on our ability to obtain and maintain protection of the intellectual property we may own solely and jointly with others or may licence from others, particularly patents, in the United States and other countries with respect to any proprietary technology and drug candidates we develop. We seek to protect our proprietary position by filing patent applications in the United States and abroad related to our technology and any drug candidates we may develop that are important to our business and by in-licensing intellectual property related to our technology and drug candidates. If we are unable to obtain or maintain patent protection with respect to any proprietary technology or drug candidate, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially harmed.
The patent prosecution process is expensive, time-consuming and complex, and we may not be able to file, prosecute, maintain, defend, or licence all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection. Moreover, in some circumstances, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain, enforce and defend the patents, covering technology that we co-own with third parties or licence from third parties. Therefore, these co-owned and in-licenced patents and applications may not be prepared, filed, prosecuted, maintained, defended and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business.
The patent position of software and biopharmaceutical companies generally is highly uncertain, involves complex legal and factual questions, and has in recent years been the subject of much litigation. In addition, the scope of patent protection outside of the United States is uncertain and laws of non-U.S. countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States or vice versa. With respect to both owned and in-licenced patent rights, we cannot predict whether the patent applications
 
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we and our licensor are currently pursuing will issue as patents in any particular jurisdiction or whether the claims of any issued patents will provide sufficient protection from competitors. Further, we may not be aware of all third-party intellectual property rights or prior art potentially relating to our technology platform, other technology and any drug candidates we may develop. In addition, publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing of the priority application, or in some cases not published at all. Therefore, neither we nor our collaborators or our licensor can know with certainty whether we, our collaborators or our licensor were the first to make the inventions claimed in the patents and patent applications we own or in-licence now or in the future, or whether we, our collaborators or our licensor were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our owned, co-owned and in-licenced patent rights are highly uncertain. Moreover, our owned, co-owned and in-licenced pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued that protect our technology and drug candidates, in whole or in part, or that effectively prevent others from commercialising competitive technologies and products. Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our owned, co-owned or in-licenced current or future patents and our ability to obtain, protect, maintain, defend and enforce our patent rights, narrow the scope of our patent protection and, more generally, could affect the value of, or narrow the scope of, our patent rights. For example, recent Supreme Court decisions have served to curtail the scope of subject matter eligible for patent protection in the United States, and many software patents have since been invalidated on the basis that they are directed to abstract ideas.
To pursue protection based on our provisional patent applications, we will need to file Patent Cooperation Treaty applications, non-U.S. applications and/or U.S. non-provisional patent applications prior to applicable deadlines. Even then, as highlighted above, patents may never be issued from our patent applications, or the scope of any patent may not be sufficient to provide a competitive advantage.
Moreover, we, our collaborators or our licensor may be subject to a third-party pre-issuance submission of prior art to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, or become involved in opposition, derivation, revocation, re-examination, inter partes review, post-grant review or interference proceedings challenging our patent rights or the patent rights of others. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate, our patent rights or allow third parties to commercialise our technology or drug candidates and compete directly with us, without payment to us. If the breadth or strength of protection provided by our owned, co-owned or in-licenced current or future patents and patent applications is threatened, regardless of the outcome, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to licence, develop or commercialise current or future technology or drug candidates.
Additionally, the coverage claimed in a patent application can be significantly reduced before the patent is issued, and its scope can be reinterpreted after issuance. Even if our owned, co-owned and in-licenced current and future patent applications are issued as patents, they may not be issued in a form that will provide us with any meaningful protection, prevent competitors from competing with us, or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability and our owned and in-licenced patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. Such challenges may result in loss of exclusivity or patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, in whole or in part, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercialising similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our technology and drug candidates. Such proceedings also may result in substantial cost and require significant time from our management and employees, even if the eventual outcome is favourable to us. In particular, given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new drug candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialised. Furthermore, our competitors may be able to circumvent our owned, co-owned or in-licenced current or future patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner. As a result, our owned, co-owned and in-licenced current or future patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercialising technology and products similar or identical to any of our technology and drug candidates.
 
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Changes to patent laws in the United States and other jurisdictions could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our products.
Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of patent laws in the United States, including patent reform legislation such as the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the Leahy-Smith Act, could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our owned and in-licenced patent applications and the maintenance, enforcement or defence of our owned and in-licenced issued patents. The Leahy-Smith Act includes a number of significant changes to United States patent law. These changes include provisions that affect the way patent applications are prosecuted, redefine prior art, provide more efficient and cost-effective avenues for competitors to challenge the validity of patents, and enable third-party submission of prior art to the USPTO during patent prosecution and additional procedures to attack the validity of a patent at USPTO-administered post-grant proceedings, including post-grant review, inter partes review and derivation proceedings. Assuming that other requirements for patentability are met, prior to March 2013, in the United States, the first to invent the claimed invention was entitled to the patent, while outside the United States, the first to file a patent application was entitled to the patent. After March 2013, under the Leahy-Smith Act, the United States transitioned to a first-to-file system in which, assuming that the other statutory requirements for patentability are met, the first inventor to file a patent application will be entitled to the patent on an invention regardless of whether a third party was the first to invent the claimed invention. As such, the Leahy-Smith Act and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defence of our issued patents, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In addition, the patent positions of companies in the development and commercialisation of software, biologics and pharmaceuticals are particularly uncertain. Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have narrowed the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances and weakened the rights of patent owners in certain situations. This combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the validity and enforceability of patents once obtained. Depending on future actions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that could have a material adverse effect on our patent rights and our ability to protect, defend and enforce our patent rights in the future.
A number of recent cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court have involved questions of when claims reciting abstract ideas, laws of nature, natural phenomena and/or natural products are eligible for a patent, regardless of whether the claimed subject matter is otherwise novel and inventive. These cases include Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., 569 U.S. 12-398 (2013) or Myriad; Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International, 573 U.S. 13-298 (2014); and Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc., or Prometheus, 566 U.S. 10-1150 (2012). In response to these cases, federal courts have held numerous patents invalid as claiming subject matter ineligible for patent protection. Moreover, the USPTO has issued guidance to the examining corps on how to apply these cases during examination. The full impact of these decisions is not yet known.
In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain future patents, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on these and other decisions by Congress, the federal courts and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change or be interpreted in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce any patents that may issue to us in the future. In addition, these events may adversely affect our ability to defend any patents that may be issued in procedures in the USPTO or in courts.
We, our prior, existing or future collaborators, and our existing or future licensors, may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patent or other intellectual property rights, which could be expensive, time-consuming and unsuccessful.
Competitors and other third parties may infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate our, our prior, current and future collaborators’, or our current and future licensors’, issued patents or other intellectual property. As a result, we, our prior, current or future collaborators, or our current or future licensor
 
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may need to file infringement, misappropriation or other intellectual property related claims, which can be expensive and time-consuming. Any claims we assert against perceived infringers could provoke such parties to assert counterclaims against us alleging that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate their intellectual property. In addition, in a patent infringement proceeding, such parties could assert that the patents we or our licensors have asserted are invalid or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defences alleging invalidity or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. Third parties may institute such claims before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation. Such mechanisms include re-examination, post-grant review, inter partes review, interference proceedings, derivation proceedings and equivalent proceedings in non-U.S. jurisdictions (e.g., opposition proceedings). The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable.
An adverse result in any such proceeding could put one or more of our owned, co-owned or in-licenced current or future patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and could put any of our owned, co-owned or in-licenced current or future patent applications at risk of not yielding an issued patent. A court may also refuse to stop the third party from using the technology at issue in a proceeding on the grounds that our owned, co-owned or in-licenced current or future patents do not cover such technology. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information or trade secrets could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation. Any of the foregoing could allow such third parties to develop and commercialise competing technologies and products in a non-infringing manner and have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Interference or derivation proceedings provoked by third parties, or brought by us or by our licensor, or declared by the USPTO may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patents or patent applications. An unfavourable outcome could require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to licence rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer us a licence on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or if a non-exclusive licence is offered and our competitors gain access to the same technology. Our defence of litigation or interference or derivation proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees. In addition, the uncertainties associated with litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to conduct clinical trials, continue our research programmes, licence necessary technology from third parties, or enter into development collaborations that would help us bring any drug candidates to market.
Third parties may initiate legal proceedings alleging that we are infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating their intellectual property rights, the outcome of which would be uncertain and could have a material adverse effect on the success of our business.
Our commercial success will depend upon our ability and the ability of our collaborators to develop, manufacture, market and sell any drug candidates we may develop and for our collaborators, customers and partners to use our proprietary technologies without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the intellectual property and proprietary rights of third parties. There is considerable patent and other intellectual property litigation in the software, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. We may become party to, or threatened with, adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our technology and drug candidates, including interference proceedings, post grant review, inter partes review and derivation proceedings before the USPTO and similar proceedings in non-U.S. jurisdictions such as oppositions before the European Patent Office. Numerous U.S. and non-U.S. issued patents and pending patent applications, which are owned by third parties, exist in the fields in which we are pursuing development candidates. As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued, the risk increases that our technologies or drug candidates that we may identify may be subject to claims of infringement of the patent rights of third parties.
 
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The legal threshold for initiating litigation or contested proceedings is low, so that even lawsuits or proceedings with a low probability of success might be initiated and require significant resources to defend. Litigation and contested proceedings can also be expensive and time-consuming, and our adversaries in these proceedings may have the ability to dedicate substantially greater resources to prosecuting these legal actions than we can. The risks of being involved in such litigation and proceedings may increase if and as any drug candidates near commercialisation and as we gain the greater visibility associated with being a public company. Third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on existing patents or patents that may be granted in the future, regardless of merit. We may not be aware of all such intellectual property rights potentially relating to our technology and drug candidates and their uses, or we may incorrectly conclude that third-party intellectual property is invalid or that our activities and drug candidates do not infringe such intellectual property. Thus, we do not know with certainty that our technology and drug candidates, or our development and commercialisation thereof, do not and will not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any third party’s intellectual property.
Third parties may assert that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorisation. There may be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to materials, formulations or methods, such as methods of manufacture or methods for treatment, related to the discovery, use or manufacture of the drug candidates that we may identify or otherwise related to our technologies. Because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications which may later result in issued patents that the drug candidates that we may identify may infringe. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies infringes upon these patents. Moreover, as noted above, there may be existing patents that we are not aware of or that we have incorrectly concluded are invalid or not infringed by our activities. If any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover, for example, the manufacturing process of the drug candidates that we may identify, any molecules formed during the manufacturing process or any final product itself, the holders of any such patents may be able to block our ability to commercialise such drug candidate unless we obtained a licence under the applicable patents, or until such patents expire.
Parties making claims against us may obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialise the drug candidates that we may identify. Defence of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for wilful infringement, pay royalties, redesign our infringing products, be forced to indemnify our customers or collaborators or obtain one or more licences from third parties, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure.
We may choose to take a licence or, if we are found to infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate a third party’s intellectual property rights, we could also be required to obtain a licence from such third party to continue developing, manufacturing and marketing our technology and drug candidates. However, we may not be able to obtain any required licence on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a licence, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors and other third parties access to the same technologies licenced to us and could require us to make substantial licensing and royalty payments. We could be forced, including by court order, to cease developing, manufacturing and commercialising the infringing technology or product. A finding of infringement could prevent us from commercialising any drug candidates or force us to cease some of our business operations, which could materially harm our business. In addition, we may be forced to redesign any drug candidates, seek new regulatory approvals and indemnify third parties pursuant to contractual agreements. Claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets of third parties could have a similar material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may be subject to claims by third parties asserting that our employees, consultants or contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties, or we have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their current or former employers or claims asserting we have misappropriated their intellectual property, or claiming ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.
Certain of our employees, consultants and contractors were previously employed at universities or other software or biopharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors.
 
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Although we try to ensure that our employees, consultants and contractors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that these individuals or we have used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any such individual’s current or former employer. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims.
In addition, while it is our policy to require that our employees, consultants and contractors who may be involved in the development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who in fact develops intellectual property that we regard as our own. Our intellectual property assignment agreements with them may not be self-executing or may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property. Such claims could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we fail in prosecuting or defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel, which could have a material adverse effect on our competitive business position and prospects. Such intellectual property rights could be awarded to a third party, and we could be required to obtain a licence from such third party to commercialise our technology or products, which licence may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, or such licence may be non-exclusive. Even if we are successful in prosecuting or defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to our management and employees.
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position may be harmed.
In addition to seeking patents for our drug candidates and certain aspects of our technology platform, we also rely on trade secrets and confidentiality agreements to protect our unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information. In particular, the software code underlying our technology platform is generally protected through trade secret laws rather than through patent law. We seek to protect our trade secrets and other proprietary technology, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific collaborators, contract research organisations, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors, collaborators and other third parties. We also enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and consultants, but we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that may have or has had access to our trade secrets or proprietary technology. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Detecting the disclosure or misappropriation of a trade secret and enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts inside and outside of the United States have appeared to be unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third party, we would have no right to prevent them, or those to whom they communicate such trade secrets, from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor or other third party, our competitive position may be materially and adversely harmed.
Risks Related to Government Regulation and Legal Compliance Matters
Compliance with stringent and evolving global privacy and data security requirements could result in additional costs and liabilities to us or inhibit our ability to collect and process data globally, and the failure to comply with such requirements could subject us to significant fines and penalties, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
The legislative and regulatory framework for the collection, use, safeguarding, sharing, transfer and other processing of personal data (including health-related personal data) worldwide is rapidly
 
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evolving and is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. Globally, virtually every jurisdiction in which we operate has established its own data security and privacy frameworks with which we must comply and some of which may impose potentially conflicting obligations.
Accordingly, we are, or may become, subject to data privacy and security laws, regulations and industry standards as well as policies, contracts and other obligations that apply to the processing of personal data both by us and on our behalf, which we refer to collectively as Data Protection Requirements. If we fail, or are perceived to have failed, to address or comply with Data Protection Requirements, this could result in government enforcement actions against us that could include investigations, fines, penalties, audits and inspections, additional reporting requirements and/or oversight, temporary or permanent bans on all or some processing of personal data, orders to destroy or not use personal data and imprisonment of company officials. Further, individuals or other relevant stakeholders could bring a variety of claims against us for our actual or perceived failure to comply with Data Protection Requirements.
For example, the collection, use, disclosure, transfer or other processing of personal data regarding individuals in the European Union, including personal health data and employee data, is subject to the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, or the GDPR, which took effect across all member states of the European Economic Area, or EEA, in May 2018. The GDPR is wide-ranging in scope and imposes numerous, significant and complex requirements on companies that process personal data, including (without limitation) requirements relating to processing health and other sensitive data, establishing a legal basis for any processing of personal data, obtaining consent of the individuals to whom the personal data relates, providing information to individuals regarding data processing activities, limiting the collection and retention of personal data through ‘data minimisation’ and ‘storage limitation’ principles, implementing safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of personal data, honouring increased rights for data subjects, providing notification of data breaches in some instances, and taking certain measures when engaging third-party processors. The GDPR would increase our obligations with respect to any clinical trials conducted in the EEA by expanding the definition of personal data to include key-coded data and requiring changes to informed consent practices and more detailed notices for clinical trial subjects and investigators. In particular, the processing of ‘special category personal data’ (such as personal data related to health and genetic information), which will be relevant to our operations in the context of our conduct of clinical trials, imposes heightened compliance burdens under European data protection laws and is a topic of active interest among relevant regulators.
In addition, the GDPR also imposes strict rules on the transfer of personal data to countries outside the EEA, including the United States and, as a result, increases the scrutiny that such rules should apply to transfers of personal data from any clinical trial sites located in the EEA to the United States. We have yet to adopt and implement comprehensive processes, systems and other relevant measures within our organisation, and/or with our relevant collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants, which are appropriate to address relevant requirements relating to international transfers of personal data from the EEA, and to minimise the potential impacts and risks resulting from those requirements, across our organisation. Additionally, other countries outside of the EEA have enacted or are considering enacting similar cross-border data transfer restrictions and laws requiring local data residency, which could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our services and operating our business.
European data protection laws also provide for more robust regulatory enforcement and greater penalties for non-compliance than previous data protection laws, including, for example under the GDPR, fines of up to €20 million or 4% of global annual revenue of any non-compliant organisation for the preceding financial year, whichever is higher. In addition to administrative fines, a wide variety of other potential enforcement powers are available to competent supervisory authorities in respect of potential and suspected violations of the GDPR, including extensive audit and inspection rights, and powers to order temporary or permanent bans on all or some processing of personal data carried out by non-compliant actors — including permitting authorities to require destruction of improperly gathered or used personal data. The GDPR also confers a private right of action on data subjects and consumer associations to lodge complaints with supervisory authorities, seek judicial remedies and obtain compensation for damages resulting from violations of the GDPR.
 
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In addition, the GDPR provides that EEA member states may make their own further laws and regulations limiting the processing of personal data, including genetic, biometric or health data. This fact may lead to greater divergence on the law that applies to the processing of such personal data across the EEA and/or UK, which may increase our costs and overall compliance risk.
In addition, further to the U.K.’s exit from the European Union on January 31, 2020, the GDPR ceased to apply in the U.K. at the end of the transition period on December 31, 2020. However, as of January 1, 2021, the U.K.’s European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 incorporated the GDPR (as it existed on December 31, 2020 but subject to certain U.K. specific amendments) into English law, which is hereinafter referred to as the U.K. GDPR. The U.K. GDPR and the U.K. Data Protection Act 2018 set out the U.K.’s data protection regime, which is independent from but aligned to the European Union’s data protection regime. Non-compliance with the U.K. GDPR may result in monetary penalties of up to £17.5 million or 4% of worldwide revenue, whichever is higher. The U.K., however, is now regarded as a third country under the European Union’s GDPR which means that transfers of personal data from the EEA to the U.K. will be restricted unless an appropriate safeguard, as recognised by the European Union’s GDPR, has been put in place. Although, under the European Union-U.K. Trade Cooperation Agreement, or TCA, it is lawful to transfer personal data between the U.K. and the EEA for a 6 month period following the end of the transition period, with a view to achieving an adequacy decision from the European Commission during that period. If the European Commission does not adopt an adequacy decision in respect of the UK prior to the expiry of that transition period, from that point onwards the UK will be an ‘inadequate third country’ and transfers of personal data from the EEA to the UK will require a valid transfer mechanism which complies with the GDPR. Like the GDPR, the U.K. GDPR restricts personal data transfers outside the U.K. to countries not regarded by the U.K. as providing adequate protection (this means that personal data transfers from the U.K. to the EEA remain free flowing).
Generally, these laws exemplify the vulnerability of our business to the evolving regulatory environment related to personal data and may require us to modify our processing practices at substantial costs and expenses in an effort to comply. Given the breadth and depth of changes in data protection obligations, preparing for and complying with GDPR and the U.K. GDPR requirements are rigorous and time intensive and require significant resources and a review of our technologies, systems and practices, as well as those of any third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants that process or transfer personal data collected in the European Union and/or the U.K. The GDPR, the U.K. GDPR and other changes in laws or regulations associated with the enhanced protection of certain types of sensitive data, such as healthcare data or other personal information, could require us to change our business practices and put in place additional compliance mechanisms, may interrupt or delay our development, regulatory and commercialisation activities and increase our cost of doing business, and could lead to government enforcement actions, private litigation and significant fines and penalties against us, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Similar privacy and data security requirements are either in place or underway in the United States. There are a broad variety of data protection laws that may be applicable to our activities, and a range of enforcement agencies at both the state and federal levels that can review companies for privacy and data security concerns. The Federal Trade Commission and state Attorneys General all are aggressive in reviewing privacy and data security protections for consumers. New laws also are being considered at both the state and federal levels. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, is creating similar risks and obligations as those created by GDPR. Because of this, we may need to engage in additional activities (e.g., data mapping) to identify the personal information we are collecting and the purposes for which such information is collected. Further, a new California privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA, was passed by California voters on November 3, 2020. The CPRA will create additional obligations with respect to processing and storing personal information that are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2023 (with certain provisions having retroactive effect to January 1, 2022). In addition, we will need to ensure that our policies recognise the rights granted to consumers (as that phrase is broadly defined in the CCPA and can include business contact information), including granting consumers the right to opt-out of the sale of their personal information. While we are not subject to the CCPA or CPRA at present, we may be if we expand our operations to California. Many other states are considering similar legislation.
 
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A broad range of legislative measures also have been introduced at the federal level. Accordingly, failure to comply with current and any future federal and state laws regarding privacy and security of personal information could expose us to fines and penalties. We also face a threat of consumer class actions related to these laws and the overall protection of personal data. Even if we are not determined to have violated these laws, investigations into these issues typically require the expenditure of significant resources and generate negative publicity, which could harm our reputation and our business.
Additionally, regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, establish privacy and security standards that limit the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information, or protected health information, and require the implementation of administrative, physical and technological safeguards designed to protect the privacy, confidentiality, integrity and availability of protected health information. These provisions may be applicable to our business or that of our collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants.
We may also publish privacy policies and other documentation regarding our processing of personal data and/or other confidential, proprietary or sensitive information. Although we endeavour to comply with our published policies and other documentation, we may at times fail to do so or may be perceived to have failed to do so. Moreover, despite our efforts, we may not be successful in achieving compliance if our employees, third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants fail to comply with our policies and documentation. Such failures can subject us to potential foreign, local, state and federal action if they are found to be deceptive, unfair or misrepresentative of our actual practices.
We, and our collaborators may be subject to applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse, false claims, transparency, health information privacy and security and other healthcare laws and regulations. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations may result in substantial penalties.
We and our collaborators may be subject to broadly applicable healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain our relationships with our drug discovery collaborators and any products for which we obtain marketing approval. Such healthcare laws and regulations include, but are not limited to:

The federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits any person or entity from, among other things, knowingly and wilfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying any remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of an item or service reimbursable, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare programme, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programmes. The term “remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value. The federal Anti-Kickback Statute has also been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on the one hand and prescribers, purchasers and formulary managers on the other hand. There is a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbours protecting some common activities from prosecution, but the exceptions and safe harbours are drawn narrowly and require strict compliance to offer protection. Additionally, the intent standard under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute was amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or collectively the ACA, to a stricter standard such that a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation. Further, the ACA codified case law that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the civil False Claims Act, or the FCA.

Federal civil and criminal false claims laws, such as the FCA, which can be enforced by private citizens through civil qui tam actions, and civil monetary penalty laws prohibit individuals or entities from, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, false, fictitious or fraudulent claims for payment of federal funds, and knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. For example, pharmaceutical companies have been prosecuted under the FCA in connection with their alleged off-label promotion of drugs, purportedly concealing price concessions in the
 
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pricing information submitted to the government for government price reporting purposes, and allegedly providing free product to customers with the expectation that the customers would bill federal healthcare programmes for the product. In addition, a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA. As a result of a modification made by the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009, a claim includes “any request or demand” for money or property presented to the U.S. government. In addition, manufacturers can be held liable under the FCA even when they do not submit claims directly to government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims.

HIPAA, among other things, imposes criminal liability for executing or attempting to execute a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit programme, including private third-party payors, knowingly and wilfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit programme, wilfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offence, and creates federal criminal laws that prohibit knowingly and wilfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation, or making or using any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services.

HIPAA, as amended by Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, and their implementing regulations, which impose privacy, security and breach reporting obligations with respect to individually identifiable health information upon entities subject to the law, such as health plans, healthcare clearinghouses and certain healthcare providers, known as covered entities, and their respective business associates and subcontractors that perform services for them that involve individually identifiable health information. HITECH also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in U.S. federal courts to enforce HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions.

Federal and state consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers.

The federal transparency requirements under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, created under the ACA, which requires, among other things, certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies reimbursed under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Programme to report annually to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, information related to payments and other transfers of value provided to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Beginning in 2022, applicable manufacturers also will be required to report information regarding payments and other transfers of value provided during the previous year to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, anaesthesiologist assistants, certified registered nurse anaesthetists and certified nurse midwives.

State and foreign laws that are analogous to each of the above federal laws, such as anti-kickback and false claims laws, that may impose similar or more prohibitive restrictions, and may apply to items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including private insurers.

State and foreign laws that require pharmaceutical companies to implement compliance programmes, comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government, or to track and report gifts, compensation and other remuneration provided to physicians and other healthcare providers; state laws that require the reporting of marketing expenditures or drug pricing, including information pertaining to and justifying price increases; state and local laws that
 
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require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; state laws that prohibit various marketing-related activities, such as the provision of certain kinds of gifts or meals; state laws that require the posting of information relating to clinical trials and their outcomes; and other federal, state and foreign laws that govern the privacy and security of health information or personally identifiable information in certain circumstances, including state health information privacy and data breach notification laws which govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal information, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not pre-empted by HIPAA, thus requiring additional compliance efforts.
Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. Violations of applicable healthcare laws and regulations may result in significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, disgorgement, fines, individual imprisonment, exclusion of products from government funded healthcare programmes, such as Medicare and Medicaid, additional reporting requirements and/or oversight if a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement is executed to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws and the curtailment or restructuring of operations. In addition, violations may also result in reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings.
Current and future healthcare legislative reform measures may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
In the United States and in some foreign jurisdictions, there have been, and likely will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes intended to broaden access to healthcare, improve the quality of healthcare and contain or lower the cost of healthcare. For example, in March 2010, the ACA, was passed, which substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers, and significantly impacted the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. The ACA, among other things, subjects biological products to potential competition by lower-cost biosimilars, expands the types of entities eligible for the 340B drug discount programme, addresses a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Programme are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or injected, increases rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Programme and extends the rebate programme to individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care organisations, establishes annual fees and taxes on manufacturers of certain branded prescription drugs and creates a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount programme, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% (increased to 70% pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, or BBA, effective as of January 2019) point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D.
Since its enactment, there have been numerous judicial, administrative, executive and legislative challenges to certain aspects of the ACA, and we expect there will be additional challenges and amendments to the ACA in the future. Various portions of the ACA are currently undergoing legal and constitutional challenges in the United States Supreme Court and members of Congress have introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at significantly revising or repealing the ACA. The United States Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to the constitutionality of the ACA. It is unclear when or how the United States Supreme Court will rule. On February 10, 2021, the Biden administration withdrew the federal government’s support for overturning the ACA. Although the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the constitutionality of the ACA, on January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order to initiate a special enrolment period for purposes of obtaining health insurance coverage through the ACA marketplace, which began on February 15, 2021 and will remain open through August 15, 2021. The implementation of the ACA is ongoing, and the law appears likely to continue the downward pressure on pharmaceutical pricing, especially under the Medicare programme, and may also increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs. Litigation and legislation related to the ACA are likely to continue, with unpredictable and uncertain results.
 
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In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted. For example, in August 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. Specifically, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2013 through 2021, was unable to reach required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programmes. This includes aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013, and, due to subsequent legislative amendments, will remain in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken. However, COVID-19 relief legislation suspended the 2% Medicare sequester from May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021. On January 2, 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, which, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals, imaging centres and cancer treatment centres, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. The BBA also amended the ACA, effective January 1, 2019, by increasing the point-of-sale discount that is owed by pharmaceutical manufacturers who participate in Medicare Part D and closing the coverage gap in most Medicare drug plans, commonly referred to as the “donut hole”.
Furthermore, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several congressional inquiries and proposed legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient assistance programmes and reform government programme reimbursement methodologies for pharmaceutical and biological products. At the federal level, the previous administration used several means to propose or implement drug pricing reform, including through federal budget proposals, executive orders and policy initiatives. For example, on July 24, 2020 and September 13, 2020, the former Trump administration announced several executive orders related to prescription drug pricing that attempted to implement several of the administration’s proposals. As a result, the FDA released a final rule on September 24, 2020, effective November 30, 2020, providing guidance for states to build and submit importation plans for drugs from Canada. Further, on November 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, finalised a regulation removing safe harbour protection for price reductions from pharmaceutical manufacturers to plan sponsors under Medicare Part D, either directly or through pharmacy benefit managers, unless the price reduction is required by law. The implementation of the rule has been delayed by the Biden administration from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023 in response to ongoing litigation. The rule also creates a new safe harbour for price reductions reflected at the point-of-sale, as well as a new safe harbour for certain fixed fee arrangements between pharmacy benefit managers and manufacturers, the implementation of which have also been delayed until January 1, 2023. On November 20, 2020, CMS issued an interim final rule implementing the Most Favored Nation, or MFN, Model under which Medicare Part B payments will be calculated for certain physician-administered drugs and biologics based on the lowest price drug manufacturers receive in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries with a similar gross domestic product per capita. The MFN Model regulations mandate participation by identified Part B providers and would have applied to all U.S. states and territories for a seven-year period beginning January 1, 2021 and ending December 31, 2027. However, on December 28, 2020, the United States District Court in Northern California issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against implementation of the interim final rule. On January 13, 2021, in a separate lawsuit brought by industry groups in the U.S. District of Maryland, the government defendants entered a joint motion to stay litigation on the condition that the government would not appeal the preliminary injunction granted in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and that performance for any final regulation stemming from the MFN Interim Final Rule shall not commence earlier than 60 days after publication of that regulation in the Federal Register. Further, authorities in Canada have passed rules designed to safeguard the Canadian drug supply from shortages. If implemented, importation of drugs from Canada and the MFN Model may materially and adversely affect the price we receive for any of our product candidates. It is unclear whether the Biden administration will work to reverse these measures or pursue similar policy initiatives. Additionally, on July 9, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order directing the FDA to, among other things, continue to clarify and improve the approval framework for generic drugs and identify and address any efforts to impede generic drug competition. Individual states in the United States have also become increasingly active in
 
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passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. In addition, regional healthcare authorities and individual hospitals are increasingly using bidding procedures to determine what pharmaceutical products and which suppliers will be included in their prescription drug and other healthcare programmes. It is difficult to predict the future legislative landscape in healthcare and the effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. However, we expect that additional state and federal healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, particularly in light of the new presidential administration. Further, it is possible that additional governmental action is taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the state level, individual states are increasingly aggressive in passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. In addition, regional health care authorities and individual hospitals are increasingly using bidding procedures to determine what pharmaceutical products and which suppliers will be included in their prescription drug and other health care programmes. These measures could reduce the ultimate demand for our products, once approved, or put pressure on our product pricing.
We expect that additional state and federal healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for healthcare products and services, which could result in reduced demand for our services by our partners or for our current or future drug candidates. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action in the United States. If we or any third parties we may engage are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we or such third parties are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, our drug candidates may lose any regulatory approval that may have been obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.
We are subject to anti-corruption laws, as well as export control laws, customs laws, sanctions laws and other laws governing our operations. If we fail to comply with these laws, we could be subject to civil or criminal penalties, other remedial measures and legal expenses, be precluded from developing, manufacturing and selling certain products outside the United States or be required to develop and implement costly compliance programmes, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our operations are subject to anti-corruption laws, including the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, or Bribery Act, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and other anti-corruption laws that apply in countries where we do business and may do business in the future. The Bribery Act, FCPA and these other laws generally prohibit us, our officers and our employees and intermediaries from bribing, being bribed, or making other prohibited payments to government officials or other persons to obtain or retain business or gain some other business advantage. Compliance with the FCPA, in particular, is expensive and difficult, particularly in countries in which corruption is a recognised problem. In addition, the FCPA presents particular challenges in the biopharmaceutical industry, because, in many countries, hospitals are operated by the government, and doctors and other hospital employees are considered foreign officials. Certain payments to hospitals in connection with clinical trials and other work have been deemed to be improper payments to government officials and have led to FCPA enforcement actions.
We currently have operations in China, and we may in the future operate in additional jurisdictions that pose a high risk of potential Bribery Act or FCPA violations, and we may participate in collaborations and relationships with third parties whose actions could potentially subject us to liability under the Bribery Act, FCPA, or local anti-corruption laws. In addition, we cannot predict the nature, scope or effect of future regulatory requirements to which our international operations might be subject or the
 
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manner in which existing laws might be administered or interpreted. If we further expand our operations outside of the United States and the United Kingdom, we will need to dedicate additional resources to comply with numerous laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we plan to operate.
We are also subject to other laws and regulations governing our international operations, including regulations administered by the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States, and authorities in the European Union, including applicable export control regulations, economic sanctions on countries and persons, customs requirements and currency exchange regulations, collectively referred to as the Trade Control laws. In addition, various laws, regulations and executive orders also restrict the use and dissemination outside of the United States, or the sharing with certain non-U.S. nationals, of information classified for national security purposes, as well as certain products and technical data relating to those products. If we expand our presence outside of the United States, it will require us to dedicate additional resources to comply with these laws, and these laws may preclude us from developing, manufacturing or selling certain products and drug candidates outside of the United States, which could limit our growth potential and increase our development costs.
There is no assurance that we will be completely effective in ensuring our compliance with all applicable anti-corruption laws, including the Bribery Act, the FCPA, or other legal requirements, including Trade Control laws. If we are not in compliance with the Bribery Act, the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws or Trade Control laws, we may be subject to criminal and civil penalties, disgorgement and other sanctions and remedial measures and legal expenses, which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, also may suspend or bar issuers from trading securities on U.S. exchanges for violations of the FCPA’s accounting provisions. Any investigation of any potential violations of the Bribery Act, the FCPA, other anti-corruption laws or Trade Control laws by United Kingdom, U.S. or other authorities could also have an adverse impact on our reputation, our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Any drug candidates we develop may become subject to unfavourable third-party coverage and reimbursement practices, as well as pricing regulations.
The availability and extent of coverage and adequate reimbursement by third-party payors, including government health authorities, private health coverage insurers, managed care organisations and other third-party payors is essential for most patients to be able to afford expensive treatments. Sales of any of our drug candidates that receive marketing approval will depend substantially, both in the United States and internationally, on the extent to which the costs of such drug candidates will be covered and reimbursed by third-party payors. If reimbursement is not available, or is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialise our drug candidates. Even if coverage is provided, the approved reimbursement amount may not be high enough to allow us to establish or maintain pricing sufficient to realise an adequate return on our investment. Coverage and reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, any drug candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. If coverage and reimbursement are not available or reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may not successfully commercialise any drug candidate for which we obtain marketing approval.
There is significant uncertainty related to third-party payor coverage and reimbursement of newly approved products. In the United States, for example, principal decisions about reimbursement for new drug products are typically made by CMS, an agency within HHS. CMS decides whether and to what extent a new drug product will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare, and private third-party payors often follow CMS’s decisions regarding coverage and reimbursement to a substantial degree. However, one third-party payor’s determination to provide coverage for a product candidate does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product candidate. Further, no uniform policy for coverage and reimbursement exists in the United States, and coverage and reimbursement can differ significantly from payor to payor. As a result, the coverage determination process is often time-consuming and costly. This process will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our drug products to each third-party payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance.
 
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Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. Further, such payors are increasingly challenging the price, examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost effectiveness of medical drug candidates. There may be especially significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific drug candidates on an approved list, known as a formulary, which might not include all FDA-approved drugs for a particular indication. We may need to conduct expensive pharmaco-economic studies to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost effectiveness of our products. Nonetheless, our drug candidates may not be considered medically necessary or cost effective. We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we commercialise and, if reimbursement is available, what the level of reimbursement will be.
If we are unable to establish or sustain coverage and adequate reimbursement for any drug candidates from third-party payors, the adoption of those products and sales revenue will be adversely affected, which, in turn, could adversely affect the ability to market or sell those drug candidates, if approved. Coverage policies and third-party payor reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favourable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favourable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future. Additionally, any companion diagnostic test that we develop will be required to obtain coverage and reimbursement separate and apart from the coverage and reimbursement we seek for our product candidates, if approved. If any companion diagnostic is unable to obtain reimbursement or is inadequately reimbursed, that may limit the availability of such companion diagnostic, which would negatively impact prescriptions for our product candidates, if approved.
Our employees, independent contractors, consultants and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including non-compliance with regulatory standards and requirements and insider trading laws, which could cause significant liability for us and harm our reputation.
We are exposed to the risk of fraud or other misconduct by our employees, independent contractors, consultants and vendors. Misconduct by these partners could include intentional failures to comply with FDA regulations or similar regulations of comparable foreign regulatory authorities, provide accurate information to the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, comply with manufacturing standards, comply with federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations and similar laws and regulations established and enforced by comparable foreign regulatory authorities, report financial information or data accurately or disclose unauthorised activities to us. Employee misconduct could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. This could include violations of HIPAA, other U.S. federal and state law and requirements of non-U.S. jurisdictions, including the European Union Data Protection Directive. We are also exposed to risks in connection with any insider trading violations by employees or others affiliated with us. It is not always possible to identify and deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws, standards, regulations, guidance or codes of conduct. Furthermore, our employees may, from time to time, bring lawsuits against us for employment issues, including injury, discrimination, wage and hour disputes, sexual harassment, hostile work environment or other employment issues. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business and results of operations, including the imposition of significant fines or other sanctions.
Our internal information technology systems, or those of our third-party vendors, contractors or consultants, may fail or suffer security breaches, loss or leakage of data and other disruptions, which could result in a material disruption of our services, compromise sensitive information related to our business, or prevent us from accessing critical information, potentially exposing us to liability or otherwise adversely affecting our business.
We are increasingly dependent upon information technology systems, infrastructure and data to operate our business. In the ordinary course of business, we collect, store, process and transmit
 
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confidential information (including but not limited to intellectual property, proprietary business information and personal information). It is critical that we do so in a secure manner to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of such confidential information. We also have outsourced elements of our operations to third parties, and as a result we manage a number of third-party vendors and other contractors and consultants who have access to our confidential information. We may be required to expend significant resources, at significant cost, materially change our business activities and practices or modify our operations, including our clinical trial activities, or information technology in an effort to protect against security breaches and to mitigate, detect and remediate actual or potential vulnerabilities as well as security breaches.
Despite the implementation of security measures, given the size and complexity of our internal information technology systems and those of our third-party vendors and other contractors and consultants, and the increasing amounts of confidential information that they maintain, our information technology systems are potentially vulnerable to breakdown or other damage or interruption from service interruptions, system malfunction, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication and electrical failures, as well as security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees, third-party vendors, contractors, consultants, business partners and/or other third parties or from cyber-attacks by malicious third parties (including the deployment of harmful malware, ransomware, denial-of-service attacks, social engineering and other means to affect service reliability and threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information), which may compromise our system infrastructure, or that of our third-party vendors and other contractors and consultants or lead to data leakage. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. We may not be able to anticipate all types of security threats, and we may not be able to implement preventive measures effective against all such security threats. For example, third parties have in the past and may in the future illegally pirate our software and make that software publicly available on peer-to-peer file sharing networks or otherwise. The techniques used by cyber criminals change frequently, may not be recognised until launched, and can originate from a wide variety of sources, including outside groups such as external service providers, organised crime affiliates, terrorist organisations or hostile foreign governments or agencies. If any such material system failure, accident or security breach were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption of our development programmes and our business operations, whether due to a loss of our trade secrets or other sensitive information or similar disruptions, as well as necessitating that we incur significant costs to address such failure, accident or security breach. To the extent that any such material system failure, accident or security breach were to result in a loss of, or damage to, our data or applications, or those of our third-party vendors and other contractors and consultants, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur liability and reputational damage and the further development and commercialisation of our software could be delayed. The costs related to significant security breaches or disruptions could be material and exceed the limits of the cybersecurity insurance we maintain against such risks. If the information technology systems of our third-party vendors and other contractors and consultants become subject to disruptions or security breaches, we may have insufficient recourse against such third parties and we may have to expend significant resources to mitigate the impact of such an event, and to develop and implement protections to prevent future events of this nature from occurring.
Furthermore, significant disruptions of our internal information technology systems or those of our third-party vendors and other contractors and consultants or security breaches could result in the loss, misappropriation, and/or unauthorised access, use, or disclosure of, or the prevention of access to, confidential information (including trade secrets or other intellectual property, proprietary business information and personal information), which could result in financial, legal, business and reputational harm to us. For example, any such event that leads to unauthorised access, use, or disclosure of personal information, including personal information regarding our customers or employees, could harm our reputation directly, compel us to comply with federal and/or state breach notification laws and foreign law equivalents, subject us to mandatory corrective action, and otherwise subject us to liability under laws and regulations that protect the privacy and security of personal information, which could result in significant legal and financial exposure and reputational damages that could potentially have an adverse
 
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effect on our business. Further, sophisticated cyber attackers (including foreign adversaries engaged in industrial espionage) are skilled at adapting to existing security technology and developing new methods of gaining access to organisations’ sensitive business data, which could result in the loss of sensitive information, including trade secrets. Additionally, actual, potential or anticipated attacks may cause us to incur increasing costs, including costs to deploy additional personnel and protection technologies, train employees and engage third-party experts and consultants.
Risks Related to our Employee Matters and Managing Growth
Our future success depends on our ability to retain key executives and to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel.
We are highly dependent on the research and development, clinical, financial, operational, scientific, software engineering and other business expertise of our executive officers, as well as the other principal members of our management, scientific, clinical and software engineering teams. Although we have entered into employment agreements with our executive officers, each of them may terminate their employment with us at any time. We do not maintain “key person” insurance for any of our executives or other employees.
The loss of the services of our executive officers or other key employees could impede the achievement of our development and sales goals in our software business and the achievement of our research, development and commercialisation objectives in our drug discovery business. In either case, the loss of the services of our executive officers or other key employees could seriously harm our ability to successfully implement our business strategy. Furthermore, replacing executive officers and key employees may be difficult and may take an extended period of time because of the limited number of individuals with the breadth of skills and experience required to successfully develop, gain regulatory approval of, and commercialise products in the life sciences industry.
Recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, clinical, manufacturing, accounting, legal and sales and marketing personnel, as well as software engineers and computational chemists, will also be critical to our success. In the technology industry, there is substantial and continuous competition for engineers with high levels of expertise in designing, developing and managing software and related services, as well as competition for sales executives, data scientists and operations personnel. Competition to hire these individuals is intense, and we may be unable to hire, train, retain or motivate these key personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among numerous biopharmaceutical and technology companies for similar personnel. We also experience competition for the hiring of scientific and clinical personnel from universities and research institutions. In addition, we rely on consultants and advisors to assist us in formulating our research and development and commercialisation strategy and advancing our computational platform. Our consultants and advisors may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain high quality personnel, our ability to pursue our growth strategy will be limited and our business would be adversely affected.
We are pursuing multiple business strategies and expect to expand our development and regulatory capabilities, and as a result, we may encounter difficulties in managing our multiple business units and our growth, which could disrupt our operations.
Currently, we are pursuing multiple business strategies simultaneously, including activities in research and development and collaborative and internal drug discovery. We believe pursuing these multiple business strategies offers financial and operational synergies, but these diversified operations place increased demands on our limited resources. Furthermore, we expect to experience significant growth in the number of our employees and the scope of our operations, particularly in the areas of drug development, clinical and regulatory affairs. To manage our multiple business units and anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational and financial systems, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. Due to our limited financial resources and our management team’s limited attention and limited experience in managing a company with such anticipated growth, we may not be able to effectively manage our multiple
 
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business units and the expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel. The expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert our management and business development resources. In addition, to meet our obligations as a public company and to support our anticipated long-term growth, we will need to increase our general and administrative capabilities. Our management, personnel and systems may not be adequate to support this future growth. Any inability to manage our multiple business units and growth could delay the execution of our business plans or disrupt our operations and the synergies we believe currently exist between our business units. In addition, adverse developments in one of these business units may disrupt these synergies.
We may be unable to manage our current and future growth effectively, which could make it difficult to execute our business strategy.
Since our inception in 2012, we have experienced rapid growth, and we anticipate further growth in our business operations, including by opening offices in new geographies. This growth requires managing complexities across all aspects of our business, including complexities associated with increased headcount, expansion of international operations, expansion of facilities, execution on new lines of business and implementations of appropriate systems and controls to grow the business. Our growth has required significant time and attention from our management, and placed strains on our operational systems and processes, financial systems and internal controls and other aspects of our business.
We expect to continue to increase headcount and to hire more specialised personnel in the future as we grow our business. We will need to continue to hire, train and manage additional qualified scientists, engineers, laboratory personnel and sales and marketing staff and improve and maintain our technology to properly manage our growth. We may also need to hire, train and manage individuals with expertise that is separate, supplemental or different from expertise that we currently have, and accordingly we may not be successful in hiring, training and managing such individuals. For example, if our new hires perform poorly, if we are unsuccessful in hiring, training, managing and integrating these new employees, or if we are not successful in retaining our existing employees, our business may be harmed. Improving our technology and processes have required us to hire and retain additional scientific, engineering, sales and marketing, software, manufacturing, distribution and quality assurance personnel. As a result, we have experienced rapid headcount growth from 17 employees as of January 1, 2018 to 208 employees as of September 1, 2021. We currently serve partners around the world and plan to continue to expand to new international jurisdictions as part of our growth strategy, which will lead to increased dispersion of our employees. Moreover, we expect that we will need to hire additional accounting, finance and other personnel in connection with our becoming, and our efforts to comply with the requirements of being a public company. Once public, our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time towards maintaining compliance with these requirements. A risk associated with maintaining this rate of growth, for example, is that we may face challenges integrating, developing and motivating our rapidly growing and increasingly dispersed employee base.
We may not be able to maintain the quality, reliability or robustness of our platform, or the expected turnaround times of our solutions and support, or to satisfy customer demand as it grows. Our ability to manage our growth properly will require us to continue to improve our operational, financial and management controls, as well as our reporting systems and procedures. If we are unable to manage our growth properly, we may experience future weaknesses in our internal controls, which we may not successfully remediate on a timely basis or at all. For example, in connection with the preparation and audits of our financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, material weaknesses were identified in our internal control over financial reporting, as described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section. To effectively manage our growth, we must continue to improve our operational and manufacturing systems and processes, our financial systems and internal controls and other aspects of our business and continue to effectively expand, train and manage our personnel. The time and resources required to improve our existing systems and procedures, implement new systems and procedures and to adequately staff such existing and new systems and procedures are uncertain, and failure to complete this in a timely and efficient manner could adversely affect our operations and negatively impact our business and financial.
 
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If we fail to manage our technical operations infrastructure, our internal drug discovery team may experience service outages, and our new customers may experience delays in the deployment of our solutions.
We have experienced significant growth in the number of users and data that our operations infrastructure supports. We seek to maintain sufficient excess capacity in our operations infrastructure to meet the needs of all our customers and to support our internal drug discovery programmes. We also seek to maintain excess capacity to facilitate the rapid provision of new customer deployments and the expansion of existing customer deployments. In addition, we need to properly manage our technological operations infrastructure to support version control, changes in hardware and software parameters and the evolution of our solutions. However, the provision of new hosting infrastructure requires adequate lead-time. We have experienced, and may in the future experience, website disruptions, outages and other performance problems. These types of problems may be caused by a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, human or software errors, viruses, security attacks, fraud, spikes in usage and denial of service issues. In some instances, we may not be able to identify the cause or causes of these performance problems within an acceptable period of time. If we do not accurately predict our infrastructure requirements, our existing customers may experience service outages that may subject us to financial penalties, financial liabilities and customer losses. If our operations infrastructure fails to keep pace with increased sales and usage, customers and our internal drug discovery team may experience delays in the deployment of our solutions as we seek to obtain additional capacity, which could adversely affect our reputation and adversely affect our revenues.
Increased labour costs, potential organisation of our workforce, employee strikes and other labour-related disruption may adversely affect our operations.
None of our employees are represented by a labour union or subject to a collective bargaining agreement. However, in Austria, we are subject to a government-mandated collective bargaining agreement, which sets minimum wage expectations and grants employees additional benefits beyond those required by the local labour code. We provide no assurance that our labour costs going forward will remain competitive for various reasons, such as: (i) our workforce may organise in the future and labour agreements may be put in place that have significantly higher labour rates and company obligations; (ii) our competitors may maintain significantly lower labour costs, thereby reducing or eliminating our comparative advantages vis-à-vis one or more of our competitors or the larger industry; and (iii) our labour costs may increase in connection with our growth.
Risks Related to International Operations
As a company based outside of the United States, we are subject to economic, political, regulatory and other risks associated with international operations.
As a company based in the United Kingdom, our business is subject to risks associated with conducting business outside of the United States. Many of our suppliers and clinical trial relationships are located outside the United States. Accordingly, our future results could be harmed by a variety of factors, including:

economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability in certain non-U.S. economies and markets;

differing and changing regulatory requirements for product approvals;

differing jurisdictions could present different issues for securing, maintaining or obtaining freedom to operate in such jurisdictions;

potentially reduced protection for intellectual property and proprietary rights;

difficulties in compliance with different, complex and changing laws, regulations and court systems of multiple jurisdictions and compliance with a wide variety of foreign laws, treaties and regulations;

changes in non-U.S. regulations and customs, tariffs and trade barriers;
 
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changes in currency exchange rates of the pound sterling, euro and the risk of the imposition of currency controls;

changes in a specific country’s or region’s political or economic environment;

trade protection measures, import or export licensing requirements or other restrictive actions by governments;

differing reimbursement regimes and price controls in certain non-U.S. markets;

negative consequences from changes in tax laws or practice;

compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labour laws for employees living or travelling abroad, including, for example, the variable tax treatment in different jurisdictions of options granted under our share option schemes or equity incentive plans;

workforce uncertainty in countries where labour unrest is more common than in the United States;

litigation or administrative actions resulting from claims against us by current or former employees or consultants individually or as part of class actions, including claims of wrongful terminations, discrimination, misclassification or other violations of labour law or other alleged conduct;

difficulties associated with staffing and managing international operations, including differing labour relations;

production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad; and

business interruptions resulting from geo-political actions, including war and terrorism, or natural disasters including earthquakes, typhoons, floods and fires.
The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union may adversely impact our and our collaborators’ ability to obtain regulatory approvals of our drug candidates in the United Kingdom and European Union and may require us to incur additional expenses to develop, manufacture and commercialise our drug candidates in the United Kingdom and European Union.
We are headquartered in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom formally exited the European Union, commonly referred to as Brexit, on January 31, 2020. Under the terms of its departure, the United Kingdom entered a transition period, or the Transition Period, during which it continued to follow all European Union rules, which ended on December 31, 2020. On December 30, 2020, the United Kingdom and European Union signed the TCA, which includes an agreement on free trade between the two parties and has been provisionally applicable since January 1, 2021.
Since January 1, 2021 the United Kingdom has operated under a separate regulatory regime to the European Union. European Union laws regarding medicinal products only apply in respect of the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland (as set out in the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland). The European Union laws that have been transposed into United Kingdom law through secondary legislation remain applicable. While the United Kingdom has indicated a general intention that new law regarding the development, manufacture and commercialisation of medicinal products in the United Kingdom will align closely with European Union law there are limited detailed proposals for future regulation of medicinal products. The TCA includes specific provisions concerning medicinal products, which include the mutual recognition of Good Manufacturing Practice, or GMP, inspections of manufacturing facilities for medicinal products and GMP documents issued (such mutual recognition can be rejected by either party in certain circumstances), but does not foresee wholesale mutual recognition of United Kingdom and European Union pharmaceutical regulations including in relation to batch testing and pharmacovigilance, which remain subject to further negotiation. Therefore, there remains political and economic uncertainty regarding to what extent the regulation of medicinal products will differ between the United Kingdom and the European Union in the future.
Since a significant proportion of the regulatory framework in the United Kingdom applicable to our business and our drug candidates is derived from European Union directives and regulations, the
 
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withdrawal has and could continue to materially impact the regulatory regime with respect to the development, manufacture, importation, approval and commercialisation of our drug candidates in the United Kingdom or the European Union. Great Britain is no longer covered by the European Union’s procedures for the grant of marketing authorisations (Northern Ireland is covered by the centralised authorisation procedure and can be covered under the decentralised or mutual recognition procedures). A separate marketing authorisation will be required to market drugs in Great Britain. It is currently unclear whether the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom is sufficiently prepared to handle the increased volume of marketing authorisation applications that it is likely to receive. Any delay in obtaining, or an inability to obtain, any marketing approvals, as a result of Brexit or otherwise, would prevent us and our collaborators or delay us and our collaborators from commercialising our drug candidates in the United Kingdom and/or the EEA and restrict our ability to generate revenue and achieve and sustain profitability. Following Brexit, there is no pre-marketing authorisation orphan designation in Great Britain, instead an application for orphan designation is made at the same time as an application for marketing authorisation. Orphan designation in the United Kingdom (or Great Britain, depending on whether there is a prior centralised marketing authorisation in the EEA) following Brexit based on the prevalence of the condition in Great Britain as opposed to the current position where prevalence in the EU is the determinant. It is therefore possible that conditions that are currently designated as orphan conditions in the United Kingdom, or Great Britain, will no longer be and that conditions are not currently designated as orphan conditions in the European Union will be designated as such in the United Kingdom, or Great Britain.
There is a degree of uncertainty regarding the overall impact that Brexit will have in the long-term on the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of pharmaceutical products, including the process to obtain regulatory approval in the United Kingdom for drug candidates and the award of exclusivities that are normally part of the European Union legal framework (for instance Supplementary Protection Certificates, Paediatric Extensions or Orphan exclusivity). Any divergence between the regulatory environments in place in the European Union and the United Kingdom could lead to increased costs and delays in bringing drug candidates to market.
In addition, we may be required to pay taxes or duties or be subjected to other hurdles in connection with the importation of our drug candidates into the European Union, or we may incur expenses in establishing a manufacturing facility in the European Union to circumvent such hurdles, all of which may make our doing business in the European Union and the EEA more difficult. If any of these outcomes occur, we may be forced to restrict or delay efforts to seek regulatory approval in the United Kingdom or the European Union for our drug candidates, or incur significant additional expenses to operate our business, which could significantly and materially harm or delay our ability to generate revenues or achieve profitability of our business.
As a result of Brexit, other European countries may seek to conduct referenda with respect to their continuing membership with the European Union. Given these possibilities and others we may not anticipate, as well as the absence of comparable precedent, it is unclear what financial, regulatory and legal implications the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union will have in the long-term and how such withdrawal will affect us, and the full extent to which our business could be adversely affected.
Exchange rate fluctuations may materially affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Owing to the international scope of our operations, fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly between the pound sterling and the U.S. dollar, may adversely affect us. Although we are based in the United Kingdom, we source research and development, manufacturing, consulting and other services from the United States and the European Union. Further, potential future revenue may be derived from abroad, particularly from the United States. As a result, our business and the price of our ADSs may be affected by fluctuations in foreign exchange rates not only between the pound sterling and the U.S. dollar, but also the euro, which may have a significant impact on our results of operations and cash flows from period to period.
We anticipate that our ADSs will trade in U.S. dollars. As a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the pound sterling, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the proceeds that a
 
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holder of ADSs would receive upon the sale in the United Kingdom of any ordinary shares withdrawn from the depositary and the U.S. dollar equivalent of any cash dividends paid in pounds sterling on our ordinary shares represented by ADSs could also decline.
Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Securities
We do not know whether an active, liquid and orderly trading market will develop for our ADSs or what the market price of our ADSs will be. As a result, it may be difficult for you to sell your ADSs.
This offering constitutes the initial public offering of our ADSs, and no public market has previously existed for our ADSs or ordinary shares. We intend to apply to have our ADSs listed on The Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, and we expect our ADSs to be quoted on Nasdaq, subject to completion of customary procedures in the United States. Any delay in the commencement of trading of the ADSs on Nasdaq would impair the liquidity of the market for the ADSs and make it more difficult for holders to sell the ADSs.
Prior to this offering, there was no public trading market for our ordinary shares or ADSs. If the ADSs are listed and quoted on Nasdaq, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the ADSs will develop or be sustained after this offering is completed. You may not be able to sell your ADSs quickly or at the market price if trading in our ADSs is not active. The initial offering price will be determined by negotiations among the lead underwriters and us. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price will be our future prospects and the prospects of our industry in general, our revenue, net income and certain other financial and operating information in recent periods, and the market prices of securities and certain financial and operating information of companies engaged in activities similar to ours. However, there can be no assurance that, following the completion of this offering, the ADSs will trade at a price equal to or greater than the public offering price.
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing shareholders, restrict our operations or cause us to relinquish valuable rights.
We may seek additional capital through a combination of public and private equity offerings, debt financings, strategic partnerships and alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity, convertible debt securities or other equity-based derivative securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as holder of ADSs. Any indebtedness we incur would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could involve restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire or licence intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. Any debt or additional equity financing that we raise may contain terms that are not favourable to us or our shareholders. Furthermore, the issuance of additional securities, whether equity or debt, by us, or the possibility of such issuance, may cause the market price of our ADSs to decline and existing shareholders may not agree with our financing plans or the terms of such financings. If we raise additional funds through strategic partnerships, collaborations and alliances and licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our intellectual property, technologies or our drug candidates, or grant licences on terms unfavourable to us.
The market price of our ADSs may be highly volatile, and you may not be able to resell your ADSs at or above the initial public offering price.
The market price of our ADSs following this offering is likely to be highly volatile. The stock market in general, and the market for biopharmaceutical companies in particular, has experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies and the trading price of our equity securities may be volatile due to factors beyond our control. As a result of this volatility, you may not be able to sell your ADSs at or above the initial public offering price. The market price for our ADSs may be influenced by many factors, including:

our investment in, and the success of, our software solutions;
 
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the success of our research and development efforts for our internal and/or partnered drug discovery programmes;

adverse results or delays in preclinical studies or clinical trials;

reports of adverse events in products similar or perceived to be similar to those we are developing or clinical trials of such products;

an inability to obtain additional funding;

failure by us to successfully develop and commercialise our drug candidates;

the success of our drug discovery collaborators and any milestone or other payments we receive from such collaborators;

failure by us or our licensors and/or collaborators to prosecute, maintain, protect or enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights;

disputes or other developments relating to intellectual and other proprietary rights, including litigation matters and our ability to obtain patent and other intellectual property protection for our technologies;

changes in laws or regulations applicable to future products;

adverse regulatory decisions;

the introduction of new products, services or technologies by our competitors;

failure by us to meet or exceed financial projections we may provide to the public;

failure by us to meet or exceed the financial projections of the investment community;

the perception of the pharmaceutical industry by the public, legislatures, regulators and the investment community;

changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems;

announcements of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by us, our strategic partner or our competitors;

additions or departures of key scientific or management personnel;

significant lawsuits, including patent or shareholder litigation;

changes in the market valuations of similar companies;

commentary by investors on the prospects for our business, our ordinary shares or ADSs on the internet, including via blogs, articles, message boards or social media platforms;

general economic, industry, political and market conditions, including, but not limited to, the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic;

sales of our ADSs or ordinary shares by us or our shareholders in the future; and

the trading volume of our ADSs.
In the past, securities class action litigation has often been brought against a company following a decline in the market price of its securities. This risk is especially relevant for us because biopharmaceutical companies have experienced significant securities price volatility in recent years. If we face such litigation, it could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could harm our business. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance. Further, a decline in the financial markets and related factors beyond our control may cause the price of our ADSs to decline rapidly and unexpectedly. If the market price of our ADSs after the completion of this offering does not exceed the initial public offering price, you may not realise any return on your investment in us and may lose some or all of your investment.
 
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If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavourable research about our business, our ADS price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our ADSs will likely depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. We do not currently have research coverage, and there can be no assurance that analysts will cover us, or provide favourable coverage. Securities or industry analysts may elect not to provide research coverage of our ADSs after this offering, and such lack of research coverage may negatively impact the market price of our ADSs. In the event we do have analyst coverage, if one or more analysts downgrade our ADSs or change their opinion of our ADSs, our ADS price would likely decline. In addition, if one or more analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our ADS price or trading volume to decline.
Concentration of ownership of our ordinary shares (including ordinary shares represented by ADSs) among our existing executive officers, directors and principal shareholders may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.
Upon completion of this offering and the concurrent private placement, our executive officers, directors and current beneficial owners of five percent or more of our ordinary shares and their respective affiliates will, in aggregate, beneficially own approximately        of our outstanding ordinary shares, based on the number of ordinary shares outstanding as of June 30, 2021 and assuming the issuance of ordinary shares (including ordinary shares represented by ADSs) in this offering and the concurrent private placement.
As a result, depending on the level of attendance at our general meetings of shareholders, these persons, acting together, would be able to significantly influence all matters requiring approval by our shareholders, including the election, re-election and removal of directors, any merger, scheme of arrangement, or sale of all or substantially all of our asset, or other significant corporate transactions and amendments to our articles of association.
In addition, these persons, acting together, may have the ability to control the management and affairs of our company. Accordingly, this concentration of ownership may harm the market price of our ADSs and ordinary shares by:

delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control;

entrenching our management and/or the board of directors;

impeding a merger, scheme of arrangement, takeover or other business combination involving us; or

discouraging a potential acquirer from making a takeover offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.
In addition, some of these persons or entities may have interests different than yours. For example, because many of these shareholders purchased their ordinary shares at prices substantially below the price at which ADSs are being sold in this offering and have held their ordinary shares for a longer period, they may be more interested in selling our company to an acquirer than other investors or they may want us to pursue strategies that deviate from the interests of other shareholders.
We may be required to repurchase for cash all, or to facilitate the purchase by a third party of all, of the ADSs of our company purchased by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the concurrent private placement if we default under the global access commitments agreement, which could have an adverse impact on us and limit our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.
In connection with commitment by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, or the Gates Foundation, to purchase $35.0 million of our ADSs, concurrently with this offering in a private placement, we entered into a Global Access Commitments Agreement, or the Global Access Agreement, pursuant to which
 
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we are required to take certain actions to support the Gates Foundation’s mission. In the event that we are in breach of certain related provisions of the Global Access Agreement, following a cure period, we may be required to repurchase for cash all, or to facilitate the purchase by a third party of all, of the ADSs purchased by the Gates Foundation in the concurrent private placement, at terms that may not be favorable to us. If this occurs, cash used for this purpose may adversely affect our liquidity, cause us to reduce expenditures in other areas of our business, or curtail our growth plans. If we do not have sufficient cash on hand to purchase the securities, we may have to seek financing alternatives in order to meet our obligations, and there is no certainty that financing would be available on reasonable terms or at all. During any period that we are unable to repurchase the ADSs held by the Gates Foundation or arrange for a third party to purchase such ADSs, we would not likely be allowed to pay dividends, repurchase the securities of any other shareholder or otherwise make any other distribution to any of our shareholders in connection with their securities. Therefore, meeting this purchase obligation, if necessary, could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Future sales, or the possibility of future sales, of a substantial number of our securities could adversely affect the price of the shares and dilute shareholders.
Sales of a substantial number of our ADSs in the public market could occur at any time, subject to certain restrictions described below. If our existing shareholders sell, or indicate an intent to sell, substantial amounts of our securities in the public market, the trading price of the ADSs could decline significantly and could decline below the public offering price in this offering. Upon completion of this offering, we will have             outstanding ordinary shares (including ordinary shares represented by ADSs), based on the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, 2021 (or                 ordinary shares if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional ADSs). Of these shares, only the                 ADSs sold in this offering will be freely tradable, and the remaining                 ordinary shares will be available for sale in the public market beginning 180 days after the date of this prospectus following the expiration of lock-up agreements entered into by our directors, executive officers and substantially all of our shareholders in connection with this offering. The representatives of the underwriters may agree to release our directors, executive officers or shareholders from their lock-up agreements at any time and without notice, which would allow for earlier sales of ordinary shares in the public market. See “Ordinary Shares and ADS’s Eligible for Future Sale”. After the lock-up agreements pertaining to this offering expire, these                 additional ordinary shares will be eligible for sale in the public market, though shares that are held by directors and executive officers and other affiliates and will be subject to volume limitations under Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, for sales in the United States. In addition, ordinary shares subject to outstanding options under our equity incentive plans and the ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under our equity incentive plans will become eligible for sale in the public market in the future, subject to certain legal and contractual limitations.
Sales of a substantial number of such ADSs or ordinary shares upon expiration of the lock-up agreements, the perception that such sales may occur, or early release of restrictions in the lock-up agreements, could cause the market price of our ADSs to fall or make it more difficult for purchasers of ADSs to sell their ADSs at a time and price that they deem appropriate.
Moreover, after this offering, holders of an aggregate of       ordinary shares will have rights, subject to conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other shareholders, as well as to cooperate in certain public offerings of such ordinary shares. In addition, we intend to register all ordinary shares that we may issue under our equity compensation plans. Once we register these ordinary shares, they can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to volume limitations applicable to affiliates and the lock-up agreements described in the “Ordinary Shares and ADS’s Eligible for Future Sale” section of this prospectus.
Holders of ADSs are not treated as holders of our ordinary shares.
By participating in this offering, you will become a holder of ADSs with underlying ordinary shares in a company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales. Holders of ADSs are not treated as
 
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holders of our ordinary shares, unless they withdraw the ordinary shares underlying their ADSs in accordance with the deposit agreement and applicable laws and regulations. The depositary is the holder of the ordinary shares underlying the ADSs. Holders of ADSs therefore do not have any rights as holders of our ordinary shares, other than the rights that they have pursuant to the deposit agreement. See “Description of American Depositary Shares”.
Holders of ADSs may be subject to limitations on the transfer of their ADSs and the withdrawal of the underlying ordinary shares.
ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary think it is advisable to do so because of any requirement of law, government or governmental body or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason, subject to the right of ADS holders to cancel their ADSs and withdraw the underlying ordinary shares. Temporary delays in the cancellation of your ADSs and withdrawal of the underlying ordinary shares may arise because the depositary has closed its transfer books, we have closed our transfer books, the transfer of ordinary shares is blocked to permit voting at a shareholders’ meeting or we are paying a dividend on our ordinary shares. In addition, ADS holders may not be able to cancel their ADSs and withdraw the underlying ordinary shares when they owe money for fees, taxes and similar charges and when it is necessary to prohibit withdrawals to comply with any laws or governmental regulations that apply to ADSs or to the withdrawal of ordinary shares or other deposited securities. See “Description of American Depositary Shares”.
We are entitled to amend the deposit agreement and to change the rights of ADS holders under the terms of such agreement, or to terminate the deposit agreement, without the prior consent of the ADS holders.
We are entitled to amend the deposit agreement and to change the rights of the ADS holders under the terms of such agreement, without the prior consent of the ADS holders. We and the depositary may agree to amend the deposit agreement in any way we decide is necessary or advantageous to us or to the depositary. Amendments may reflect, among other things, operational changes in the ADS programme, legal developments affecting ADSs or changes in the terms of our business relationship with the depositary. In the event that the terms of an amendment are materially disadvantageous to ADS holders, ADS holders will only receive 30 days’ advance notice of the amendment, and no prior consent of the ADS holders is required under the deposit agreement. Furthermore, we may decide to direct the depositary to terminate the ADS facility at any time for any reason. For example, terminations may occur when we decide to list our ordinary shares on a non-U.S. securities exchange and determine not to continue to sponsor an ADS facility or when we become the subject of a takeover or a going-private transaction. If the ADS facility will terminate, ADS holders will receive at least 30 days’ prior notice, but no prior consent is required from them. Under the circumstances that we decide to make an amendment to the deposit agreement that is disadvantageous to ADS holders or terminate the deposit agreement, the ADS holders may choose to sell their ADSs or surrender their ADSs and become direct holders of the underlying ordinary shares, but will have no right to any compensation whatsoever.
ADS holders may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to claims arising under the deposit agreement, which could result in less favourable outcomes to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.
The deposit agreement governing the ADSs representing our ordinary shares provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, holders and beneficial owners of ADSs irrevocably waive the right to a jury trial of any claim they may have against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to the ADSs or the deposit agreement.
If this jury trial waiver provision is not permitted by applicable law, an action could proceed under the terms of the deposit agreement with a jury trial. If we or the depositary opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with the applicable state and federal law. To our
 
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knowledge, the enforceability of a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver in connection with claims arising under the federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by the United States Supreme Court. However, we believe that a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable, including under the laws of the State of New York, which govern the deposit agreement, by a federal or state court in the City of New York, which has non-exclusive jurisdiction over matters arising under the deposit agreement. In determining whether to enforce a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision, courts will generally consider whether a party knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived the right to a jury trial. We believe that this is the case with respect to the deposit agreement and the ADSs. It is advisable that you consult legal counsel regarding the jury waiver provision before entering into the deposit agreement.
If you or any other holders or beneficial owners of ADSs bring a claim against us or the depositary in connection with matters arising under the deposit agreement or the ADSs, including claims under federal securities laws, you or such other holder or beneficial owner may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits against us and/or the depositary. If a lawsuit is brought against us and/or the depositary under the deposit agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have had, including results that could be less favourable to the plaintiff(s) in any such action, depending on, among other things, the nature of the claims, the judge or justice hearing such claims and the venue of the hearing.
No condition, stipulation or provision of the deposit agreement or ADSs serves as a waiver by any holder or beneficial owner of ADSs or by us or the depositary of compliance with any substantive provision of the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
You will not have the same voting rights as the holders of our ordinary shares and may not receive voting materials in time to be able to exercise your right to vote.
Except as described in this prospectus and the deposit agreement, holders of the ADSs will not be able to exercise voting rights attaching to the ordinary shares represented by the ADSs. Under the terms of the deposit agreement, holders of the ADSs may instruct the depositary to vote the ordinary shares underlying their ADSs. Otherwise, holders of ADSs will not be able to exercise their right to vote unless they withdraw the ordinary shares underlying their ADSs to vote them in person or by proxy in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and our articles of association. Even so, ADS holders may not know about a meeting far enough in advance to withdraw those ordinary shares. If we ask for the instructions of holders of the ADSs, the depositary, upon timely notice from us, will notify ADS holders of the upcoming vote and arrange to deliver our voting materials to them. Upon our request, the depositary will mail to holders a shareholder meeting notice that contains, among other things, a statement as to the manner in which voting instructions may be given. We cannot guarantee that ADS holders will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that they can instruct the depositary to vote the ordinary shares underlying their ADSs. A shareholder is only entitled to participate in, and vote at, the meeting of shareholders, provided that it holds our ordinary shares as of the record date set for such meeting and otherwise complies with our articles of association. In addition, the depositary’s liability to ADS holders for failing to execute voting instructions or for the manner of executing voting instructions is limited by the deposit agreement. As a result, holders of ADSs may not be able to exercise their right to give voting instructions or to vote in person or by proxy and they may not have any recourse against the depositary or us if their ordinary shares are not voted as they have requested or if their shares cannot be voted.
You may not receive distributions on our ordinary shares represented by the ADSs or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to holders of ADSs.
The depositary for the ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on our ordinary shares or other deposited securities after deducting its fees and expenses, and any taxes. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of our ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, in accordance with the limitations set forth in the deposit
 
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agreement, it may be unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to holders of ADSs. We have no obligation to take any other action to permit distribution on the ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of the ADSs. This means that you may not receive the distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value from them if it is unlawful or impractical to make them available to you. These restrictions may have an adverse effect on the value of your ADSs.
Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our ADSs in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be your sole source of gains and you may never receive a return on your investment.
Under current English law, a company’s accumulated realised profits, to the extent they have not been previously utilised by distribution or capitalisation, must exceed its accumulated realised losses, to the extent they have not been previously written off in a reduction or reorganisation of capital duly made (as determined on a non-consolidated basis), before dividends can be declared and paid. Therefore, we must have distributable profits before declaring and paying a dividend. In addition, as a public limited company incorporated in England and Wales, we will only be able to make a distribution if the amount of our net assets is not less than the aggregate of our called-up share capital and undistributable reserves and if, and to the extent that, the distribution does not reduce the amount of those assets to less than that aggregate.
We have not paid dividends in the past on our ordinary shares. We intend to retain earnings, if any, for use in our business and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, on our ADSs will be your sole source of gains for the foreseeable future, and you will suffer a loss on your investment if you are unable to sell your ADSs at or above the initial public offering price. Investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase our ADSs in this offering.
If you purchase our ADSs in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of your shares.
Investors purchasing ADSs in this offering will pay a price per ordinary share that substantially exceeds the pro forma book value per share of our tangible assets after subtracting our liabilities. As a result, investors purchasing ADSs in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $             per ADS, based on the assumed initial public offering price of $             per ADS, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, representing the difference between the assumed initial public offering price and our as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2021 after giving effect to this offering and the concurrent private offering. Further, investors purchasing ADSs in this offering will contribute approximately             % of the total amount invested by shareholders since our inception, but will own only approximately             % of the ordinary shares outstanding after this offering and the concurrent private placement. Furthermore, if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares or our previously issued options to acquire ordinary shares at prices below the assumed initial public offering price are exercised, you will experience further dilution. For additional information on the dilution that you will experience immediately after this offering, see the section titled “Dilution”.
We may not be able to collect the proceeds from the concurrent private placement.
Subject to completion of this offering, the concurrent private placement is expected to close shortly thereafter. The payment from the Gates Foundation is due in full upon issuance of the ADSs to the Gates Foundation. If the Gates Foundation refuses to pay for their ADSs, they will be in breach of the Subscription Agreement and we will not receive the expected proceeds from the concurrent private placement.
We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement and may not use them effectively.
Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement, including for any of the purposes described in the section titled
 
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“Use of Proceeds”, and you will not have the opportunity as part of your investment decision to assess whether the net proceeds are being used appropriately. Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement, their ultimate use may vary substantially from their currently intended use. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities. These investments may not yield a favourable return to our shareholders.
Claims of U.S. civil liabilities may not be enforceable against us.
We are incorporated under English law and have our registered office in England. Certain members of our board of directors and senior management are non-residents of the United States, and all or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of such persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may not be possible to serve process on such persons or us in the United States or to enforce judgements obtained in U.S. courts against them or us based on civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States.
The United States and the United Kingdom do not currently have a treaty providing for recognition and enforcement of judgements (other than arbitration awards) in civil and commercial matters. Consequently, a final judgement for payment given by a court in the United States, whether or not predicated solely upon U.S. securities laws, would not automatically be recognised or enforceable in the United Kingdom. In addition, uncertainty exists as to whether the courts of England and Wales would entertain original actions brought in the United Kingdom against us or our directors or senior management predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. Any final and conclusive monetary judgement for a definite sum obtained against us in U.S. courts would be treated by the courts of the United Kingdom as a cause of action in itself and sued upon as a debt at common law so that no retrial of the issues would be necessary, provided that certain requirements are met. Whether these requirements are met in respect of a judgement based upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. securities laws, including whether the award of monetary damages under such laws would constitute a penalty, is an issue for the court making such a decision. If an English court gives judgement for the sum payable under a U.S. judgement, the English judgement will be enforceable by methods generally available for this purpose. These methods generally permit the English court discretion to prescribe the manner of enforcement.
As a result, U.S. investors may not be able to enforce against us or our senior management, board of directors or certain experts named herein who are residents of the United Kingdom or countries other than the United States any judgements obtained in U.S. courts in civil and commercial matters, including judgements under the U.S. federal securities laws.
Your right to participate in any future rights offerings may be limited, which may cause dilution to your holdings.
We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. However, we cannot make rights available to you in the United States unless the rights and the securities to which the rights relate are registered by us under the Securities Act or an exemption from the registration requirements is available. Also, under the deposit agreement, the depositary bank will not make rights available to you unless either both the rights and any related securities are registered under the Securities Act, or the distribution of them to ADS holders is exempted from registration under the Securities Act. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or securities or to endeavour to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective. Moreover, we may not be able to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. If the depositary does not distribute the rights, it may, under the deposit agreement, either sell them, if possible, or allow them to lapse. Accordingly, you may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution in your holdings.
 
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Upon completion of this offering and the concurrent private placement, we expect to qualify as a foreign private issuer, which means we will be exempt from a number of rules under the U.S. securities laws and will be permitted to file less information with the SEC than U.S. public companies.
Upon completion of this offering and the concurrent private placement, we expect to qualify as a “foreign private issuer”, as defined in the SEC rules and regulations and, consequently, we do not expect to be subject to all the disclosure requirements applicable to companies organised within the United States. For example, we expect to be exempt from certain rules under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, that regulate disclosure obligations and procedural requirements related to the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorisations applicable to a security registered under the Exchange Act. In addition, our officers and directors will be exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and related rules with respect to their purchases and sales of our securities. Moreover, we will not be required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. public companies. Accordingly, there may be less publicly available information concerning our company than there is for U.S. public companies.
As a foreign private issuer, we will file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the close of each fiscal year ended December 31 and reports on Form 6-K relating to certain material events promptly after we publicly announce these events and disclosing our financial results. However, because of the above exemptions for foreign private issuers, our shareholders will not be afforded the same protections or information generally available to investors holding shares in public companies organised in the United States.
While we are a foreign private issuer, we are not subject to certain Nasdaq corporate governance rules applicable to public companies organised in the United States.
We are entitled to rely on a provision in Nasdaq’s corporate governance rules that allows us to follow English corporate law with regard to certain aspects of corporate governance. This allows us to follow certain corporate governance practices that differ in significant respects from the corporate governance requirements applicable to domestic issuers listed on Nasdaq, which may provide less protection to our shareholders than what is accorded to investors under the Nasdaq rules applicable to domestic issuers.
We are entitled to deviate from the Nasdaq standards and rules applicable to the operation or and disclosure surrounding our board of directors. We are not subject to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(b)(2) because English law does not require that independent directors regularly have scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present. Similarly, we have adopted a compensation committee, but English law does not require that we adopt a compensation committee or that such committee be fully independent. As a result, our practice varies from the requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(d), which sets forth certain requirements as to the responsibilities, composition and independence of compensation committees. English law requires that we disclose information regarding compensation of our directors for services as a director of an undertaking that is our subsidiary undertaking and as a director of any other undertaking of which a director is appointed by virtue of our nomination (directly or indirectly) but not other third-party compensation of our directors or director nominees. As a result, our practice varies from the third-party compensation disclosure requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(b)(3). In addition, while we have a compensation committee, English law does not require that we adopt a compensation committee or that such committee be fully independent. Additionally, we are not subject to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(e) because, under English law, director nominees are not required to be selected or recommended for selection by either a majority of the independent directors or a nominations committee comprised solely of independent directors.
Furthermore, English law does not have a regulatory regime for the solicitation of proxies applicable to us, thus our practice varies from the requirement of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620(b), which sets forth certain requirements regarding the solicitation of proxies. In addition, we have opted out of shareholder approval requirements for the issuance of securities in connection with certain events such as the acquisition of stock or assets of another company, the establishment of or amendments to equity-based
 
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compensation plans for employees, a change of control of us and certain private placements. To this extent, our practice will vary from the requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635, which generally requires an issuer to obtain shareholder approval for the issuance of securities in connection with such events. In addition, while we have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics, English law does not require us to publicly disclose waivers from this code that have been approved by our board within four business days. As a result, our practice varies from the requirements for domestic issuers pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5610. We expect to report any such waivers in the subsequent Annual Report on Form 20-F. Moreover, we are not required to comply with Regulation FD, which restricts the selective disclosure of material information, although we have voluntarily adopted a corporate disclosure policy substantially similar to Regulation FD. These exemptions and leniencies will reduce the frequency and scope of information and protections to which you may otherwise have been eligible in relation to a U.S. domestic issuer.
In accordance with our anticipated listing on Nasdaq, our audit committee would be required to comply with the provisions of Section 301 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act, both of which are also applicable to Nasdaq listed U.S. companies. Because we are a foreign private issuer, however, our audit committee will not be subject to additional requirements applicable to Nasdaq listed U.S. companies, including an affirmative determination that all members of the audit committee are “independent”, using more stringent criteria than those applicable to us as a foreign private issuer, subject to certain phase-in requirements permitted by Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act.
We are an “emerging growth company”, and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our ADSs less attractive to investors.
We are an emerging growth company, or an EGC, and we will remain an EGC until the earlier to occur of (i) the last day of 2026; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of at least $1.07 billion; (iii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer”, under the rules of the SEC, which means the market value of our equity securities that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th; and (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. For so long as we remain an EGC, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not EGCs. These exemptions include:

not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or Section 404;

being permitted to provide only two years of audited financial statements in this initial registration statement, in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements, with correspondingly reduced “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure;

reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation; and

an exemption from the requirement to seek non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements.
We may choose to take advantage of some, but not all, of the available exemptions. We have taken advantage of reduced reporting burdens in this prospectus. In particular, we have not included all of the executive compensation information that would be required if we were not an EGC. We cannot predict whether investors will find our ADSs less attractive if we rely on certain or all of these exemptions. If some investors find our ADSs less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our ADSs and our ADS price may be more volatile.
In addition, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or the JOBS Act, provides that an EGC may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This allows an EGC to delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this extended
 
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transition period and, as a result, we will adopt new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for other public companies.
We will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a company whose ADSs are publicly traded in the United States, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.
As a company whose ADSs are publicly traded in the United States, and particularly after we are no longer an EGC, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq have imposed various requirements on publicly traded companies of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, we expect that these rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance.
Pursuant to Section 404, we will be required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting, including an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. However, while we remain an EGC, we will not be required to include an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. To achieve compliance with Section 404 within the prescribed period, we will be engaged in a process to document and evaluate our internal control over financial reporting, which is both costly and challenging. In this regard, we will need to continue to dedicate internal resources, potentially engage outside consultants and adopt a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting. Despite our efforts, there is a risk we will not be able to conclude within the prescribed timeframe that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as required by Section 404. This could result in an adverse reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and may identify material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain proper and effective internal controls, which may impair our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or prevent fraud. If we are unable to establish and maintain effective internal controls, shareholders could lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our ADSs.
Although we are not yet subject to the certification or attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, in the course of auditing our financial statements for this offering, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. A company’s internal control over financial reporting are processes designed by, or under the supervision of, a company’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by a company’s board of directors, management and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with international financial reporting standards, or IFRS, as adopted by the IASB. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Prior to the completion of this offering, we have been a private company with limited accounting personnel to adequately execute our accounting processes and perform supervisory reviews, a lack of robust accounting system controls, and informal control documentation with which to evidence our internal control over financial reporting. In connection with the audit of our financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we identified the following material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting:
 
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We did not design, and have not maintained, effective processes and controls. Specifically, we lacked a sufficient number of professionals with an appropriate level of accounting knowledge, training and experience to appropriately analyse, record and disclose accounting matters timely and accurately while maintaining appropriate segregation of duties. Without such professionals, we did not design and/or maintain formal accounting procedures and controls to achieve complete, accurate and timely financial accounting, reporting and disclosures, including with respect to the preparation and review of account reconciliations.

The lack of information technology general controls over our financial accounting system presents ineffective segregation of duties, change management and programme development in our control environment.
To address the material weaknesses, in 2021 we developed and began a remediation plan that includes the following activities:

We have hired new leadership in the accounting and finance team, including a new Director of Financial Reporting and a Finance Manager, with appropriate technical accounting knowledge and public company experience in finance and accounting.

We intend to continue to implement new financial processes and design and implement appropriate controls to enhance segregation of duties in the general ledger system that we implemented in the first quarter of 2020.

We intend to continue to hire additional experienced accounting and financial reporting personnel as necessary, to formalise documentation of policies and procedures, and to further evolve our accounting processes, including by implementing information technology-related general controls and appropriate segregation of duties.
The actions that we are taking are subject to ongoing review by our executive management and will be subject to audit committee oversight. Although we intend to complete this remediation process as quickly as practicable, we cannot at this time estimate how long it will take, and our initiatives may not prove to be successful in remediating the material weaknesses.
As a public company, we will be subject to reporting obligations under U.S. securities laws, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or Section 404(a), will require that, beginning with our second annual report following our initial public offering, management assess and report annually on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and identify any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. We expect our first Section 404(a) assessment will take place for our annual report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. If we fail to remediate the material weaknesses identified above, our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. Although Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or Section 404(b), requires our independent registered public accounting firm to issue an annual report that addresses the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, we have opted to rely on the exemptions provided in the JOBS Act, and consequently will not be required to comply with SEC rules that implement Section 404(b) until such time as we are no longer an EGC. An independent assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting could detect problems that our management’s assessment might not. Undetected material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting could lead to financial statement restatements and require us to incur the expense of remediation. If we are unable to successfully remediate our identified material weakness, if we discover additional material weaknesses or if we otherwise are unable to otherwise determine on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting, the accuracy and timing of our financial reporting may be adversely affected, we may be unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding timely filing of periodic reports in addition to applicable stock exchange listing requirements, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting, and the price of our ADSs may decline as a result. We also could become subject to investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
Upon completion of this offering, we will become subject to certain reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to reasonably assure that
 
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information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, recorded, processed, summarised and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgements in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorised override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements or insufficient disclosures due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
If we are (or one of our non-U.S. subsidiaries is) a “controlled foreign corporation”, or a CFC, there could be adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to certain U.S. holders.
Generally, if a U.S. holder is treated as owning, directly, indirectly or constructively, at least 10% of either the total value or total combined voting power of our stock, such U.S. holder may be treated as a “United States shareholder” with respect to each CFC in our group, if any, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A non-U.S. corporation will generally be classified as a CFC for U.S. federal income tax purposes if United States shareholders own, directly, indirectly or constructively, more than 50% of either the total value or the total combined voting power of the stock of such corporation. Because our group includes U.S. subsidiaries, our current non-U.S. subsidiaries and potentially any future newly formed or acquired non-U.S. subsidiaries will be treated as CFCs, regardless of whether we are treated as a CFC. A United States shareholder of a CFC may be required to annually report and include in its U.S. taxable income its pro rata share of “Subpart F income”, “global intangible low-taxed income” and investments of earnings in U.S. property, regardless of whether such CFC makes any distributions to its shareholders. Additionally, an individual that is a United States shareholder with respect to a CFC generally would not be allowed certain tax deductions or foreign tax credits that would be allowed to a United States shareholder that is a U.S. corporation. Failure to comply with CFC reporting obligations may also subject a United States shareholder to significant monetary penalties. We cannot provide any assurances that we will furnish to any United States shareholder information that may be necessary to comply with the reporting and tax paying obligations applicable under the CFC rules of the Code. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of these rules to their investment in our ordinary shares or ADSs.
If we are a “passive foreign investment company”, or a PFIC, for any taxable year, there could be adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.
Under the Code, in general, we will be a PFIC, for any taxable year in which, after the application of certain look-through rules with respect to our subsidiaries, either (1) 75% or more of our gross income consists of passive income or (2) 50% or more of the average quarterly value of our assets consists of assets that produce, or are held for the production of, passive income (including cash and cash equivalents). For purposes of these tests, passive income generally includes, among other things, dividends, interest, gains from certain sales or exchanges of investment property and certain rents and royalties. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. investor holds our shares, we will generally continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to such U.S. investor for all succeeding taxable years during which such U.S. investor holds our shares, even if we cease to meet the threshold requirements for PFIC status. Such U.S. investor may be subject to adverse tax consequences, including ineligibility for any preferential tax rates on capital gains or on actual or deemed dividends, interest charges on certain taxes treated as deferred and additional reporting requirements. We cannot provide any assurance that we will furnish to such U.S. investor information that may be necessary to comply with the reporting and tax paying obligations applicable under the PFIC rules of the Code. Such U.S. investor should consult its tax advisors regarding the potential application of these rules to their investment in our ordinary shares or ADSs.
Based upon the value of our assets and the nature and composition of our income and assets, we expect that we will not be classified as a PFIC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2020, although no assurances can be made in this regard. However, the determination of whether we are a PFIC is a
 
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fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis applying principles and methodologies that in some circumstances are unclear and subject to varying interpretation. For instance, for our current and future taxable years, the total value of our assets (including goodwill) for PFIC testing purposes may be determined in part by reference to the market price of our ordinary shares or ADSs from time to time, which may fluctuate considerably. If our market capitalisation declines while we hold a substantial amount of cash and cash equivalents for any taxable year, we may be a PFIC for that taxable year. Furthermore, under the income test, our status as a PFIC depends on the composition of our income for the relevant taxable year, which will depend on the transactions we enter into in the future and our corporate structure. The composition of our income and assets is also affected by how we spend the cash we raise in any offering, including this offering. We currently do not generate product revenues and therefore we may be a PFIC for any taxable year in which we do not generate sufficient amounts of active income to offset our passive financing income. As a result, there can be no assurance that we will not be treated as a PFIC for the current or any future taxable year and our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status for any prior, current or future taxable year. Even if we determine that we are not a PFIC for a taxable year, there can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, will agree with our conclusion and that the IRS would not successfully challenge our position.
For further discussion of the PFIC rules and the adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences in the event we are classified as a PFIC, as well as certain elections that may be available to U.S. investors, see the section of this prospectus titled “Material Income Tax Considerations — Material United States Federal Income Considerations for U.S. Holders”.
We may be unable to use net operating loss and tax credit carry forwards and certain built-in losses to reduce future tax payments or benefit from favourable U.K. tax legislation.
As a U.K. incorporated and tax resident entity, we are subject to U.K. corporate taxation. Due to the nature of our business, we have generated losses since inception and therefore have not paid any U.K. corporation tax. As of December 31, 2020, we had cumulative carryforward tax losses of £23.3 million. Subject to any relevant utilisation criteria and restrictions (including those that limit the percentage of profits that can be reduced by carried forward losses and those that can restrict the use of carried forward losses where there is a change of ownership of more than half the ordinary shares of the company and a major change in the nature, conduct or scale of the trade), we expect these to be eligible for carry forward against future operating profits.
As a company that carries out extensive research and development activities, we seek to benefit from the U.K. research and development tax relief programmes, one of which is the small and medium-sized enterprises research and development tax relief programme, or SME Programme, and, to the extent that our projects are grant funded or relate to work subcontracted to the company by third parties, the Research and Development Expenditure Credit programme, or RDEC Programme. Under the SME Programme, we may be able to surrender the trading losses that arise from our qualifying research and development activities for a cash rebate of up to 33.35% of such qualifying research and development expenditures. The majority of our research and development activities are eligible for inclusion within these tax credit cash rebate claims. We may not be able to continue to claim payable research and development tax credits in the future if we cease to qualify as a SME, based on size criteria concerning employee headcount, turnover and gross assets. The U.K. Finance Act of 2021 introduced a cap on payable credit claims under the SME Programme in excess of £20,000 with effect from April 2021 by reference to, broadly, three times the total PAYE and NICs liability of the company, subject to an exception which prevents the cap from applying. That exception requires the company to be creating, taking steps to create or managing intellectual property, as well as having qualifying research and development expenditure in respect of connected parties which does not exceed 15% of the total claimed. If such exception does not apply, this could restrict the amount of payable credit that we claim.
We may benefit in the future from the United Kingdom’s “patent box” regime, which allows certain profits attributable to revenues from patented products (and other qualifying income) to be taxed at an effective rate of 10% by giving an additional tax deduction. We are the exclusive licensee or owner of several patent applications which, if issued, would cover our drug candidates, and accordingly, future upfront fees, milestone fees, product revenues and royalties could be eligible for this deduction. When
 
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taken in combination with the enhanced relief available on our research and development expenditures, we expect a long-term rate of corporation tax lower than the statutory rate to apply to us. If, however, there are unexpected adverse changes to the U.K. research and development tax credit regime or the “patent box” regime, or for any reason we are unable to qualify for such advantageous tax legislation, or we are unable to use net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards and certain built-in losses to reduce future tax payments then our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected. This may impact our ongoing requirement for investment and the timeframes within which additional investment is required.
Changes and uncertainties in the tax system in the countries in which we have operations, could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, and reduce net returns to our shareholders.
We conduct business globally and file income tax returns in multiple jurisdictions. Our consolidated effective income tax rate, and the tax treatment of our ADSs and ordinary shares, could be materially adversely affected by several factors, including: changing tax laws, regulations and treaties, or the interpretation thereof; tax policy initiatives and reforms under consideration (such as those related to the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, or BEPS, Project, the European Commission’s state aid investigations and other initiatives); the practices of tax authorities in jurisdictions in which we operate; the resolution of issues arising from tax audits or examinations and any related interest or penalties. Such changes may include (but are not limited to) the taxation of operating income, investment income, dividends received or (in the specific context of withholding tax) dividends paid, or the stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax treatment of our ADSs or ordinary shares.
We are unable to predict what tax reform may be proposed or enacted in the future or what effect such changes would have on our business, but such changes, to the extent they are brought into tax legislation, regulations, policies or practices in jurisdictions in which we operate, could increase the estimated tax liability that we have expensed to date and paid or accrued on our financial statements, and otherwise affect our financial position, future results of operations, cash flows in a particular period and overall or effective tax rates in the future in countries where we have operations, reduce post-tax returns to our shareholders and increase the complexity, burden and cost of tax compliance.
Tax authorities may disagree with our positions and conclusions regarding certain tax positions, or may apply existing rules in an unforeseen manner, resulting in unanticipated costs, taxes or non-realisation of expected benefits.
A tax authority may disagree with tax positions that we take, which could result in increased tax liabilities. For example, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, or HMRC, the IRS or another tax authority could challenge our allocation of income by tax jurisdiction and the amounts paid between our affiliated companies pursuant to our intercompany arrangements and transfer pricing policies, including amounts paid with respect to our intellectual property development. Similarly, a tax authority could assert that we are subject to tax in a jurisdiction where we believe we have not established a taxable connection, often referred to as a “permanent establishment” under international tax treaties, and such an assertion, if successful, could increase our expected tax liability in one or more jurisdictions.
A tax authority may take the position that material income tax liabilities, interest and penalties are payable by us, in which case we expect that we might contest such assessment. Contesting such an assessment may be lengthy and costly and if we were unsuccessful in disputing the assessment, the implications could increase our anticipated effective tax rate, where applicable.
HMRC may decline to grant relief from stamp duty for which we currently intend to apply under section 77 of the Finance Act 1986 in respect of the share for share exchange effected pursuant to our corporate reorganisation. See the section titled “Corporate Reorganisation” elsewhere in this prospectus. If HMRC does decline to grant relief, stamp duty will arise at a rate of 0.5%, chargeable on the greater of the amount or value of the consideration given (being the value of the shares issued by the company to each shareholder of Exscientia AI Limited) and the market value of the shares in Exscientia AI Limited at the time of the share for share exchange. Stamp duty reserve tax will also be
 
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chargeable on the agreement to enter into the share for share exchange, although such liability would be cancelled, or if already paid, repaid, if stamp duty is duly paid on the relevant instruments of transfer within a period of six years from the stamp duty reserve tax charge arising or if the relevant instruments of transfer are otherwise exempt from stamp duty.
Shareholder protections found in provisions under the U.K. City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, or the Takeover Code, will not apply if our place of central management and control remains outside the United Kingdom (or the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man).
We believe that, as of the date of this document, our place of central management and control is not, and is not expected to be, in the United Kingdom (or the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man) for the purposes of the jurisdictional criteria of the Takeover Code. Accordingly, we believe that upon re-registration as a public company we will not be subject to the Takeover Code and, as a result, our shareholders will not be entitled to the benefit of certain takeover offer protections provided under the Takeover Code, including the rules regarding mandatory takeover bids.
In the event that this changes, or if the interpretation and application of the Takeover Code by the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, or Takeover Panel, changes (including changes to the way in which the Takeover Panel assesses the application of the Takeover Code to English companies whose securities are listed outside of the United Kingdom), the Takeover Code may apply to us in the future.
The Takeover Code provides a framework within which takeovers of companies are regulated and conducted. The following is a brief summary of some of the most important rules of the Takeover Code:

In connection with a potential offer, if following an approach by or on behalf of a potential bidder, the company is “the subject of rumour or speculation” or there is an “untoward movement” in the company’s share price, there is a requirement for the potential bidder to make a public announcement about a potential offer for the company, or for the company to make a public announcement about its review of a potential offer.

When a person or group of persons acting in concert (a) acquires, whether by a series of transactions over a period of time or not, interests in shares carrying 30% or more of the voting rights of a company (which percentage is treated by the Takeover Code as the level at which effective control is obtained) or (b) acquires an interest in any other shares which increases the percentage of shares carrying voting rights in which they are interested when they are already interested in shares which carry not less than 30% of the voting rights but do not hold shares carrying more than 50% of such voting rights, they must make a cash offer to all other shareholders at the highest price paid by them or any person acting in concert with them in the 12 months before the offer was announced.

When interests in shares carrying 10% or more of the voting rights of a class have been acquired by an offeror (i.e., a bidder) and any person acting in concert with it in the offer period (i.e., before the shares subject to the offer have been acquired) or within the previous 12 months, the offer must be in cash or be accompanied by a cash alternative for all shareholders of that class at the highest price paid by the offeror or any person acting in concert with them in that period. Further, if an offeror or any person acting in concert with them acquires any interest in shares during the offer period, the offer for the shares must be in cash or accompanied by a cash alternative at a price at least equal to the price paid for such shares during the offer period.

If after an announcement is made, the offeror or any person acting in concert with them acquires an interest in shares in an offeree company (i.e., a target) at a price higher than the value of the offer, the offer must be increased to not less than the highest price paid for the interest in shares so acquired.

An offeree company must appoint a competent independent adviser whose advice on the financial terms of the offer must be made known to all the shareholders, together with the opinion of the board of directors of the offeree company.
 
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Special or favourable deals for selected shareholders are not permitted, except in certain circumstances where independent shareholder approval is given and the arrangements are regarded as fair and reasonable in the opinion of the financial adviser to the offeree.

All shareholders must be given the same information.

Each document published in connection with an offer by or on behalf of the offeror or offeree must state that the directors of the offeror or the offeree, as the case may be, accept responsibility for the information contained therein.

Profit forecasts, quantified financial benefits statements and asset valuations must be made to specified standards and must be reported on by professional advisers.

Misleading, inaccurate or unsubstantiated statements made in documents or to the media must be publicly corrected immediately.

Actions during the course of an offer by the offeree company, which might frustrate the offer are generally prohibited unless shareholders approve these plans. Frustrating actions would include, for example, lengthening the notice period for directors under their service contract or agreeing to sell off material parts of the target group.

Stringent and detailed requirements are laid down for the disclosure of dealings in relevant securities during an offer, including the prompt disclosure of positions and dealing in relevant securities by the parties to an offer and any person who is interested (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities.

Employees of both the offeror and the offeree company and the trustees of the offeree company’s pension scheme must be informed about an offer. In addition, the offeree company’s employee representatives and pension scheme trustees have the right to have a separate opinion on the effects of the offer on employment appended to the offeree board of directors’ circular or published on a website.
The rights of our shareholders may differ from the rights typically offered to shareholders of a U.S. corporation.
We are incorporated under English law. The rights of holders of ordinary shares and, therefore, certain of the rights of holders of ADSs, are governed by English law, including the provisions of the U.K. Companies Act 2006, or the Companies Act, and by our articles of association. These rights differ in certain respects from the rights of shareholders in typical U.S. corporations. See “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association — Differences in Corporate Law” in this prospectus for a description of the principal differences between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and, for example, the Delaware General Corporation Law relating to shareholders’ rights and protections.
The principal differences include the following:

under our articles of association to be effective upon completion of this offering, any resolution put to the vote of a general meeting must be decided exclusively on a poll. Under English law, it would be possible for our articles of association to be amended such that each shareholder present at a meeting has only one vote unless demand is made for a vote on a poll, in which case each holder gets one vote per share owned. Under U.S. law, each shareholder typically is entitled to one vote per share at all meetings;

under English law, subject to certain exceptions and disapplications, each shareholder generally has preemptive rights to subscribe on a proportionate basis to any issuance of ordinary shares or rights to subscribe for, or to convert securities into, ordinary shares for cash. Under U.S. law, shareholders generally do not have preemptive rights unless specifically granted in the certificate of incorporation or otherwise;

under English law and our articles of association, certain matters require the approval of 75% of the shareholders who vote (in person or by proxy) on the relevant resolution (or on a poll of shareholders representing 75% of the ordinary shares voting (in person or by proxy)), including
 
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amendments to the articles of association. This may make it more difficult for us to complete corporate transactions deemed advisable by our board of directors. Under U.S. law, generally only majority shareholder approval is required to amend the certificate of incorporation or to approve other significant transactions;

in the United Kingdom, takeovers may be structured as takeover offers or as schemes of arrangement. Under English law, a bidder seeking to acquire us by means of a takeover offer would need to make an offer for all of our outstanding ordinary shares/ADSs. If acceptances are not received for 90% or more of the ordinary shares/ADSs under the offer, under English law, the bidder cannot complete a “squeeze out” to obtain 100% control of us. Accordingly, acceptances of 90% of our outstanding ordinary shares/ADSs will likely be a condition in any takeover offer to acquire us, not 50% as is more common in tender offers for corporations organised under Delaware law. By contrast, a scheme of arrangement, the successful completion of which would result in a bidder obtaining 100% control of us, requires the approval of a majority of shareholders voting at the meeting and representing 75% of the ordinary shares (including those represented by ADSs) voting for approval;

under English law and our articles of association, shareholders and other persons whom we know or have reasonable cause to believe are, or have been, interested in our shares may be required to disclose information regarding their interests in our shares upon our request, and the failure to provide the required information could result in the loss or restriction of rights attaching to the shares, including prohibitions on certain transfers of the shares, withholding of dividends and loss of voting rights. Comparable provisions generally do not exist under U.S. law; and

the quorum requirement for a shareholders’ meeting is a minimum of two shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting and present in person or by proxy or, in the case of a shareholder which is a corporation, represented by a duly authorised representative. Under U.S. law, a majority of the shares eligible to vote must generally be present (in person or by proxy) at a shareholders’ meeting to constitute a quorum. The minimum number of shares required for a quorum can be reduced pursuant to a provision in a company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, but typically not below one-third of the shares entitled to vote at the meeting.
As an English public limited company, certain capital structure decisions will require shareholder approval, which may limit our flexibility to manage our capital structure.
Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will alter the legal status of our company under English law from a private limited company by re-registering as a public limited company and changing our name from Exscientia Limited to Exscientia plc. English law provides that a board of directors may only allot shares (or rights to subscribe for or convert any security into shares) with the prior authorisation of shareholders, such authorisation stating the aggregate nominal amount of shares that it covers and being valid for a maximum period of five years, each as specified in the articles of association or relevant ordinary shareholder resolution passed by shareholders at a general meeting. We have obtained authority from our shareholders to allot additional shares for a period of five years from          , 2021, which authorisation will need to be renewed upon expiration (i.e., at least every five years) but may be sought more frequently for additional five-year terms (or any shorter period).
English law also generally provides shareholders with preemptive rights when new shares are issued for cash. However, it is possible for the articles of association, or for shareholders to pass a special resolution at a general meeting, being a resolution passed by at least 75% of the votes cast, to disapply preemptive rights. Such a disapplication of preemptive rights may be for a maximum period of up to five years from the date of adoption of the articles of association, if the disapplication is contained in the articles of association, or from the date of the shareholder special resolution, if the disapplication is by shareholder special resolution but not longer than the duration of the authority to allot shares to which the disapplication relates. In either case, this disapplication would need to be renewed by our shareholders upon its expiration (i.e., at least every five years). We have obtained authority from our shareholders to disapply preemptive rights for a period of five years from          , 2021 which disapplication will need
 
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to be renewed upon expiration (i.e., at least every five years), but may be sought more frequently for additional five-year terms (or any shorter period).
English law also generally prohibits a public company from repurchasing its own shares without the prior approval of shareholders by ordinary resolution, being a resolution passed by a simple majority of votes cast, and other formalities. Such approval may be for a maximum period of up to five years. See “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association”.
Our articles of association to be effective in connection with this offering will provide that the courts of England and Wales will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of all shareholder complaints other than complaints asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any shareholder complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
Our articles of association to be effective in connection with this offering will provide that the courts of England and Wales will be the exclusive forum for resolving all shareholder complaints (i.e., any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us, any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees, any action or proceeding asserting a claim arising out of any provision of the Companies Act or our articles of association or any action or proceeding asserting a claim or otherwise related to the affairs of our company) other than shareholder complaints asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, and that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York will be the exclusive forum for resolving any shareholder complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, including applicable claims arising out of this offering. In addition, our articles of association will provide that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our shares is deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions.
This choice of forum provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favourable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits. The enforceability of similar exclusive forum provisions (including exclusive federal forum provisions for actions, suits or proceedings asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act) in other companies’ organisational documents has been challenged in legal proceedings, and there is uncertainty as to whether courts would enforce the exclusive forum provisions in our articles of association. Additionally, our shareholders cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. If a court were to find either choice of forum provision contained in our articles of association to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. The courts of England and Wales and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York may also reach different judgements or results than would other courts, including courts where a shareholder considering bringing a claim may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the claim, and such judgements may be more or less favourable to us than our shareholders.
General Risks
If our estimates or judgements relating to our critical accounting policies prove to be incorrect or financial reporting standards or interpretations change, our results of operations could be adversely affected.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events, and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, as provided in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgements and Estimates”. The results of these estimates form the basis for making judgements about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily
 
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apparent from other sources. Significant assumptions and estimates used in preparing our consolidated financial statements pertain to share-based payments provision, leases, recognition of revenue, loss-making contracts and deferred tax recoverability. Our results of operations may be adversely affected if our assumptions change or if actual circumstances differ from those in our assumptions, which could cause our results of operations to fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the trading price of our ADSs.
Additionally, we regularly monitor our compliance with applicable financial reporting standards and review new pronouncements and drafts thereof that are relevant to us. As a result of new standards, changes to existing standards and changes in their interpretation, we might be required to change our accounting policies, alter our operational policies and implement new or enhance existing systems so that they reflect new or amended financial reporting standards, or we may be required to restate our published financial statements. Such changes to existing standards or changes in their interpretation may have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial position and profit.
If our security measures are breached or unauthorised access to customer data is otherwise obtained, our solutions may be perceived as not being secure, customers may reduce the use of or stop using our solutions, and we may incur significant liabilities.
Our solutions involve the collection, analysis and storage of our customers’ proprietary information and sensitive proprietary data related to the discovery efforts of our customers. As a result, unauthorised access or security breaches, as a result of third-party action, employee error, malfeasance, or otherwise could result in the loss of information, litigation, indemnity obligations, damage to our reputation and other liability. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorised access or sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not identified until they are launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. In addition, if our employees fail to adhere to practices we have established to maintain a firewall between our internal drug discovery team and our teams that work with software customers, or if the technical solutions we have adopted to maintain the firewall malfunction, our customers and collaborators may lose confidence in our ability to maintain the confidentiality of their intellectual property, we may have trouble attracting new customers and collaborators, we may be subject to breach of contract claims by our customers and collaborators, and we may suffer reputational and other harm as a result. Any or all of these issues could adversely affect our ability to attract new customers, cause existing customers to elect to not renew their licences, result in reputational damage or subject us to third-party lawsuits or other action or liability, which could adversely affect our operating results. Our insurance may not be adequate to cover losses associated with such events, and in any case, such insurance may not cover all of the types of costs, expenses and losses we could incur to respond to and remediate a security breach.
 
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may”, “might”, “will”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “objective”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue” and “ongoing”, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology intended to identify statements about the future. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and opinions contained in this prospectus are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus and, while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

the potential advantages of our platform;

our research and development efforts for our internal drug discovery programmes;

the ability and willingness of our third-party strategic collaborators to continue research and development activities relating to our development candidates and investigational medicines;

the initiation, timing, progress, results and cost of our internal drug discovery programmes or the drug discovery programmes of our collaborators;

the initiation, timing, progress, results and cost of our current and future preclinical and clinical studies, including statements regarding design of, and the timing of initiation and completion of, studies or trials and related preparatory work;

the timing and plans for regulatory filings and approvals, including our ability to maintain any such approvals;

the potential advantages of our drug discovery programmes;

the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of our products;

the size of the market opportunity for our drug candidates, including our estimates of the number of patients who suffer from the diseases we are targeting;

our ability to identify viable new drug candidates for clinical development and the rate at which we expect to identify such candidates;

our business strategies and goals;

our plans to collaborate, or statements regarding the ongoing collaborations;

the effectiveness and profitability of our collaborations, our ability to maintain our current collaborations and our ability to enter into new collaborations;

our ability to meet our obligations under our various collaboration arrangements;

our marketing capabilities and strategy;

estimates of our expenses, capital requirements and need for additional financing;

the performance of our third-party suppliers and manufacturers;

our ability to obtain patent protection and the extension of existing patent terms, to the extent available;

the protection of our trade secrets;

the validity of intellectual property rights held by third parties, and our ability not to infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any third-party intellectual property rights
 
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the impact of any current or future intellectual property litigation and our ability to defend against claims of infringement, misappropriation or other violations of any third-party intellectual property rights;

our expectations regarding developments relating to our competitors and our ability to compete in a highly competitive market;

our ability to identify, recruit and retain key personnel;

the impact of government laws and regulations;

the potential impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on our business or operations;

our expectations regarding the completion of the concurrent private placement; and

our expectations regarding the uses of the proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement and the sufficiency of such net proceeds together with our existing cash and cash equivalents to fund our operations and capital expenditure.
You should refer to the section titled “Risk Factors” for a discussion of important factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this prospectus will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law, applicable regulations or the rules of any stock exchange to which we are subject.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
 
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INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA
This prospectus contains estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business and the markets for our products. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances that are assumed in this information. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market and other data from our own internal estimates and research as well as from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data and similar sources. While we are responsible for the accuracy of such information and believe our internal company research as to such matters is reliable and the market definitions are appropriate, neither such research nor these definitions have been verified by any independent source.
In addition, assumptions and estimates of our and our industry’s future performance are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in the section titled “Risk Factors”. These and other factors could cause our future performance to differ materially from our assumptions and estimates. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements”.
 
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of           ADSs in this offering will be approximately $      million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $      per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. If the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional ADSs, we estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering will be approximately $      million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The net proceeds from the concurrent private placement will be $   million. See “Concurrent Private Placement.”
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $      per ADS would increase (decrease) the net proceeds from this offering to us by $      million, assuming that the total number of ADSs offered by us in this offering, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. Similarly, an increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 in the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the net proceeds from this offering to us by $      million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price per ADS remains the same. This as adjusted information is illustrative only and will depend on the actual offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
The principal purposes of this offering are to increase our capitalisation and financial flexibility, create a public market for our equity and enable access to the public equity markets for us and our shareholders. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents to continue to develop our propriety platform, to fund clinical development of our product candidates, to fund research and discovery with respect to our ongoing and future projects and for working capital and general corporate purposes.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has agreed to purchase from us, concurrently with this offering in a private placement, $35.0 million of our ADSs at a price per share equal to the initial public offering price. See the section titled “Concurrent Private Placement” in this prospectus.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, as follows:

approximately $       million to $       million to fund development of our proprietary technology platform;

approximately $       million to $       million to fund research and development related to our EXS21546 clinical candidate to complete the currently ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial and other proof-of-concept studies;

approximately $70 million to fund our pandemic preparedness programme; and

the remaining amounts to fund research and development related to our ongoing discovery programmes, for working capital and other general corporate purposes and strategic investments. However, we do not have agreements or commitments for any investments at this time.
This expected use of net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and business conditions evolve. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to in-licence, acquire or invest in additional businesses, technologies, products or assets. We cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering.
Based on our planned use of the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement and our existing cash and cash equivalents, we estimate that such funds will be sufficient to fund our operations and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months. We have based this
 
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estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect.
Pending our use of proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placement, we plan to invest these net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments, including short-term, interest bearing obligations and investment grade instruments.
 
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DIVIDEND POLICY
Since our incorporation, we have not declared or paid any dividends on our issued share capital. We intend to retain any earnings for use in our business and do not currently intend to pay dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs. The declaration and payment of any future dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon our results of operations, cash requirements, financial condition, contractual restrictions, any future debt agreements or applicable laws and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. See the section titled “Risk Factors — Risks related ownership of our ADSs — We do not intend to pay dividends on our ADSs, so any returns will be limited to the value of our ordinary shares”.
Under the laws of England and Wales, among other things, we may only pay dividends if we have sufficient distributable reserves (as determined on a non-consolidated basis), which are our accumulated realised profits that have not been previously distributed or capitalised less our accumulated realised losses, so far as such losses have not been previously written off in a reduction or reorganisation of capital.
 
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CORPORATE REORGANISATION
On June 29, 2021, Exscientia Limited was incorporated under the laws of England and Wales as Exscientia Holdings Limited with nominal assets and liabilities for the purpose of becoming the ultimate holding company for Exscientia AI Limited (formerly Exscientia Limited), and for the purpose of consummating the corporate reorganisation described herein. Exscientia AI Limited was incorporated under the laws of Scotland in July 2012. Exscientia Limited is a holding company which will not conduct any operations prior to this offering other than activities incidental to its formation, the corporate reorganisation and this offering. Investors in this offering will only acquire, and this prospectus only describes the offering of, ADSs representing ordinary shares of Exscientia plc. On August 18, 2021 Exscientia Holdings Limited, which we refer to as Exscientia Holdco, changed its name to Exscientia Limited and Exscientia Limited, which we refer to as Exscientia Scotland, changed its name to Exscientia AI Limited.
The corporate reorganisation will take place in several steps, all of which will be completed prior to the completion of this offering. We refer to these steps, which are discussed below, as our “corporate reorganisation”.
Exchange of shares of Exscientia Scotland for shares of Exscientia Holdco
Prior to the Share Exchange, the issued share capital of Exscientia Scotland was comprised of (i) 77,700 A Ordinary Shares of £0.001 each, (ii) 1,735 B Ordinary Shares of £0.001 each, (iii) 10,123 junior series C preferred shares of £0.001 each, or Junior C Shares, (iv) 30,255 series A preferred shares of £0.001 each, or Series A Shares, (v) 29,408 series B preferred shares of £0.001 each, or Series B Shares, (vi) 57,295 series C preferred shares of £0.001 each, or Series C Shares, (vii) 17,132 series C1 preferred shares of £0.001 each, or Series C1 Shares and (viii) 88,634 series D1 preferred shares of £0.001 each, or Series D1 Shares.
Pursuant to the Share Exchange, which took place on August 10, 2021 the shareholders of Exscientia Scotland agreed to exchange these classes of shares in Exscientia Scotland for the same number and classes of shares, with the same rights attaching thereto, with a nominal value of £2.00 each of Exscientia Holdco. As a result, Exscientia Holdco became the sole shareholder of Exscientia Scotland.
Holders of options over A Ordinary Shares and B Ordinary Shares in Exscientia Scotland under the 2019 Company Share Option Plan and the 2016 Enterprise Management Incentive Plan were invited to exchange those options for replacement options over A Ordinary Shares and B Ordinary Shares, as applicable, in Exscientia Holdco. Holders of options and restricted stock units over A Ordinary Shares and B Ordinary Shares in Exscientia Scotland under the 2018 unapproved share option plan, including the RSU sub-plan thereto, or the 2018 USOP, were unilaterally substituted for replacement options or restricted stock units over A Ordinary Shares and B Ordinary Shares, as applicable, in Exscientia Holdco.
Immediately following the Share Exchange, the equity facility agreement entered into by Exscientia Scotland with SVF II Excel (DE) LLC, a company affiliated with SoftBank Group Corp., or SoftBank, in April 2021 was novated from Exscientia Scotland to Exscientia Holdco, and Exscientia Holdco agreed to adhere to the terms of the share sale, transfer and merger agreement regarding Allcyte GmbH and entered into by Exscientia Scotland and certain sellers in June 2021, or the Allcyte Acquisition Agreement. For additional information regarding the equity facility with SoftBank, please see the section titled “Related Party Transactions” and for additional information regarding the Allcyte Acquisition Agreement, please see the section titled “Business — Material Agreements”.
Incorporation of Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited
On August 9, 2021, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited was incorporated as a new wholly-owned subsidiary of Exscientia Holdco, under the laws of England and Wales, for the purpose of becoming the direct holding company of Exscientia Scotland.
 
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Transfer of Exscientia Scotland shares to Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited
Following the Share Exchange and the incorporation of Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited, on August 11, 2021, Exscientia Holdco transferred all of the issued shares in Exscientia Scotland to Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited in exchange for the issue of a share in Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited to Exscientia Holdco and, as a result, Exscientia Scotland became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited, which, in turn, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Exscientia Holdco.
Reorganisation of share capital of Exscientia Scotland
Following the Share Exchange and the transfer of all the issued shares in Exscientia Scotland to Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited, on August 11, 2021 Exscientia Scotland undertook a reorganisation of its share capital to re-designate its A Ordinary Shares, B Ordinary Shares, Junior C Shares, Series A Shares, Series B Shares, Series C Shares, Series C1 Shares and Series D1 Shares into a single class of ordinary shares.
Change of name of Exscientia Scotland and Exscientia Holdco
On August 12, 2021, Exscientia Scotland resolved to change its name to Exscientia AI Limited and Exscientia Holdco resolved to change its name to Exscientia Limited; these name changes took effect on August 18, 2021.
Bonus issue of Exscientia Holdco, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited and Exscientia Scotland
Following the Share Exchange and the transfer of all the issued shares in Exscientia Scotland to Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited, on August 26, 2021 (in the case of Exscientia Holdco) and August 27, 2021 (in the case of Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited and Exscientia Scotland), each of Exscientia Holdco, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited and Exscientia Scotland capitalised the amount standing to the credit of each of their merger relief reserves and applied such sums in paying up in full new shares to the holders of its A Ordinary Shares (in the case of Exscientia Holdco) or its ordinary shares (in the case of Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited and Exscientia Scotland), which we refer to as bonus issue shares.
Reduction of capital of Exscientia Holdco, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited and Exscientia Scotland
Subsequent to the bonus issues of Exscientia Holdco, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited and Exscientia Scotland, on August 26, 2021 (in the case of Exscientia Holdco) and August 27, 2021 (in the case of Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited and Exscientia Scotland) each of Exscientia Holdco, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited and Exscientia Scotland reduced their share capital pursuant to Part 17 of the Companies Act in order to create distributable reserves. The reduction of capital of Exscientia Holdco, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited and Exscientia Scotland involved the cancellation of the relevant bonus issue shares, and the reduction of capital of Exscientia Holdco involved reducing the nominal value of its shares from £2.00 each to £0.16 each.
Re-registration of Exscientia Holdco as a public limited company and change of name from Exscientia Limited to Exscientia plc
Following completion of the Share Exchange, the transfer of all of the issued shares in Exscientia Scotland to Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited, the name changes and the reductions of capital referred to above, it is expected that Exscientia Holdco will be re-registered as a public limited company and will change its name from Exscientia Limited to Exscientia plc.
Certain special resolutions will be required to be passed by the shareholders of Exscientia Holdco to approve the re-registration as a public limited company, the name change to Exscientia plc and the adoption of new articles of association for Exscientia plc appropriate for a public company.
Reorganisation of share capital of Exscientia Holdco
Immediately prior to completion of this offering, it is expected that all of Exscientia Holdco’s outstanding A Ordinary Shares, B Ordinary Shares, Junior C Shares, Series A Shares, Series B
 
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Shares, Series C Shares, Series C1 Shares and Series D1 Shares will be re-designated as ordinary shares of Exscientia Holdco on a one-for-one basis.
Immediately following the re-designations referred to above, and conditional upon and effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering, each ordinary share of £0.16 in Exscientia Holdco will be sub-divided and, if required, re-designated into ordinary shares of £        and deferred shares of £       . This will have the effect of an approximately         -for-         stock split on such ordinary shares. The number of ordinary shares that each shareholder of Exscientia Holdco receives will be rounded up or down to the nearest whole share and the directors shall be authorised to deal with any fractional entitlements as they see fit.
Certain further resolutions will be required to be passed by the shareholders of Exscientia Holdco prior to the completion of this offering, details of which are set out in the section titled “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association”.
Therefore, upon consummation of the corporate reorganisation and immediately prior to the completion of this offering and the concurrent private placement, the current shareholders of Exscientia Limited will hold an aggregate of         ordinary shares of Exscientia plc.
 
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CAPITALISATION
The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalisation as of June 30, 2021:

on an actual basis;

on a pro forma basis to give effect to the consideration paid in our August 2021 acquisition of Allcyte and the receipt of a $20.0 million milestone payment under our collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb, or the BMS milestone payment (see the section titled “Business — Deals” for additional information); and

on a pro forma basis to give effect to (i) the adjustments listed above;
(ii) our corporate reorganization; (iii) the sale of           ADSs in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $      per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us; and (iv) the issuance and sale by us in the concurrent private placement of $35.0 million of our ADSs, or an estimated        ADSs based on the assumed initial public offering price of $       per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated fees and expense payable by us of $       million.
You should read this information together with our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and the information set forth under the sections titled “Selected Consolidated Financial Data”, “Use of Proceeds” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.
As of June 30, 2021
Actual
Pro Forma
Pro Forma
As Adjusted
(in thousands except share
and per share data)
Cash and cash equivalents
£ 245,593              
Capital and reserves
Ordinary shares
Preferred shares
Share premium
272,223
Foreign exchange reserve
(105)
Share-based payment reserve
6,330
Fair value reserve
300
Accumulated losses
(57,711)
Total equity attributable to owners of the parent
221,037
Total capitalisation
£ 221,037              
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price (and thus the purchase price in the concurrent private placement) of $       per ADS would increase (decrease) the as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, total shareholders’ equity and total capitalisation by $       million, assuming that the total number of ADSs offered by us in this offering and the concurrent private placement, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. Similarly, an increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 in the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, total shareholders’ equity and total capitalisation by $       million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price per ADS remains the same. This as adjusted information is illustrative only and will depend on the actual offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
 
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The number of ordinary shares, including ordinary shares represented by ADSs, outstanding on a pro forma and pro forma as adjusted basis as of June 30, 2021 in the table above excludes:

           A Ordinary Shares and           B Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding under our existing equity incentive plans as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of £      per share; and

       ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2021 EIP, which will increase to an aggregate of        ordinary shares effective in connection with this offering, as well as any automatic annual increases in the number of ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under the 2021 EIP, as more fully described in the section titled “Management — Equity Incentive Plans.”
 
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DILUTION
If you invest in our ADSs in this offering, your interest will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per ADS and the as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS after completion of this offering and the concurrent private placement. Our net tangible book value as of June 30, 2021 was $       million, or £      million, or $       per ADS, or £       per ADS. Our net tangible book value per share represents total tangible assets less total liabilities, divided by the number of ordinary shares and preferred shares outstanding on June 30, 2021. Dilution results from the fact that the initial public offering price per ADS is substantially in excess of the net tangible book value per ADS.
After giving effect to the consideration paid in our August 2021 acquisition of Allcyte and the receipt of the $20 million BMS milestone payment, our pro forma net tangible book value at June 30, 2021 would have been $       million, or £       million, or $        per ADS, or £      per ADS. After giving further effect to (i) our corporate reorganization; (ii) the issuance and sale of        ADSs in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $       per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us; and (iii) and the issuance and sale of        ADSs in the concurrent private placement at an assumed price of $       per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated fees and expenses payable by us of $       million, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value at June 30, 2021 would have been $        million, or £        million, or $        per ADS, or £       per ADS. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $        per ADS, or £        per ADS to existing shareholders and immediate dilution of $       per ADS, or £       per ADS to new investors. The following table illustrates this dilution to new investors purchasing ADSs in this offering, on a per ADS basis:
Assumed initial public offering price per ADS
$      
Historical net tangible book value per ADS as of June 30, 2021
$     
Increase (decrease) per ADS attributable to the pro forma adjustment described above
Pro forma net tangible book value (deficit) per ADS as of June 30, 2021
Increase in net tangible book value per ADS attributable to this offering and the concurrent private placement as a result of pro forma adjustments described above
Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS after this offering and the concurrent private placement.
Dilution in as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS to new investors participating in this offering
$
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price (and thus the purchase price in the concurrent private placement) of $       per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering by $       per ADS and the dilution to new investors in this offering by $       per ADS, assuming that the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions payable by us in this offering and estimated fees and expenses payable by us in this offering and the concurrent private placement. Similarly, an increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 in the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering by $       per ADS and decrease (increase) the dilution to new investors in this offering by $       per ADS, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price per ADS and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions payable by us in this offering and estimated fees and expenses payable by us in this offering and the concurrent private placement. The as adjusted information is illustrative only, and we will adjust this information based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
 
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The following table shows, as of June 30, 2021, on a pro forma as adjusted basis, the number of ADSs offered by us, the total consideration paid to us and the average price per ordinary share (i) paid by existing shareholders (ii) to be paid by the investor in the concurrent private placement at the assumed purchase price equal to the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, before deducting the fees and expenses payable by us and (iii) by new investors purchasing ADSs in this offering at the assumed purchase price equal to the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, before deducting the underwriting commission and estimated offering expenses payable by us (in thousands, except share and per share amounts and percentages).
Ordinary Shares or
ADSs Purchased
Total Consideration
Average
Price
Per Ordinary
Share
Average
Price
Per ADS
Number
Percent
Amount
Percent
Existing shareholders
% $ % $ $
Private placement investor
New investors
Totals
       100.0% $        100.0% $        $       
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price (and thus the purchase price in the concurrent private placement) of $       per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease the total consideration paid by new investors by $       million and, in the case of an increase, would increase the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by       percentage points and, in the case of a decrease, would decrease the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by percentage points, assuming that the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. Similarly, an increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 in the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease the total consideration paid by new investors by $       million and, in the case of an increase, would increase the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by         percentage points and, in the case of a decrease, would decrease the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by percentage points, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price per ADS.
If the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase an additional        ADSs, the percentage of ordinary shares held by existing shareholders will decrease to     % of the total number of ordinary shares outstanding after this offering, and the number of ordinary shares held by new investors will be increased to % of the total number of ordinary shares outstanding after this offering.
The table as of June 30, 2021 and discussion above excludes:

           A Ordinary Shares and           B Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding under our existing equity incentive plans as of June 30, 2021, with a weighted-average exercise price of £      per share; and

           ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2021 EIP, which will increase to an aggregate of        ordinary shares effective in connection with this offering, as well as any automatic annual increases in the number of ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under the 2021 EIP, as more fully described in the section titled “Management — Equity Incentive Plans.”
To the extent these outstanding equity awards or any newly issued equity awards are exercised or vest (as applicable), or we issue additional ADSs or ordinary shares in the future, there will be further dilution to the new investors purchasing ADSs in this offering. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital because of market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe that we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our shareholders.
 
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SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The following tables present selected consolidated financial data as of the dates and for the periods indicated. Our audited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS, as issued by the IASB. We derived the summary consolidated statements of loss and other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 and summary consolidated statement of financial position data as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2021 have been prepared in accordance with IAS34 as issued by the IASB. We derived the summary consolidated statements of loss and other comprehensive income for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 and summary consolidated statement of financial position data as of June 30, 2021 from our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The accounting policies and methods of computation applied in the preparation of the interim financial statements are consistent with those applied in our annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 except for the estimation of income tax (see note 10 to the annual financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus).
Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future, and our results for the six months ended June 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021. Our audited consolidated financial statements and our interim condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus do not include adjustments for our corporate reorganization. You should read the consolidated financial data set forth below in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes and the information in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained elsewhere in this prospectus.
 
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Six Months Ended
June 30,
Year ended
December 31,
2021
2020
2020
2019
Consolidated Statement of Loss and Other Comprehensive Loss Data
Revenue
$ 7,697 £ 5,575 £ 4,753 $ 13,353 £ 9,672 £ 9,107
Costs of sales
(10,327) (7,480) (6,909) (19,640) (14,226) (5,634)
Gross (loss)
(2,630) (1,905) (2,156) (6,287) (4,554) 3,473
Research and development expenses
(17,091) (12,379) (4,323) (15,072) (10,917) (6,671)
General administrative expenses
(14,915) (10,803) (2,916) (12,319) (8,923) (5,512)
Foreign exchange losses/(gains)
(4,002) (2,899) 1,488
Other income
1,729 1,252 450 1,664 1,205 534
Operating loss
(36,909) (26,734) (7,456) (32,015) (23,189) (8,176)
Finance income
7 5 77 152 110 272
Finance expenses
(81) (59) (26) (123) (89) (50)
Share of loss of joint venture
(1,026) (743) (449) (1,672) (1,211) (90)
Gain on derivative financial instruments
1,881 1,362
Loss before taxation
(36,128) (26,169) (7,854) (33,658) (24,379) (8,044)
Income tax benefit
2,905 2,104 675 2,894 2,096 1,727
Loss for the period
$ (33,223) £ (24,065) £ (7,179) $ (30,764) £ (22,283) £ (6,317)
Other comprehensive loss
Foreign currency income/(loss) on translation of foreign operations
8 6 31 (142) (103) (8)
Change in fair value of financial assets at fair value
414 300
Total other comprehensive income/
(loss) for the period, net tax
422 306 31 (142) (103) (8)
Total comprehensive loss for the period
(32,801) (23,759) (7,148) (30,906) (22,386) (6,325)
Basic and diluted loss per share (pence per share)(1)
(0.35) (0.25) (0.07) (0.30) (0.22) (0.64)
Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding – basic and diluted
95,223 100,737 101,923 99,106
Pro forma net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders, basic and diluted (unaudited)(2)
Pro forma weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding, basic and diluted (unaudited)
(1)
See Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus for details on the calculation of basic and diluted net loss per share.
(2)
Pro forma net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders, basic and diluted, were computed to give effect to the issuance of 8,726 A ordinary shares paid as partial consideration in our August 2021 acquisition of Allcyte and our corporate reorganisation, reflected as though these events had occurred as of the beginning of the period presented or the date of issuance, if later.
 
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As of June 30,
As of December 31,
2021
2020
2019
(in thousands)
(in thousands)
Consolidated statement of financial position data:
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 339,066 £ 245,593 $ 86,403 £ 62,584 £ 31,454
Total assets
373,374 270,443 107,306 77,724 41,469
Share capital
Share premium
375,831 272,223 123,010 89,099 32,318
Foreign exchange reserve
(145) (105) (153) (111) (8)
Share-based payment reserve
8,739 6,330 4,955 3,589 1,884
Accumulated loss
(79,676) (57,711) (47,015) (34,054) (12,140)
Total equity attributable to owners of the parent
305,164 221,037 80,797 58,523 22,054
Total liabilities
$ 68,210 £ 49,406 $ 26,509 £ (19,201) £ (19,415)
 
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with the section titled “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The following discussion is based on our financial information prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IASB, which may differ in material respects from generally accepted accounting principles in other jurisdictions, including U.S. GAAP. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this prospectus, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. You should review the section titled “Risk Factors” for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis, as well as the section titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements”.
For the convenience of the reader, we have translated pound sterling amounts as of and for the periods ended December 31, 2020 and June 30, 2021 into U.S. dollars at the noon buying rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on June 30, 2021, which was £1.00 to $1.3806. These translations should not be considered representations that any such amounts have been, could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars at that or any other exchange rate as of that or any other date.
Overview
We are an artificial intelligence-driven pharmatech company committed to discovering, designing and developing the best possible drugs in the fastest and most effective manner. Our goal is to change the pharmaceutical industry’s underlying pharmacoeconomic model, what we call “Shifting the Curve”, by improving the probability of success, time and cost involved with creating new medicines. Our pipeline demonstrates our ability to rapidly translate scientific concepts into precision-designed therapeutic candidates. We have built a complete end-to-end solution of artificial intelligence, or AI, and experimental technologies for target identification, drug candidate design, translational models and patient selection. Our platform has enabled us to design candidate drug molecules that have progressed into clinical trials as well as to provide patients with potentially more applicable drug therapies through AI guided assessment. Our patient-first AI process is comprised of the following four elements:

Precision Target: deep learning approaches to prioritise projects;

Precision Design: an extensive platform of AI technologies to design innovative drugs;

Precision Experiment: tech-enabled precision experimentation to derive better data; and

Precision Medicine: integrated analysis of patient data to ensure clinical relevance.
Our AI-design capabilities include a wide range of deep-learning and machine-learning algorithms, generative methods, active learning and natural language processing. These methods are used to guide target selection, to design the precise molecular architecture of potential drug molecules and to analyse patient tissues to prioritise the molecules that are likely to provide the best response for an individual’s specific tumour.
We originated the first three AI-designed precision drug candidates to enter human clinical trials. Our most advanced internally developed drug candidate, EXS21546, is one of these, and we began the first Phase 1 clinical trial of this drug candidate in December 2020. The other two drug candidates, also currently in Phase 1 clinical trials, are being developed by our collaboration partner, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., or Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, which has sole economic rights to these drug candidates. We have designed four additional drug candidates currently undergoing advanced profiling for submission of investigational new drug, or IND, applications and have more than 25 active projects in total. Although we and our collaboration partners have to date not received regulatory approval for any of our drug candidates, we believe that the quality of our molecules has been demonstrated by the partnership expansions and product-licensing arrangements we have entered into with our
 
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collaborators, including Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi S.A., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, EQRx, Inc. and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Integrating technological innovations across AI, chemistry, computation, biology and physics in support of our mission to revolutionise the invention of small molecule drugs has required us to raise significant capital and adopt a long-term approach to capital allocation that balances near-term risks and long-term value creation. As of June 30, 2021, we have raised an aggregate of £273.9 million ($378.6 million) through private placements of our ordinary and preferred shares. We have raised total gross proceeds of $100.6 million from the sale of our Series C Shares, the sale of our Junior C Shares, and the sale of our Series C1 Shares in fiscal year 2020 and the first half of fiscal year 2021. In April 2021, we raised total gross proceeds of $225.0 million through the sale of our Series D1 Shares.
In addition, we executed an Equity Facility Agreement with SVF II Excel (DE) LLC, or SoftBank, which provided us with access to a further $300 million through the sale of preferred shares to SoftBank. The Equity Facility Agreement terminates upon the earliest to occur of: the consummation of this offering, the one-year anniversary of April 27, 2021, or a Share Sale (as defined in our articles of association in effect on the date of signing), and as of the date of this prospectus it has not been drawn down.
We use the capital we have raised to fund operations and investing activities across platform research operations, drug discovery, clinical development, digital and other infrastructure, the creation of our portfolio of intellectual property and administrative support. We do not have any drug products approved for commercial sale and have not generated any revenues from drug product sales. We had cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash of £245.6 million ($339.1 million) as of June 30, 2021.
Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net losses were £24.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and £22.3 million the year ended December 31, 2020. As of June 30, 2021, our accumulated deficit was £57.7 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future. In addition, we anticipate that our expenses will increase significantly in connection with our ongoing activities, as we:

continue to invest in and develop our technology platform and applications;

continue to expand the breadth of our internal drug discovery programmes;

establish agreements with contract research organisations, or CROs, and contract manufacturing organisations, or CMOs, in connection with our preclinical studies and clinical trials;

seek marketing approvals for any drug candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;

establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure, and scale-up manufacturing capabilities, whether alone or with third parties, to commercialise drug candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval, if any;

maintain, expand, enforce, defend and protect our intellectual property;

acquire or in-licence other drug candidates and technologies;

attract and retain world class talent, including in competitive areas such as software programming and drug discovery;

add additional infrastructure to support our growing operations and our product development and future commercialisation efforts, including expansion of company sites;

experience unforeseen issues or delays with any of the above; and

add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support transition to operating as a public company following the completion of this offering.
We will not generate revenue from the sale of our drug candidates unless and until we complete clinical development and obtain regulatory approval for our drug candidates. Additionally, revenues we
 
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generate from collaborators who work with us to leverage our technology platform may decline if we are unable to validate our technology through successful regulatory approval of one or more of our drug candidates. If we are able to obtain regulatory approval for any of our drug candidates, we may incur significant expenses related to developing our commercialisation capabilities to support product sales, marketing and distribution activities, either alone or in collaboration with others. Furthermore, upon the closing of this offering, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company, including significant legal, accounting, investor relations and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company.
As a result, we will need substantial additional funding to support our continued operations and pursue our growth strategy. Until we can generate significant revenue from pharmaceutical product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through a combination of public or private equity offerings and debt financings, government funding arrangements, collaborations and marketing, distribution and licensing arrangements. We may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other arrangements on favourable terms, or at all. If we fail to raise capital or enter into such arrangements as, and when needed, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the investments in our technology platform and in the development and commercialisation of one or more drug candidates, or delay our pursuit of potential in-licences or acquisitions.
Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with pharmaceutical development, we are unable to predict the timing or amount of increased expenses or when or if we will be able to achieve or maintain profitability. Even if we are able to generate revenues from the sale of our products, we may not become profitable. If we fail to become profitable or are unable to sustain profitability on a continuing basis, then we may be unable to continue our operations at planned levels and may be forced to reduce our operations.
Key Factors Affecting Our Performance
Advancement of our collaborations
We have entered into a number of collaborations with various biopharmaceutical companies and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, or the Gates Foundation, to advance drug discovery. We will seek to enter into additional collaboration agreements, driven by the synergies we expect to achieve between our platform and the capabilities and expertise of our potential collaborators. We believe that our collaborations have the potential to be a significant driver of value for us in the form of equity stakes, research fees, preclinical, clinical and commercial milestone payments and option fees, as well as royalties on any potential future sales of drug candidates, if approved. We continue to work with our current collaborators to advance existing programmes through the research and discovery stages and to initiate additional programmes with these collaborators. Currently, we do not generally exercise control over the development programmes of our collaborators and often rely on decisions made by the management of such companies with respect to clinical development and commercialisation of any drug candidates that are the subjects of such collaborations. However, we expect to increase the number of joint collaborations in which we have joint control over the development plan for those drug candidates as we co-invest in these programmes alongside our collaboration partners. Our ability to continue to derive value from our collaborations will be driven both by our ability to make progress in these programmes and by our collaborators’ ability to successfully advance any such programmes beyond the discovery stage.
Ability to develop and expand our internal drug discovery capabilities
We are advancing a large number of internal drug discovery programmes through extensive application of our technology platform. We intend to progress our wholly and jointly-owned programmes through the development candidate stage and potentially into investigational new drug-enabling studies and clinical development. As we progress these programmes, we will strategically evaluate on a programme-by-programme basis whether to conduct clinical development ourselves or to enter into an out-licensing arrangement to maximise commercial opportunities. In any case, we will need to devote substantial resources to develop and expand our internal pipeline of drug candidates. Our ability to
 
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advance and build value in our internal drug discovery programmes will impact our financial performance, especially as we increasingly shift our focus to these programmes.
COVID-19 Business Update
In December 2019, a novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, emerged and has since spread worldwide. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world have put in place, and others in the future may put in place, quarantines, executive orders, shelter-in-place orders and similar government orders and restrictions to control the spread of the disease. To safeguard the health of our employees, in early March 2020, we implemented a company-wide work-from-home policy for all those that were able to work remotely. For employees for whom it was necessary to work in our laboratories, we enacted a policy of restricted access to the laboratories until June 2020, after which we lifted these restrictions while maintaining appropriate safeguards to ensure the continued protection of our employees. We intend to continue to phase-in the re-opening of our offices as our management and government advise, and we may take further actions that alter our operations as may be required by the relevant authorities, or which we determine are in our best interests.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has not materially impacted our business to date, the extent to which the outbreak may impact our business will depend on future developments, which remain highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence. Factors that could impact our business in the future include the global rate of vaccinations, the efficacy and safety of approved vaccinations over an extended period against all variants of COVID-19, the continued imposition of travel restrictions and actions to contain the outbreak or treat its impact, such as social distancing and quarantines or lock-downs in the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries, business closures or business disruptions and the effectiveness of actions taken in the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries to contain and treat the disease. Due to the restrictions related to COVID-19, our employees have been obliged to limit in-person interactions, and their ability to attend events that promote and expand knowledge of our company and platform, including industry conferences and events, has been hampered. Relative to our drug discovery programmes, the COVID-19 pandemic could delay the progress of certain programmes, particularly ones that are in clinical studies or preparing to enter clinical studies. Delays in these programmes could result in delays in achieving milestones and related revenue. While there remains uncertainty about the extent of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, we do not envision a long-term impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on our ability to execute on our strategy.
Management is actively monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and its possible effects on our financial condition, liquidity, operations, customers, contractors and workforce. For additional information on risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, please see the “Risk Factors” section.
Our Collaborations
Pharma Collaborations
We have several collaboration agreements with global pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer AG, or Bayer, and Bristol Myers Squibb, or BMS, which acquired our collaboration partner Celgene Corporation, or Celgene, in November 2019 and has recently entered into a new collaboration agreement with us. As part of our collaboration agreements, we contribute our technology platform and drug design expertise and commit to participate in joint research activities. Typically, we will also contract with external CROs directly to support the research and development of programmes, until our collaboration partner takes responsibility for further preclinical and clinical studies.
During the period ending June 30, 2021, we received £27.1 million and during the period ending December 31, 2020 and 2019, we received £2.9 million and £22.7 million, respectively, from our collaboration partners. These include $25.0 million and up to $30 million in up-front payments under collaboration agreements executed with Celgene in March 2019 and BMS in May 2021, respectively. Under the BMS agreement, a further $20 million is receivable on the initiation of up to two additional programmes, totalling up to $50 million in up-front payments. During the periods ending June 30, 2020
 
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and 2021, 83% and 15%, respectively, and during the periods ending December 31, 2019 and 2020, 69% and 83% of our revenue, respectively, related to the recognition of the Celgene up-front payments in line with our progress towards delivering up to three clinical candidate compounds.
On August 17, 2021, we delivered one of these three clinical candidate compounds to BMS, which exercised its option to in-license the immune-modulating drug candidate designed by our AI platform. We have now completed all steps under the agreement necessary in order to receive an option exercise fee of $20 million from BMS.
As described in the Revenue section below, our collaboration agreements contain up-front payments plus development milestones and royalties that are subject to the successful development of the associated drug candidates. On March 31, 2021, we achieved the clinical candidate milestone under our collaboration with GT Apeiron Therapeutics Inc, or GT. As a result, we became entitled to receive a number of ordinary shares and preference shares in GT equivalent to approximately 13% of the company on a fully diluted basis, with a fair value of £3.3 million ($4.6 million). This amount is not included in the cash received amounts quoted above, but is a component of our revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2021. On July 1, 2021, we converted our collaboration with GT into a joint arrangement, whereby each party has a 50% ownership of the programmes under this agreement. In return for a greater commercial ownership in the underlying programmes, on execution of this joint arrangement, we returned 30% of the shares assigned to us on achievement of the clinical candidate milestone under the original collaboration agreement and paid GT $2.0 million cash. The previous collaboration agreement has been mutually terminated by both parties.
We expect to expand our future portfolio of licence-based collaborations and progress existing programmes through key milestones, in turn increasing the revenue attributable to these programmes. However, we expect to continue to be reliant on our partners to progress drug candidates through clinical trials and regulatory approval in order for us to realise certain development milestones and royalties on commercial sales. We do not expect that the structures of our pharma collaborations will change substantially in the future with respect to the assignment of responsibilities through the development process, though as discussed previously, we expect to increase the number of arrangements in which we have joint control with our collaboration partners over the development of drug candidates. We do not expect to enter into any additional service-only collaboration arrangements.
Joint Arrangements
We have entered into a number of joint arrangements with biopharmaceutical companies and the Gates Foundation, the terms of which include cost sharing in the development and commercialisation of drug candidates, with a corresponding share in revenue or profits generated from approved product candidates. The revenue or profit-sharing arrangements are typically either (i) defined within the terms of the joint venture agreement, for example, where certain market regions are assigned to each partner, or (ii) linked to the financial contributions of each partner in a profit-sharing arrangement.
Our joint ventures are operated through contractual arrangements, with partners such as EQRx, Inc., or EQRx, Evotec International GmbH, or Evotec, and Huadong Medicine Co., Ltd, or Huadong, or through distinct legal entities in which we become co-founders alongside our partners, as with our joint venture with RallyBio, LLC, or RallyBio. With respect to existing contractual collaborations like the ones with Evotec, we have applied the Joint Operation definition under IFRS 11, and consequently, we recognise our share of costs as research and development expenses as they are incurred. These costs include internal labour costs and external CRO costs where relevant. In respect of our joint venture with RallyBio, which is operated through a separate legal entity, we have applied the Joint Venture definition under IFRS 11, and have utilised the equity method, recognizing an investment in the joint venture entity and adjusting for our share of profits or losses at each reporting date.
On May 26, 2021, we entered into a joint operation arrangement with EQRx under which we have primarily responsibility for the discovery, candidate profiling, pre-clinical toxicology and IND enabling studies of the potential candidates for each agreed upon target. EQRx would then be responsible for the development and commercialisation of the candidates and we would potentially participate as co-funding partner, maintaining up to 50% ownership in the commercialised programmes based on the extent to which we co-fund the costs of development and regulatory activities through to market approval.
 
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As part of this arrangement, EQRx has paid us $7.5 million as an up-front payment to cover an estimate of their share of costs up to the completion of IND-enabling studies for the initial target. On July 1, 2021, we converted our collaboration with GT into a joint arrangement, as set forth above.
We will look to grow our portfolio of joint arrangements by partnering with biopharmaceutical companies with a strong strategic fit, which could include deep biological expertise in a disease area of interest to guide the application of our AI platform, or an established clinical or commercial infrastructure that could be leveraged to accelerate drug candidates to market approval. The structure of each joint arrangement will be determined by us and our partners on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the commercial, financial, accounting, tax and legal implications of each potential collaboration.
Components of Results of Operations
Revenue
We generate revenue broadly from two streams that relate to our principal activities:

Service fees:   We generate service fees from drug discovery collaboration agreements where we are utilizing our proprietary technology to develop novel intellectual property on behalf of the collaboration partner. Typically, we do not have any rights to future milestone and royalties as part of these agreements, but we may have an interest in the underlying project held through a separate joint venture arrangement, for example, our joint venture with RallyBio; and

Licensing fees:   We receive licensing fees from drug discovery agreements where we develop intellectual property on behalf of a collaboration partner. These agreements either assign all the designated intellectual property to the partner from inception or grant an exclusive option to the partner to acquire rights to the future development and commercialisation of the intellectual property. As part of these agreements, we may receive future milestone and royalty payments on achievement of clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones.
We have historically received four types of payments within the two revenue streams:

Upfront payments, which are generally payable on execution of the collaboration agreement or on initiation of a project;

Research funding, which is generally payable throughout the collaboration at defined intervals that are set out in the agreement (e.g., quarterly or at the beginning of a specific phase of work) and is intended to fund research (internal and external) to develop the drug compound that is the subject of the collaboration;

Milestone payments, which are linked to the achievement of events that are defined in the agreement, such as clinical and regulatory milestones; and

Opt-in payments, which are similar in principle to milestone payments, but are payable when the partner exercises its option to take ownership of the designated intellectual property. These payments only exist where we initially retained ownership of the designated intellectual property.
In addition to the milestone payments described above, we may also receive milestone payments upon the first commercial sale of a product, if and when approved, the amount of which is based on the territory the sale occurs in, and royalties based on worldwide net sales. These amounts have not been included within the transaction price for any contract as of June 30, 2020 and 2021 or December 31, 2019 and 2020 and the sales-based royalties will be recognised when the underlying sales transactions to which they relate are achieved. Consequently, we have only recognised revenue in respect of non-cancellable, non-refundable payments due under executed collaboration contracts and any payments which relate to future milestones or options under the control of our collaboration partners have not been recognised.
 
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Costs of Sales
Costs of sales relates to costs from third-party CROs, as well as internal labour and absorbed overhead incurred in relation to collaboration arrangements and drug discovery agreements for third parties which have been designated as contracts with customers in accordance with IFRS 15. CRO costs are the main driver for our costs of sales, representing 91% and 90% of total costs of sales during the periods ending June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2021, respectively. Currently we have two collaborations that involve direct payment of CRO costs by us; however, we expect this number to increase in the future, which in turn will increase our costs of sales.
Gross (loss)/Profit
Gross (loss)/profit represents revenue less costs of sales. Gross margin is gross (loss)/profit expressed as a percentage of revenue. Our gross margin may fluctuate from period to period as a result of our drug discovery collaboration activities. For example, the revenue associated with collaboration up-front payments is recognised over time, while certain opt-in and milestone payments are recognised in full at achievement. Therefore, we believe that gross (loss)/profit is not currently a helpful predictor of the future performance of our business.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist of internal drug discovery programme costs and costs incurred for the ongoing development of our technology platform. All research and development costs are expensed as incurred due to scientific and technological uncertainty. These costs primarily consist of:

internal personnel-related expenses, including salaries, benefits, bonuses and stock-based compensation for employees engaged in research and development functions;

external expenses incurred under agreements with CROs and other consultants involved in our research and development;

facilities, depreciation and amortisation, insurance and other direct and allocated expenses incurred as a result of research and development activities; and

costs associated with operating our digital infrastructure, including allocated software, computing capacity costs, and laboratory-related costs, including laboratory equipment depreciation.
All direct external research and development expenditures are tracked on a programme-by-programme basis and consist primarily of fees paid to CROs relating to wholly and jointly operated discovery programmes in the later stages of drug discovery, including lead optimisation, preclinical and clinical studies, and are assigned to the individual programmes. We do not allocate internal research and development expenses, such as employee costs, laboratory supplies, facilities, depreciation or other indirect costs, to specific programmes because these costs are deployed across multiple programmes.
We expect our research and development expenses to increase substantially for the foreseeable future as we continue to expand and advance our wholly and jointly operated drug pipeline, invest in our technology platform and hire additional personnel directly involved in such efforts. Drug development generally becomes more costly as programmes advance into later stages, as these trials typically require a higher number of patients enrolled and sites operated. We cannot determine with certainty the timing of initiation, the duration or the completion costs of current or future clinical trials of our drug candidates due to the inherently unpredictable nature of drug development. At this time, we cannot reasonably estimate or know the nature or timing of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the development and commercialisation of any drug candidates that we develop from our programmes. As a result, our research and development expenses may vary substantially from period to period based on the timing of our research and development activities. All of our programmes are at an early stage of development, and we may experience numerous unforeseen events during, or as a result of, the clinical trial process that could delay or prevent commercialisation of our drug candidates and result in a significant change in the costs and timing associated with the development of programmes.
 
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General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses consist of personnel-related expenses associated with our executive, legal, finance, human resources, information technology and other administrative functions, including salaries, benefits, bonuses and stock-based compensation. General and administrative expenses also include professional fees (including fees relating to external legal, accounting and consulting services), allocated overhead costs, including depreciation charges associated with our information technology, facilities and other administrative functions.
We expect that our general and administrative expenses will increase for the foreseeable future to support the anticipated growth of our business, including the substantial growth in research and development discussed above. Following the completion of this offering, we expect to incur additional expenses as a result of operating as a public company, including costs to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to companies listed on a U.S. securities exchange and costs related to compliance and reporting obligations pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. In addition, as a public company, we expect to incur increased expenses such as insurance and professional services.
Other Income
Other income consists of income from grants and tax credits receivable from the United Kingdom’s Research and Development Expenditure Credit Scheme, or RDEC.
As of December 31, 2020, we had two grants, a European governmental grant and a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, or the Gates Foundation. During the six months ended June 30, 2021, we entered into an additional grant agreement with the Gates Foundation and Gates Philanthropy Partners. The maximum amount receivable under each of the grants is £1.2 million, £3.1 million and £1.1 million, respectively. These grants compensate us for research activities and are recognised as other income in the periods in which the expenses are incurred, unless the conditions for receiving the grant are met after the related expenses have been incurred. In each case, the grant is recognised when it becomes receivable. We expect our grant income in future years to increase in line with the activities being undertaken for the grants included above.
The other component of other income, RDEC, relates to tax credits receivable in relation to eligible research and development expenditures that are not eligible to be included in the SME Programme claim, as discussed below under the section entitled Tax Credit, such as when we receive income from a collaboration partner or grant funding for certain projects. These costs are claimed under the RDEC scheme, which offers a tax credit of up to 13% for qualifying expenditures, with certain subcontracted expenditures receiving an 8.5% tax credit. Under the RDEC regime, qualifying subcontracted costs are limited to those undertaken with certain institutions such as charities, higher education institutes or scientific research organisations.
Under the RDEC regime, the tax credit is accounted for in our profit before tax under other income, with an associated tax charge recognised at the prevailing rate of corporation tax in the United Kingdom (currently 19%) before total loss for the year. In the future, we may only be able to continue to claim certain research and development tax credits under the RDEC regime, if we no longer qualify as a small or medium-sized company as defined under HM Revenue and Customs criteria.
Foreign Exchange Losses/(Gains)
Foreign exchange losses/(gains) arises primarily on the translation of our non-GBP denominated cash and cash equivalents, in addition to outstanding monetary non-GBP financial assets and liabilities.
Finance Income
Finance income arises primarily from interest income on cash, cash equivalents and short-term deposits.
 
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Finance Expenses
Finance expenses consist of interest expenses related to lease liabilities as recognised under the accounting standard IFRS 16 ‘Leases’ as adopted on January 1, 2019.
Share of Loss of Joint Venture
Share of loss of joint ventures consist of our share of costs incurred by RE Ventures I, LLC, the joint venture entity we own equally with RallyBio.
Gain on Derivative Financial Instruments through Profit and Loss
Equity Facility Agreement
In April 2021, we entered into an Equity Facility Agreement with SoftBank. Pursuant to this agreement, subject to certain subscription conditions, SoftBank has agreed to subscribe up to $300 million in preferred shares at our request, in up to two tranches with a minimum size of $150 million per tranche. At the date of execution, the subscription price for each preferred share issuable under the agreement was set to equal the subscription price of the Series D1 Shares that we sold in our April 2021 fundraise, or $3,502.17 per share. The Equity Facility Agreement terminates upon the earliest to occur of: the consummation of this offering, the one-year anniversary of April 27, 2021, or a Share Sale (as defined in our articles of association in effect on the date of signing), and as of the date of this prospectus it has not been drawn down.
Under the accounting standard IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’, the right to place shares at a pre-agreed price is classified as a derivative financial asset held at fair value through profit and loss, or FVPL. The inception date fair value has been deferred and recognised net of the financial asset, and is being amortised on a straight-line basis over 12 months, being the term of the Equity Facility Agreement. At each reporting date, changes in the fair value of the derivative asset are recognised in full within the profit and loss. We have established the fair value of this derivative by comparison to equity instruments relating to similar stage biotech companies.
Income Tax Benefit
Our income tax balance is comprised of research and development tax credits recoverable in the United Kingdom and income tax payable in the United States and Japan. We are subject to corporation taxation in the United Kingdom. Exscientia AI Limited’s wholly-owned U.S. subsidiaries, Exscientia, Inc. and Exscientia Ventures I, Inc., are subject to corporation taxation in the United States. Exscientia AI Limited’s wholly-owned subsidiary Exscientia KK is subject to corporation taxation in Japan. Due to the nature of our business, we have generated losses since inception. Exscientia, Inc. and Exscientia KK both generate taxable profits due to transfer pricing arrangements in place with us.
As a company that carries out extensive research and development activities, we benefit from the United Kingdom’s small-and-medium enterprises research and development tax credit regime, or SME Programme, and are able to surrender some of our losses for a cash rebate of up to 33.35% of expenditures related to eligible research and development projects. Qualifying expenditures largely consist of employment costs for relevant staff, external workers provided by CROs, and software and consumables used in research and development projects. Certain subcontracted qualifying research and development expenditures are eligible for a cash rebate of up to 21.68%. A large portion of costs relating to our research and development is eligible for inclusion within the tax credit cash rebate claims. The SME Programme credit is recognised in full in the income tax benefit.
Gain on Financial Assets through Other Comprehensive Income
Unlisted equity securities
As discussed in Revenue below, on March 31, 2021, we achieved the clinical candidate milestone under our collaboration with GT. As a result, we became entitled to receive a number of ordinary shares
 
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and preference shares in GT equivalent to approximately 13% of the company on a fully diluted basis. Under the accounting standard IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’, these shares represent unlisted equity securities to be recognised at fair value and then re-measured at each reporting date. We have taken the election provided within the accounting standard IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’ to recognise fair value gains and losses within Other Comprehensive Income, therefore these are not shown in the Results of Operations below but are included on the face of the Consolidated Statement of Loss and Other Comprehensive Income for the six months ended June 30, 2021. We have established the fair value of the equity securities utilising a discounted cash flow model. On July 1, 2021, we entered into a joint ownership and cost sharing arrangement with GT over the development and commercialization of three programmes and jointly terminated the original collaboration. At execution of this new arrangement, we agreed a 30% reduction in the equity stake we were eligible to receive under the original deal. As a result, the value of this proportion of the equity has been classified as Investments in Financial Assets Held for Sale on our Consolidated Statement of Financial Position as at June 30, 2021.
Segmented and Enterprise Wide Information
We manage our operations as a single operating segment for the purposes of assessing performance and making operating decisions. Our focus is on the discovery and development of small molecule drug candidates.
Comparison of the six months Ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
The following table summarises our Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Loss for each period presented (in thousands):
Six months ending June 30,
2021
2020
Revenue
$ 7,697 £ 5,575 £ 4,753
Costs of sales
(10,327) (7,480) (6,909)
Gross (loss)
(2,630) (1,905) (2,156)
Research and development expenses
(17,091) (12,379) (4,323)
General administrative expenses
(14,915) (10,803) (2,916)
Foreign exchange losses/(gains)
(4,002) (2,899) 1,489
Other income
1,729 1,252 450
Operating loss
(36,909) (26,734) (7,456)
Finance income
7 5 77
Finance expenses
(81) (59) (26)
Share of loss of joint venture
(1,026) (743) (449)
Gain on derivative financial instruments
1,881 1,362
Loss before taxation
(36,128) (26,169) (7,854)
Income tax benefit
2,905 2,104 675
Loss for the period
$ (33,223) £ (24,065) £ (7,179)
 
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Revenue
Revenue for the period ended June 30, 2021 increased by £0.8 million from £4.8 million for the year period ended June 30, 2020 to £5.6 million. The following table presents our revenue for the periods indicated (in thousands).
Six months ended June 30,
2021
2020
Service fees
$ 460 £ 333 £ 376
Licensing fees
7,237 5,242 4,377
Revenue $ 7,697 £ 5,575 £ 4,753
Service fees. Service fees for the six months ended June 30, 2021 decreased by £0.1 million from £0.4 million for the six months ending June 30, 2020 to £0.3 million. Our service fees related to the recognition of revenue resulting from the delivery of AI-design services to the joint venture entity held equally with RallyBio.
Licensing fees. Licensing fees for the six months ending June 30, 2021 increased by £0.8 million from £4.4 million for the six months to June 30, 2020 to £5.2 million. The increase in licensing fees was primarily due to the achievement of the clinical candidate milestone under our collaboration with GT. Under this collaboration, we were entitled to receive equity in GT equivalent to approximately 13% on a fully-diluted basis, which on a fair value basis, resulted in £3.3 million ($4.6 million) of revenue in the six months ended June 30, 2021. This milestone was offset by revisions to the estimated cost of completion of our programmes under our collaboration agreement with Celgene, which made up 15% and 83% of revenue in the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. During the six-month period ended June 30, 2021, we reassessed our estimate of the total projected external CRO costs to be incurred over the course of our collaboration with Celgene. As a result of changes in the competitive landscape during the period and additional estimated costs relating to the design and profiling of additional candidate compounds to further support our patent applications, our expectations of total project external CRO costs at June 30, 2021 were 34% higher than at December 31, 2020. As a result, the project completion percentage as at June 30, 2021 was 77% compared with 94% previously projected for that period end as at December 31, 2020.
Costs of Sales
The following table presents our costs of sales for the periods indicated (in thousands)
Six months ending June 30,
2021
2020
External CRO costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$ 9,250 £ 6,700 £ 6,273
Internal labour and overheads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1,077 780 636
Total costs of sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$ 10,327 £ 7,480 £ 6,909
Costs of sales for the six months ended June 30, 2021 increased by £0.6 million from £6.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 to £7.5 million. The increase in costs of sales was primarily due to our collaboration with Celgene, which accounted for 95% and 94% of our costs of sales for the six months ending June 30, 2020 and 2021, respectively, including the additional expenses as described in the revenue section above. In addition, our expenditures with external CROs have increased as these projects have progressed towards clinical candidate nomination. We expect our costs of sales to continue to grow as we expand our collaboration portfolio.
 
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Research and Development Expenses
Six months ended June,
2021
2020
EXS21546
$ 1,561 £ 1,131 £ 98
Other research projects
$ 4,495 3,256 871
Total external research and development expense
$ 6,056 £ 4,387 £ 969
Headcount related expenses
7,439 5,388 2,453
Laboratory consumables and equipment
1,677 1,215 431
Software and data
1,542 1,117 387
Other
377 272 83
Total internal research and development expenses
$ 11,035 £ 7,992 £ 3,354
Total research and development expenses
$ 17,091 £ 12,379 £ 4,323
Research and development expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2021 increased by £8.1 million from £4.3 million for the six months ending June 30, 2020 to £12.4 million. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily due to an increase of £3.4 million in external research and development expenditures in relation to our wholly-owned programmes, including costs associated with the commencement of a Phase 1a study for EXS21546 in December 2020. In addition, our research and development headcount costs have increased by £2.9 million as we continue to expand of our laboratory headcount and associated facilities to accelerate the enablement of early-stage drug discovery projects and expansion of our technology group to continue development of our technology platform. Associated laboratory, software and data costs have increased in line with the growth in these headcounts.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2021 increased by £7.9 million from £2.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 to £10.8 million. The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to legal and professional costs of £5.3 million in relation to preparing for this public offering, our acquisition of Allcyte GmbH, or Allcyte, which completed on August 18, 2021, and our private Series C1 and Series D fundraising rounds that occurred in March 2021 and April 2021, respectively.
In addition, we have continued to grow our headcount to support our strategic growth, which has increased headcount-related costs by £2.0 million in the six months ended June 30, 2021, from £1.8 million in the six months ended June 30, 2020 to £3.8 million, and an increase in depreciation charges of £0.3 million relating to additional leased facilities taken in Oxford, United Kingdom. This increase was partially offset by a reduction in travel and entertaining expenditure of £0.1 million as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Foreign Exchange Losses/(Gains)
Foreign exchange losses for the six months ended June 30, 2021 increased by £4.4 million from a gain of £1.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 to a loss of £2.9 million. The increase primarily on the translation of our non-GBP denominated cash and cash equivalents, in addition to outstanding monetary non-GBP financial assets and liabilities.
Other Income
Other income for the six months ended June 30, 2021 increased by £0.8 million from £0.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 to £1.3 million. The increase in other income was primarily due to grants received from the European government and the Gates Foundation which were executed during 2020. Grant income increased by £0.5 million to £0.5 million reflecting the reimbursement of
 
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certain costs incurred in the performance of associated research and development activities which are defined in the grant agreement.
The remaining increase related to RDEC tax credit which increased by £0.2 million to £0.7 million as a result of the underlying increase in expenses associated with our funded collaboration projects.
Net Finance Income/(Expense)
Net finance income/(expense) for the six months ended June 30, 2021 decreased by £0.2 million from income of £0.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 to a £0.1 million expense. This was due to a £0.1 million decrease in interest received on cash and cash equivalents and a £0.1 million increase in the interest expenses associated with lease liabilities as recognised under the accounting standard IFRS 16.
Share of Loss of Joint Ventures
Share of loss of joint ventures for the six months ended June 30, 2021 increased by £0.3million from £0.4 million for six months ended June 30, 2020 to £0.7 million. The increase in share of loss of joint ventures was primarily due to costs incurred by RE Ventures I, LLC, the joint venture entity we own equally with RallyBio, in relation to the ENPP1 programme. The joint venture has not generated any revenues to date and we do not expect that it will for the foreseeable future.
Gain on Derivative Financial Instrument through Profit and Loss
Equity Facility Agreement
As discussed in Gain on Derivative Financial Instrument above, in April 2021, we entered into an Equity Facility Agreement with SoftBank. Pursuant to this agreement, subject to certain subscription conditions, SoftBank has agreed to subscribe for up to $300 million in preferred shares at our request, in up to two tranches with a minimum size of $150 million per tranche. At the date of execution, the subscription price for each preferred share issuable under the agreement was set to equal the subscription price of the Series D1 Shares that we sold in our April 2021 fundraise, or $3,502.17 per share. The Equity Facility Agreement terminates upon the earliest to occur of: the consummation of this offering, the one-year anniversary of April 27, 2021, or a Share Sale (as defined in our articles of association in effect on the date of signing), and as of the date of this prospectus it has not been drawn down.
Under the accounting standard IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’, the right to place shares at a pre-agreed price is classified as a derivative financial asset held at fair value through profit and loss, or FVPL. The inception date fair value has been deferred and recognised net of the financial asset, and is being amortised on a straight-line basis over 12 months, being the term of the Equity Facility Agreement. At each reporting date, gains or losses in the fair value of the derivative asset are recognised in full within the profit and loss. We have established the fair value of this derivative utilizing an option pricing model.
We assessed the inception date fair value of the Equity Facility Agreement to be £11.9 million of which £2.0 million was amortised in the six months ended June 30, 2021. In addition, as at June 30, 2021, we re-assessed the fair value to be £11.3 million, resulting in a loss of £0.6 million resulting in an overall gain on derivative financial instruments of £1.4 million.
As this agreement falls away on the consummation of this offering and we do not intend to draw-down on this facility prior to closing of this offering. We do not expect this agreement to have any impact on our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Income Tax Benefit
Income tax benefit for the six months ended June 30, 2021 increased by £1.4 million ($1.9 million), from £0.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 to £2.1 million ($2.9 million). Our income tax
 
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benefit balance largely consists of research and development tax credits which increased over the year due to an underlying increase in qualifying research and development expenditure.
Gain on Financial Asset through Other Comprehensive Income
Unlisted equity securities
As discussed in Revenue above, on March 31, 2021, we successfully reached the clinical candidate milestone under our collaboration with GT. As a result, we became entitled to receive a number of ordinary shares and preference shares in GT equivalent to just over 13% on a fully diluted basis. Under the accounting standard IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’, these shares represent unlisted equity securities to be recognised at fair value and then re-measured at each reporting date. We have taken the election provided within the accounting standard IFRS 9 ‘Financial Instruments’ to recognise fair value gains and losses within Other Comprehensive Income.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
The following table summarises our Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Loss for each period presented (in thousands):
Year ended December 31,
2020
2019
Revenue
$ 13,353 £ 9,672 £ 9,107
Costs of sales
(19,640) (14,226) (5,634)
Gross (loss)/profit
(6,287) (4,554) 3,473
Research and development expenses
(15,072) (10,917) (6,671)
General administrative expenses
(12,319) (8,923) (5,512)
Other income
1,664 1,205 534
Operating loss
(32,015) (23,189) (8,176)
Finance income
152 110 272
Finance expenses
(123) (89) (50)
Share of loss of joint venture
(1,672) (1,211) (90)
Loss before taxation
(33,658)
(24,379) (8,044)
Income tax benefit
2,894 2,096 1,727
Loss for the year
$ (30,764) £ (22,283) £ (6,317)
Revenue
Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by £0.6 million from £9.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to £9.7 million. The following table presents our revenue for the years indicated (in thousands).
Year ended December 31,
2020
2019
Service fees
$ 1,085 £ 786 £ 141
Licensing fees
12,268 8,886 8,966
Revenue $ 13,353 £ 9,672 £ 9,107
Service fees.   Service fees for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by £0.7 million from £0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to £0.8 million. The increase in service fees was
 
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primarily due to the recognition of revenue resulting from the delivery of AI-design services to the joint venture entity held equally with RallyBio.
Licensing fees.   Licensing fees for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased by £0.1 million from £9.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to £8.9 million. The decrease in licensing fees was primarily due to revisions to the estimated cost of completion of our programmes under our collaboration agreement with Celgene, which made up 83% of revenue in the year ended December 31, 2020. As a result of current year events, including the decision to increase spend in developing and testing multiple potential candidate compounds generated by our AI platform to further increase the probability of candidate selection by Celgene, as well as an alteration of approach due to changes in the competitive landscape on one project, the total projected external costs to be incurred over the course of the collaboration were 71% higher as at December 31, 2020 than those estimated at December 31, 2019. As a result, the project completion percentage as at December 31, 2020 was 75% compared with 93% previously projected for that period end as at December 31, 2019. In addition, the total estimated costs to achieve the candidate opt-in milestones for all three projects now exceed the up-front payment received under the collaboration agreement.
Costs of Sales
The following table presents our costs of sales for the years indicated (in thousands)
Year ended December 31,
2020
2019
External CRO costs
$ 17,792 £ 12,887 £ 4,550
Internal labour and overheads
1,848 1,339 1,084
Total costs of sales
$ 19,640 £ 14,226 £ 5,634
Costs of sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by £8.6 million from £5.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to £14.2 million. The increase in costs of sales was primarily due to our collaboration with Celgene, which accounted for 89% and 94% of our costs of sales for the periods ending December 31, 2019 and 2020 respectively, including the additional expenses as described in the revenue section above. The increase was also partially due to the project with Celgene not fully commencing until August 2019. In addition, as we would expect, our expenditures with external CROs have increased as these projects have progressed towards clinical trials. We expect our costs of sales to continue to grow as we expand our project portfolio.
Research and Development Expenses
Year ended December 31,
2020
2019
EXS21546
$ 1,651 £ 1,196 £ 1,267
Other research projects
2,264 1,640 1,725
Total external research and development expense
$ 3,915 £ 2,836 £ 2,992
Headcount related expenses
7,915 5,733 2,582
Laboratory consumables and equipment
1,484 1,075 517
Software and data
1,354 981 526
Other
403 292 54
Total internal research and development expenses
$ 11,156 £ 8,081 £ 3,679
Total research and development expenses
$ 15,071 £ 10,917 £ 6,671
Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by £4.2 million from £6.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to £10.9 million. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily due to a £3.2 million increase in research and development
 
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headcount costs, including expansion of our laboratory headcount and facilities to accelerate the enablement of early-stage drug discovery projects and expansion of our technology group to continue development of our technology platform. Associated laboratory, software and data costs have increased in line with the growth in these headcounts.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by £3.4 million from £5.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to £8.9 million. The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily due to an increase in salary and personnel costs of £1.0 million, reflecting an increase in headcount during the year, unfavourable foreign exchange movements of £2.3 million and an increase in depreciation charges of £0.4 million relating to additional leased facilities taken in Oxford, United Kingdom. This increase was partially offset by a reduction in travel and entertaining expenditure of £0.5 million as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other Income
Other income for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by £0.7 million from £0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to £1.2 million. The increase in other income was primarily due to the RDEC tax credit which increased by £0.5 million to £1.0 million as a result of the underlying increase in expenses associated with our funded collaboration projects.
The Equity Facility Agreement terminates upon the earliest to occur of: the consummation of this offering, the one-year anniversary of April 27, 2021, or a Share Sale (as defined in our articles of association in effect on the date of signing), and as of the date of this prospectus it has not been drawn down.
The remaining £0.2 million increase related to grants received from the European government and the Gates Foundation which were executed in 2020. Each grant provides reimbursement for certain costs incurred in the performance of research and development activities associated which are defined in the grant agreements.
Net Finance Income/(Expense)
Net finance income/(expense) for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased by £0.2 million from £0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to £0.1 million. The decrease in net finance income/(expense) was primarily due to a £0.2 million decrease in interest received on cash and cash equivalents.
Share of Loss of Joint Ventures
Share of loss of joint ventures for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by £1.1 million from £0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to £1.2 million. The increase in share of loss of joint ventures was primarily due to costs incurred by RE Ventures I, LLC, the joint venture entity we own equally with RallyBio. The joint venture commenced on July 19, 2019; the period ended December 31, 2020 is the first full year of operations for this entity and the reason costs are higher compared with the period ended December 31, 2019. The joint venture has not generated any revenues to date, and we do not expect that it will for the foreseeable future.
Income Tax Benefit
Income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2020 increased by £0.4 million from £1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to £2.1 million. Our income tax benefit balance largely consists of research and development tax credits which increased over the year due to an underlying increase in qualifying research and development expenditure.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
Since inception, we have incurred significant net losses. To date, we have not generated any revenue from drug candidates and we have financed our operations through equity financings and
 
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funds provided by collaborations. We had cash and cash equivalents of £245.6 million and £62.6 million as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.
As of June 30, 2021, we have raised an aggregate of $367.1 million through private placements of our ordinary and preferred shares. During the six months ending June 30, 2021 we received £27.3 million and during the years ending December 31, 2019 and 2020, we received £26.0 million and £1.3 million, respectively, from our collaboration partners.
In April 2021, we also entered into an Equity Facility Agreement with SoftBank. Pursuant to this agreement, subject to certain subscription conditions, SoftBank has agreed to subscribe up to $300 million in preferred shares at our request, in up to two tranches with a minimum size of $150 million per tranche. At the date of execution, the subscription price for each preferred share issuable under the agreement was set to equal the subscription price of the Series D1 Shares that we sold in our April 2021 fundraise, or $3,502.17 per share. The Equity Facility Agreement terminates upon the earliest to occur of: the consummation of this offering, the one-year anniversary of April 27, 2021, or a Share Sale (as defined in our articles of association in effect on the date of signing), and as of the date of this prospectus it has not been drawn down.
We invest our cash and cash equivalents primarily with a view to liquidity and capital preservation, placing cash in financial institutions on short-term deposit with an original maturity ranging from one to three months.
Our primary uses of capital are, and we expect will continue to be, research and development expenses, compensation and related personnel expenses, and other operating expenses, including rent. Cash used to fund operating expenses is impacted by the timing of when we pay expenses, as reflected in the change in our outstanding accounts payable and accrued expenses. We expect to incur substantial expenses in connection with the advancement of our clinical trials, and the development of our other drug candidates and our research programmes.
We plan to continue to fund our operating needs through the net proceeds of this offering and the concurrent private placement, additional equity financings and/or other forms of financing. We also intend to pursue strategic collaborations for clinical development and commercialisation of our drug candidates in various geographical markets. The following table summarises the primary sources and uses of cash for each period presented (in thousands):
Six months ended June 30,
Year ended December 31,
2021
2021
2020
2020
2020
2019
Net cash flows generated from/(used in) operating activities
$ 5,139 £ 3,722 £ (6,615) $ (29,590) £ (21,433) £ 7,025
Net cash flows used in investing activities
(4,821) (3,492) (1,068) (5,170) (3,745) (1,699)
Net cash generated from financing activities
252,354 182,786 48,399 77,743 56,311 (146)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
$ 339,066 £ 245,593 £ 72,174 $ 42,982 £ 31,133 £ 5,180
Operational Activities
Net cash from operating activities increased to £3.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021 from £6.6 million of net cash used for the six months ended June 30, 2020. This was primarily due to an increase in upfront payments received from our collaboration partners including $30.0 million and $7.5 million in relation to our agreements with BMS and EQRx, respectively, the latter of which represents EQRx’s 50% share of programme research costs, in comparison to £3.0 million received in the six months to June 30, 2020, offset by an increase in research and development and general and administrative expenses.
 
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Net cash used in operating activities was £21.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to £7.0 million of net cash generated for the year ended December 31, 2019. This was primarily due to an increase in operating expenses and a decrease in upfront payments received under collaboration agreements during the year ended December 31, 2020 of £23.4 million, largely due to the receipt of an upfront payment from Celgene in the amount of $25.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2019.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was £3.5 million, primarily related to capital expenditures of £1.9 million incurred on leasehold improvements and plant and equipment in relation to the buildout of our expanded facilities in Oxford, United Kingdom, and £1.4 million additional investment in our joint venture with RallyBio.
Net cash used in investing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2020 was £1.1 million, primarily related to an additional £0.8 million investment in our joint venture with RallyBio.
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 was £3.7 million, primarily related to capital expenditures of £1.4 million incurred on assets under construction, in relation to the buildout of our expanded facilities in Oxford, United Kingdom, £0.8 million of plant and equipment and a £1.4 million additional investment in our joint venture with RallyBio.
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2019 was £1.7 million primarily related to capital expenditures of £0.6 million incurred on leasehold improvements, £0.6 million of plant and equipment and £0.2 million of software and patent intangible asset purchases.
Financing Activities
Net cash from financing activities during the six months ended June 30, 2021 increased to £182.8 million from £48.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020, reflecting the closing of our Series C1 ($30 million) and Series D1 ($225 million) preferred share financing rounds in March 2021 and April 2021, respectively. Net cash provided by financing activities during the six months ended June 30, 2020 includes £48.5 million of net funding received from the closing of the Series C preferred share financing in May 2020, partially offset by £0.1 million of payments made in respect of obligations under lease liabilities.
Net cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2020 was £56.3 million. This amount represents £56.8 million of net funding received from our Series C and Junior Series C preferred share financing partially offset by £0.5 million of payments made in respect of obligations under lease liabilities. Net cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 1, 2019 totalled £0.2 million ($0.3 million), arising from payments made in respect of obligations under lease liabilities.
Net cash used in financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2019 totalled £0.2 million, arising from payments made in respect of obligations under lease liabilities. Net cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2020 was £56.3 million. This amount represents £56.8 million of net funding received from the first closing of the Series C preferred share financing in May 2020 partially offset by £0.5 million of payments made in respect of obligations under lease liabilities.
Funding Requirements
We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, without giving effect to the estimated net proceeds from this offering or the concurent private placement, will be sufficient to fund our operations and capital expenditure requirements for the foreseeable future and for at least the 12 months following the date of issuance of the financial statements contained elsewhere in this prospectus. Our assessment includes cash allocated for the acquisition, with consideration totalling €50.0 million comprised of cash and Exscientia’s ordinary shares, in addition to ongoing capital requirements related to the Allcyte business. For additional information regarding this transaction, please see the section “Business — Material Agreement.” Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including
 
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our platform research and drug discovery and clinical development efforts, the growth of our collaboration revenue and the timing and receipt of milestone payments from our collaborations. Furthermore, our capital requirements will also change depending on the timing and receipt of any distributions we may receive from our equity stakes in our current or future joint venture companies. The potential for these distributions, and the amounts which we may be entitled to receive, are difficult to predict due to the inherent uncertainty of the events which may trigger such distributions. In addition, with respect to our internal wholly-owned programmes, as part of our strategy we may choose to pursue licensing arrangements when we believe it will help maximise the commercial value of any such programme. If we are able to enter into any licensing arrangements in the future, the potential amounts we may be entitled to and the likelihood and timing of such payments, including at what stage of discovery or development we may choose to pursue such arrangements, is uncertain.
We may be required to seek additional equity or debt financing. In the event that we require additional financing, we may not be able to raise such financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital or generate cash flows necessary to maintain or expand our operations and invest in our platform, we may not be able to compete successfully, which would harm our business, operations and financial condition.
We are subject to many other risks associated with early-stage enterprises, including increasing competition, limited operating history, the need to develop and refine our discovery platform and development operations, obtaining adequate financing to fulfil development activities, hiring management and other key personnel, scaling our laboratory processes to maximise throughput capacity, avoiding contamination and other causes of platform downtime and integrating cross-functional operations across our teams. Successful completion of our development programmes, and ultimately, the attainment of profitable operations is dependent on future events, including, among other things, our ability to secure financing, attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, efficiently manage our supply chain, cost-effectively expand and maintain laboratory operations to accommodate growth, protect our intellectual property and execute strategic partnerships. Although we believe that we will be able to mitigate these risks, there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so or that we will ever operate profitably.
We will need to obtain additional financing to fund our future operations, including completing the development and commercialisation of our drug candidates. We are subject to the risks related to the development and commercialisation of pharmaceutical products, and we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other unknown factors that may adversely affect our business. Our forecast of sufficient financial runway to support our operations is a forward-looking statement and involves risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary as a result of a number of factors. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:

progress, timing, scope and costs of our clinical trials, including the ability to timely initiate clinical sites, enrol subjects and manufacture drug candidates for our ongoing, planned and potential future clinical trials;

time and costs required to perform research and development to identify and characterise new drug candidates from our research programmes;

time and costs necessary to obtain regulatory authorisations and approvals that are required to execute clinical trials or commercialise our products;

our ability to successfully commercialise our drug candidates, if approved;

our ability to have clinical and commercial products successfully manufactured consistent with U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency and other authorities’ regulations;

amount of sales and other revenues from drug candidates that we may commercialise, if any, including the selling prices for such potential products and the availability of adequate third-party coverage and reimbursement for patients;

sales and marketing costs associated with commercialising our products, if approved, including the cost and timing of building our marketing and sales capabilities;
 
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terms and timing of any revenue from our existing and future collaborations;

costs of operating as a public company;

time and cost necessary to respond to technological, regulatory, political and market developments;

costs of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights;

costs associated with, and terms and timing of, any potential acquisitions, strategic collaborations, licensing agreements or other arrangements that we may establish; and

inability of clinical sites to enrol patients as healthcare capacities are required to cope with natural disasters or other health system emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
A change in the outcome of any of these or other variables with respect to the development of any of our current and future drug candidates could significantly change the costs and timing associated with the development and commercialisation of that drug candidate. Furthermore, our operating plans may change in the future, and we may need additional funds to meet operational needs and capital requirements associated with such operating plans.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
The following table summarises our contractual obligations as of June 30, 2021 on an undiscounted basis and the effects that such obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flows in future periods:
Payment Due by Period
Total
< 1 Year
1-3 Years
3-5 Years
5 Years +
(in thousands)
Lease liabilities (1)
£ 3,467 £ 677 £ 1,344 £ 829 £ 617
Capital commitments(2)
1,701 1,701
Total contractual obligations
£ 5,168 £ 2,378 £ 1,344 £ 829 £ 617
Total contractual obligations
$ 7,135 $ 3,283 $ 1,856 $ 1,144 $ 852
(1)
Refers to leasehold properties and represents the contractual lease obligations over the expected lease term.
(2)
Refers to contracts for fixed assets which will be received in future periods, primarily plant and equipment for our expanded laboratory facilities in Oxford, United Kingdom.
In addition to the above obligations, we enter into a variety of agreements and financial commitments in the normal course of business. The terms generally provide us the option to cancel, reschedule and adjust our requirements based on our business needs prior to the delivery of goods or performance of services. However, it is not possible to predict the maximum potential amount of future payments under these agreements due to the conditional nature of our obligations and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
During the periods presented, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
We are exposed to interest rate, currency, credit and liquidity risks. Our executive board oversees the management of these risks.
 
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Interest Rate Risk
Our exposure to the risk of changes in interest rates relates to investments in deposits. Changes in the general level of interest rates may lead to an increase or decrease in the fair value of these investments. A hypothetical 10% change in interest rates during any of the periods presented would not have had a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Regarding the liabilities shown in the statement of financial position, we are currently not subject to interest rate risks.
Currency Risk
Foreign currency risk is the risk that the fair value or future cashflows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in foreign exchange rates. Our exposure to the risk of changes in foreign exchange relates primarily to cash and cash equivalents and outsourced supplier agreements denominated in currencies other than pounds sterling, in addition to our operations based in the United States and Japan.
Our cash and cash equivalents were £245.6 million and £62.6 million as of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 respectively. As of June 30, 2021, approximately all of our cash and cash equivalents were held in the United Kingdom, of which 74% were denominated in pounds sterling, 17% were dominated in U.S. dollars and 9% were denominated in euros. Correspondingly, as of December 31, 2020, these were 60%, 39% and 1%, respectively.
A hypothetical 10% change in the GBP/USD and GBP/EUR exchange rates during the six months ending June 30, 2021 would have had a £4.2 million and £2.2 million impact, respectively, on our consolidated loss before tax and retained earnings. For all other currencies, a hypothetical change of 10% in exchange rates during any of the periods presented would not have had a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
A hypothetical 10% change in the GBP/USD exchange rates during the period ending December 31, 2020 would have had a £3.0 million impact on our consolidated loss before tax and retained earnings. For all other currencies, a hypothetical change of 10% in exchange rates during any of the periods presented would not have had a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Credit Risk
We are exposed to credit risk from our operating activities, primarily trade receivables, and cash, cash equivalents and deposits held with banks and financial institutions. Cash, cash equivalents and deposits are maintained with high-quality financial institutions in the United Kingdom. We are also potentially subject to concentrations of credit risk for our trade receivables with respect to receivables owed by a limited number of companies comprising our customer base. Our exposure to credit losses is low, however, due to the credit quality of our collaboration partners which are typically large pharmaceutical companies.
Liquidity Risk
We continuously monitor our risk of a shortage of funds. Our objective is to maintain a balance between continuity of funding and flexibility through the use of capital increases and executing collaboration agreements. Our financial statements were prepared on a going concern basis.
Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Although we are not yet subject to the certification or attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, in the course of auditing our financial statements for this offering, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.
Prior to the completion of this offering, we have been a private company with limited accounting personnel to adequately execute our accounting processes and perform supervisory reviews, a lack of
 
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robust accounting system controls, and informal control documentation with which to evidence our internal control over financial reporting. In connection with the audit of our financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, we identified the following material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting:

We did not design, and have not maintained, effective processes and controls. Specifically, we lacked a sufficient number of professionals with an appropriate level of accounting knowledge, training and experience to appropriately analyse, record and disclose accounting matters timely and accurately while maintaining appropriate segregation of duties. Without such professionals, we did not design and/or maintain formal accounting procedures and controls to achieve complete, accurate and timely financial accounting, reporting and disclosures, including with respect to the preparation and review of account reconciliations.

The lack of information technology general controls over our financial accounting system presents ineffective segregation of duties, change management and programme development in our control environment.
To address the material weaknesses, in 2021 we developed and began a remediation plan that includes the following activities:

We have hired new leadership in the accounting and finance team, including a new Director of Financial Reporting and a Finance Manager with appropriate technical accounting knowledge and public company experience in finance and accounting.

We intend to continue to implement new financial processes and design and implement appropriate controls to enhance segregation of duties in the general ledger system that we implemented in the first quarter of 2020.

We intend to continue to take steps to remediate the material weaknesses by hiring additional experienced accounting and financial reporting personnel as necessary, formalizing documentation of policies and procedures and further evolving our accounting processes, including by implementing information technology general controls and appropriate segregation of duties.
The actions that we are taking are subject to ongoing review by our executive management and will be subject to audit committee oversight upon the consummation of this offering. Although we intend to complete this remediation process as quickly as practicable, we cannot at this time estimate how long it will take, and our initiatives may not prove to be successful in remediating the material weaknesses.
Going Concern
We held £245.6 million and £62.6 million of cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 respectively. We recorded an operating loss of £26.7 million and £23.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020, respectively.
The increase in cash and cash equivalents between June 30, 2021, December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 arose following the closing of our Series C and Junior Series C preferred share financing under which a total of $59.9 million and $10.6 million was raised in May 2020 and August 2020, respectively. Subsequent to this date, we executed the close of the sale of our Series C1 preferred shares on March 1, 2021 resulting in gross proceeds of $30.0 million. On April 27, 2021, we completed our Series D1 preferred share financing, resulting in total gross proceeds of $225.0 million from the sale of our Series D1 Shares. In addition, we executed an Equity Facility Agreement which provides access to a further $300 million through the sale of preferred shares to SoftBank. The Equity Facility Agreement terminates upon the earliest to occur of: the consummation of this offering, the one-year anniversary of April 27, 2021, or a Share Sale (as defined in our articles of association in effect on the date of signing), and as of the date of this prospectus it has not been drawn down.
In assessing the going concern assumptions, our management and board of directors have undertaken a rigorous assessment of the forecasts and identified downside risks and mitigating actions.
 
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The downside risks include a number of severe but plausible scenarios incorporating underperformance against the business plan and delays in cash inflows. As part of these risks, our board of directors has considered the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While it is difficult to estimate the impact of the pandemic due to the rapidly changing nature of the situation, the cash flow forecasts include our current assumptions, taking into account reasonable plausible downside scenarios. The assumptions include no additional receipts from forecasted milestones, new cash-generating collaborations and a reduction in related operational costs.
Despite the above uncertainties, our management has confidence that the accounts should be prepared on a going concern basis for the following reasons:

we have cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2021 of £245.6 million and no outstanding borrowing facilities, which is in excess of that required to meet our forecasted expenditure up to December 31, 2023;

we have a track record of executing new collaboration agreements that generate significant cash inflows and of achieving milestones under existing collaborations;

we can access cash prior to this offering via the Equity Facility Agreement with SoftBank;

we have a history of being able to access equity financing as and when needed, including the recent sale of $225.0 million of our Series D Shares;

we have been able to continue business operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, including operating our laboratory with appropriate controls in place throughout the lockdown period; and

we have the ability to control and lower operational costs as necessary while servicing contractual commitments.
Therefore, our management has continued to adopt the going concern basis of preparation of financial statements. Even without new collaboration agreements or new equity financing, we believe we have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to continue operating for at least 12 months past the date of issuance of the financial statements located elsewhere in this prospectus. However, while we remain operating cashflow negative, additional equity finance may be required in the longer term.
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgements and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively, have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by IASB. Our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 are prepared in compliance with IAS 34, as issued by the IASB. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with IFRS requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the value of assets and liabilities — as well as contingent assets and liabilities — as reported on the statement of financial position date, and revenues and expenses arising during the fiscal year. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on information available when the consolidated financial statements are prepared, historical experience and various other factors which are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis of making judgements about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Judgements and assumptions are primarily made in relation to revenue recognition to determine the appropriate method to determine the performance obligations under each agreement and appropriately allocate revenue to the identified performance obligations and to determine when variable consideration is considered highly probable to be achieved. Estimates and assumptions are also made in relation to the valuation of share-based payments and the incremental borrowing rate for leases. Existing circumstances and assumptions about future developments, however, may change due to market changes or circumstances arising that are beyond our control. Hence, our estimates may vary from the actual values.
Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in the notes to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. We believe that the following accounting
 
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policies are critical to the process of making significant judgements and estimates in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
Recognition of revenue
Our revenue is generated broadly from two streams that relate to our principal activities:

“Service fees” relate to drug discovery collaboration agreements where we are utilizing our proprietary technology to develop novel intellectual property on behalf of the collaboration partner. In certain cases, we do not have any rights to future milestone and royalties as part of these agreements; and

“Licensing fees” relate to drug discovery agreements where we develop intellectual property on behalf of the collaboration partner. These agreements either assign all intellectual property to the partner from inception or grant an exclusive option to the partner to acquire rights to the future development and commercialisation. As part of these agreements, we may receive future milestone and royalty payments on achievement of clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones.
We have four types of payments which can be included within the two streams of revenue:

“Upfront payments” are generally payable on execution of the collaboration agreement or on initiation of a project;

“Research funding” is generally payable throughout the collaboration at defined intervals that are set out in the agreement (e.g., quarterly or at the beginning of a specific phase of work) and is intended to fund research (internal and external) to develop the drug compound that is the subject of the collaboration;

“Milestone payments” are linked to the achievement of an event, as defined in the collaboration agreement, such as clinical and regulatory milestones; and

“Opt-in payments” which are similar in principle to milestone payments, but are payable when the partner exercises its option to take ownership of the designated intellectual property. These payments only exist where we initially retained ownership of the designated intellectual property, and constitute variable consideration in accordance with IFRS 15.
Under our collaboration agreements, we may also receive commercialisation milestones upon the first commercial sale of a product, the amount of which is based on the territory the sale occurs in, and royalties based on worldwide net sales. These amounts have not been included within the transaction price for any contract as of December 31, 2019 or 2020 and these amounts will be recognised when the underlying sales transactions to which they relate are achieved.
In accordance with IFRS 15, we recognise revenue when our customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which we expect to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that we determine are within the scope of IFRS 15, we perform the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognise revenue when or as we satisfy performance obligations.
At contract inception, we assess the goods or services promised within each contract that falls under the scope of IFRS 15 to identify distinct performance obligations. We then recognise as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when or as the performance obligation is satisfied. Revenue is measured at the contract price excluding value added tax and other sales taxes.
We include the unconstrained amount of estimated variable consideration in the transaction price. The amount included in the transaction price is constrained to the amount for which it is highly probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognised will not occur. At contract inception, unconstrained revenue will typically include the upfront payments and in some instances, research funding.
 
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At the inception of each arrangement that includes research, development or regulatory milestone payments, we evaluate whether the milestones (i) relate to the one or distinct performance obligations under the agreement and (ii) are considered probable of being reached and estimate the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. If it is highly probable that a significant revenue reversal would not occur, the associated milestone value is included in the transaction price. Milestone payments that are not within our control or that of the licensee, such as regulatory approvals, are not considered probable of being achieved until those approvals are received.
Any development milestone revenue adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis, which would affect revenues and earnings in the period of adjustment.
At the end of each subsequent reporting period, we re-evaluate the estimated variable consideration included in the transaction price and any related constraint and, if necessary, adjust our estimate of the overall transaction price. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis, which may affect licence, fees and other revenues and earnings in the period of adjustment.
No variable consideration was included at December 31, 2019 and 2020 or June 30, 2020 and 2021.
The transaction price is then allocated to each performance obligation on a relative stand-alone selling price basis, for which we recognise revenue as or when the performance obligations under the contract are satisfied.
When determining whether performance obligations have been satisfied, progress is measured using the input method utilizing either external costs or labour hours incurred depending on the nature of the collaboration arrangement to establish and estimate the progress of completion. Management has determined the input method represents a faithful depiction of our progress towards completion of performance obligations because the time and costs incurred depict the progress of development of the underlying intellectual property which may be transferred to the customer. At the end of each reporting period, we re-evaluate costs/hours incurred compared with total expected costs/hours to recognise revenue for each performance obligation.
For obligations in which revenue is recognised at a point in time, that point in time is the date at which the title of the goods is transferred to the customer.
Contract liabilities consist of billings or payments received in advance of revenue recognition. Contract assets consist of revenue recognised in advance of billings or payments.
Loss-making contracts
For collaborations that meet the criteria under IFRS 15, management judgement is required to determine whether the unavoidable costs of meeting the obligations under each collaboration arrangement exceed the economic benefits expected to be received under it. Where such costs are in excess of our best estimate of future revenues to be generated from the arrangement a provision is recorded in accordance with IAS 37.
In respect of our collaboration with Celgene, our management has determined that no provision for future operating losses is required at June 30, 2021 taking into account the expected future cash inflows and the value of the remaining transaction price relating to the outstanding performance obligations relative to the value of the remaining unavoidable costs of meeting our obligations .
Share-based payments provision
We operate equity-settled, share-based compensation plans whereby certain of our employees and directors are granted awards over the shares in our company. In addition to our existing Share Option plans, during the six months ended June 30, 2021 we introduced a Restricted Stock Unit (“RSU”) scheme. The grant date fair value of awards granted under these share-based compensation plans is calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing valuation model. The resulting cost is recognised in the profit and loss account over the vesting period of the awards, being the period in which the services are received.
 
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The valuation models used require the input of subjective assumptions, including assumptions about the expected life of share-based awards, share price volatility and as a privately held company the estimated fair value of our ordinary shares. These assumptions used represent our best estimates at the time of grant, but the estimates involve inherent uncertainties and the application of our judgement.
The various assumptions used in determining the grant date fair value of the awards and the resulting cost recognised in the profit and loss account are set out in the notes to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.
Leases
Our right of use assets and lease liabilities associated with leases for leasehold properties are recognised at lease commencement date based on the present value of minimum lease payments over the lease term. Since the rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable, we use the incremental borrowing rates based on indicative borrowing rates that would be available based on the value, currency and borrowing term provided by financial institutions, adjusted for company and market specific factors. This incremental borrowing rate is the rate of interest that we would have to pay to borrow on a collateralised basis on an amount equal to the lease payments over a similar term in a similar economic environment based on the information available at commencement date in determining the discount rate used to calculate the present value of lease payments.
Deferred tax recoverability
Deferred taxes are calculated using the liability method on temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases.
A deferred tax asset is recognised for all deductible temporary differences to the extent that it is probable that taxable profit will be available against which the deductible temporary difference can be utilised, unless the deferred tax asset arises from the initial recognition of an asset or liability in a transaction that is not a business combination and at the time of the transaction, affects neither accounting profit nor taxable profit (tax loss).
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply to the period when the asset is realised or the liability is settled, based on tax rates and tax laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period.
Management has made a judgement about the availability of future taxable profit against which deductible temporary differences and tax losses carried forward can be utilised. At December 31, 2019 and 2020, the board of directors decided not to recognise a deferred tax asset of £1.4 million and £7.6 million, respectively, relating to losses, share-based payment charges and other timing differences due to the uncertainty involved in determining the future profitability of our company.
Research and development expenses
Research and development expenditure is expensed as incurred. As part of the financial close reporting process, we may be required to estimate accrued research and development expenditure incurred. Typically, this relates to preclinical or clinical study costs, as the majority of our earlier stage outsourcing contracts are billed each month on an actual basis or are highly immaterial. These estimates are based on reviews of open contracts, reports provided by the CROs and internal reviews to estimate the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for those services when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of the actual cost. We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each statement of financial position date in our financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to us at the time. The financial terms agreed with CROs are subject to negotiation and vary from contract to contract, which may result in uneven payment flows.
Valuation of Derivatives
We have one embedded derivative that is marked to fair value at each reporting period, in relation to the Equity Facility Agreement with SoftBank, whereby we have a right, prior to this offering, to place
 
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shares at a pre-agreed price which gives rise to an embedded derivative because the value of the shares at drawdown may differ from the contractual price. As the equity facility is US Dollar denominated, there is additional economical value to us in two possible scenarios:

The value of our shares falls below the contractual price. In this scenario, provided it occurs prior to the consummation of this offering, we can sell Preference Shares to Softbank pursuant to the Equity Facility at a price higher than the underlying value. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not drawn down on the Equity Facility; and

The value of Pound Sterling declines relative to the US Dollar. In this scenario, the underlying shares are worth less than the agreed subscription price and we can raise valuable US Dollar funds by drawing down on the agreement.
The fair value of the derivative asset was determined using an Option Pricing model, using a range of discounts and probability weightings that are unobservable in nature. These include a discount for an IPO event, due to the fact the agreement ceases on consummation of an IPO, a discount for counterparty credit risk and lack of marketability of the derivative, and share price volatility.
Valuation of Unlisted Equity Securities
As discussed in Revenue above, on March 31, 2021, we achieved the clinical candidate milestone under our collaboration with GT. As a result, we became entitled to receive a number of Ordinary shares and Preference shares in GT equivalent to approximately 13% of the company on a fully diluted basis. Under the accounting standard IFRS 9 `Financial Instruments', these shares represent unlisted equity securities to be recognised at a fair value and then re-measured at each reporting date. To assess fair value, we utilised a discounted cash flow model to estimate the net present value of cashflows relating to product candidates in development by the company. This approach includes unobservable inputs, key of which include the profit margin to generated upon commercialisation of those product candidates and the discount rate applied to the cashflows associated with those candidates.
Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
For information on the standards applied for the first time as of January 1, 2019 and 2020, please refer to our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2020 included elsewhere in this prospectus. There have been no new or revised accounting standards that have had an impact on the condensed consolidated interim financial statements relative to those applied within the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the year ended December 31, 2020.
 
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BUSINESS
Overview
We are an artificial intelligence-driven pharmatech company committed to discovering, designing and developing the best possible drugs in the fastest and most effective manner. Our goal is to change the pharmaceutical industry’s underlying pharmacoeconomic model, what we call “Shifting the Curve”, by improving the probability of success, time and cost involved with creating new medicines. Our pipeline demonstrates our ability to rapidly translate scientific concepts into precision-designed therapeutic candidates. We have built a complete end-to-end solution of artificial intelligence, or AI, and experimental technologies for target identification, drug candidate design, translational models and patient selection. Our platform has enabled us to design candidate drug molecules that have progressed into clinical trials as well as to prospectively provide patients with potentially more applicable drug therapies through AI guided assessment. Our patient-first AI process is comprised of the following four elements:

Precision Target: deep learning approaches to prioritise projects;

Precision Design: an extensive platform of AI technologies to design innovative drugs;

Precision Experiment: tech-enabled precision experimentation to derive better data; and

Precision Medicine: integrated analysis of patient data to ensure clinical relevance.
Our AI-design capabilities include a wide range of deep learning and machine learning algorithms, generative methods, active learning and natural language processing. These methods are used to guide target selection, to design the precise molecular architecture of potential drug molecules and to analyse patient tissues to prioritise the molecules that are likely to provide the best response for an individual’s specific tumour.
We originated the first three AI-designed precision drug candidates to enter human clinical trials. Our most advanced internally developed drug candidate, EXS21546, is one of these, and we began the first Phase 1 clinical trial of this drug candidate in December 2020. The other two drug candidates, also currently in Phase 1 clinical trials, are being developed by our collaboration partner, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., or Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, which has sole economic rights to these drug candidates. We have designed four additional drug candidates currently undergoing advanced profiling for submission of investigational new drug, or IND, applications. These seven development candidates were generated in an average of approximately one year from the first novel designs, demonstrating our consistent speed and efficiency. We are concurrently advancing more than 25 projects despite having fewer than 225 employees. Although we and our collaboration partners have to date not received regulatory approval for any of our drug candidates, we believe that the quality of our molecules has been demonstrated by the partnership expansions and product-licensing arrangements we have entered into with large pharma companies, including Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi S.A., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, EQRx and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and we intend to continue encoding and automating drug discovery to meet our goal of autonomous drug design, to bring better drugs to patients, faster.
We have also pioneered the first clinically-validated AI-driven platform to improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients prospectively. In the first-ever prospective interventional study of its kind, our AI platform predicted which therapy would be most effective for late-stage haematological cancer patients based on drug activity in their own tissue samples, with measurements taken at single-cell resolution.
We believe our patient-first AI strategy will accelerate the creation of drug candidates that can achieve better outcomes for patients.
Reinventing the Drug Design Process
Our mission is to bring about a revolution in the entire process of inventing small molecule drugs, replacing the sequential, artisanal approach that currently dominates the industry, with an efficient, integrated, AI-first, patient-based learning system that is suited to the complexity of drug discovery. We
 
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are driven to codify and systematise drug discovery, to move away from this sequential approach and scale the creation of precision engineered drugs.
From Data to Drug
We believe thousands of druggable proteins remain to be explored as new therapeutic targets. Oral small molecule drugs are the largest drug class and remain the therapeutic agent of choice. They accounted for 75% of the $1.2 trillion in drug sales in 2019. Small molecules are capable of performing biological functions, such as intracellular activation or inhibition, that are not possible with other modalities and can be distributed easily into the brain. Our end-to-end discovery AI technology platform is designed to identify, generate, analyse and optimise small molecules to ultimately exploit many more of these opportunities. Our philosophy is as follows:

Every atom counts.   A drug’s potential utility is encoded into its chemical structure from the moment it is first designed. Before a compound is ever tested, the placement of each atom and bond will have predetermined how it will interact with the incredible complexity of human biology and disease. The molecular structure of the compound determines its potency, selectivity, safety, absorption, dose requirements and manufacturability as well as many other features that define a drug product. We believe every drug candidate should be designed at the atomic level to drive optimal efficacy with minimal side effects.

Drug design is a learning problem.   When designing truly innovative drugs, there will be insufficient information available at the start of the project and the right solution will not already exist in big datasets or screening libraries. In other words, drug design is a learning — not a screening — problem. This is true for both novel targets, where no work has been done before, and established targets, where new approaches must be devised that are distinct from existing efforts. As we start to explore novel chemical space, we are likely to be at the limit of predictive power or the domain of applicability for current models. Our systems and models are designed to learn and evolve which, like nature, allows them to find optimum solutions to problems.

Design from virtually any data.   High quality drugs need to satisfy an extensive range of diverse parameters, defined as a “target product profile,” which cannot be determined from any single data type. Our AI platform is data-agnostic, capable of modelling and exploiting virtually any configuration of protein structural data, high content screening data and/or pharmacology data through thousands of machine learning, physics-based and other predictive models. We have developed proprietary tech-enabled laboratory capabilities to generate a wide variety of high-fidelity screening data (high content, biophysical, pharmacological and biochemical) and structural biology data to provided differentiated insights for our projects.

The patient is the best model.   Data from screening can be irrelevant or misleading if the cell types screened do not accurately represent actual patient biology. Currently available model systems such as cell lines, organoids or mouse models are heavily transformed and do not recapitulate the complexity of human disease. We use a wide variety of technologies to ensure that the way we measure success in the drug design process translates as closely as possible to human biology. In particular, we can measure drug activity by applying deep learning AI to actual patient samples to derive the most accurate representations of patient biology.
Patient-First AI
We have put AI systems at the heart of everything we do, from target selection and design, to patient selection and trial design and invested in experimental strategies that utilise patient tissues directly to reflect the potential clinical setting for the medicine. We believe we have built a new process that will accelerate small molecule drug discovery and smooth the path of future medicines through the clinic to the right patient. Our platform has grown by applying our core principles:

learning fast is more important than screening big;

learn from all types of data;
 
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encode and automate wherever possible; and

the patient is the best model to ensure translation from the lab to the clinic.
We have developed our extensive platform by applying AI and automation to solve problems we encounter during the design process. This has allowed us to create systems that have continuity and application throughout the drug discovery process.
The Learning Loop of Drug Discovery
To maximise our ability to learn across drug discovery and development we have engineered a comprehensive suite of AI-enabled computational tools that work in concert with our laboratory experimental platforms. Our experimental platforms are AI-enabled and fully integrated with our AI-driven computational platform to perform four key tasks:

Precision Target — select the right target;

Precision Design — design the right molecule;

Precision Experiment — collect the right data; and

Precision Medicine — select the right patient.
This creates a closed loop learning system that allows data to feed from experiment to design and from patient to target selection. This flywheel effect drives the perpetual growth in the power of our predictive models.
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Precision Target
Identify the right targets for the right patients.   Selecting the best molecular or cellular target to treat a disease remains a key step in any drug discovery project. Using our target analysis platform, Centaur Biologist, we apply a combination of sophisticated AI systems to mine the literature, along with genetic and biological data, to identify targets that are highly implicated in the disease under study. We also perform a detailed assessment of druggability using our protein mapping technologies to prioritise targets based on tractability. Experimental data obtained from samples is then used to actively test hypotheses and to ensure that we design against targets that have the potential to deliver an effective drug response in the selected patient.
Precision Design
Custom-designed solutions designed to address complex problems.   Every project in our pipeline starts with the desired specification of the ideal drug molecule, including not only target potency and selectivity, but also addressing therapeutic index, predicted human dosing levels and frequency,
 
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brain penetration and other important characteristics. Because we can design for multiple parameters in parallel, we set our objectives to achieve all the design goals rather than prioritising one over another. This allows us, using our AI, to design high-quality molecules with balanced properties and to produce an optimised drug candidate for a specific disease and patient population.
Our platform continually learns from new data integration.   Our platform is designed to learn and becomes increasingly powerful and accurate with each incremental piece of data analysed. We build and automatically update more than 2,500 data-driven predictive models, to predict the properties of every drug candidate we design. We also use outcomes data in conjunction with data from patient tissue to define the optimum target product profile. By anticipating the many characteristics a drug will need in an actual patient setting, our platform is designed to find the optimal balance of properties to maximise future probability of success.
Precision Experiment
Collect the right data.   AI systems learn most effectively when the data generated have high fidelity. Designing high quality drugs by AI depends on generating precise and disease relevant data on which to build models. Therefore, we have invested in tech-enabled precision experiment capabilities to generate high-quality biological data for our machine learning and deep learning model platforms. Approximately a third of our staff are involved in biological data generation to support our drug discovery operations in our world class laboratory facilities in Oxford, England and Vienna, Austria.
The patient is the best model.   Currently available model systems (e.g., cell lines, organoids and mouse models) are greatly impacted by a variety of factors and immune components and consequently do not recapitulate the complexity and heterogeneity of human disease. We use a wide variety of technologies to have our drug design process translate as closely as possible to actual human biology. We are applying deep learning AI to actual patient samples to measure drug activity to obtain the most accurate representation of the treatment environment. Specifically, we have built a platform that combines the latest advances in high content confocal microscopy, proprietary deep learning image analysis and scalable cloud computing to interrogate the activity of small molecules and other therapies directly in diverse primary patient tissues with single cell resolution. Our technology is designed to overcome the unique experimental challenges that often occur when applying classical analysis techniques to primary tissues.
This platform has impact across all stages of drug discovery and development. In each case, the objective is to use primary human tissues as models to generate patient relevant data that ultimately drive successful translation into the clinic.
Experimental capabilities.   We have applied our AI-first approach to biological data generation and collection by investing in our own experimental capabilities along the drug discovery continuum including:

target selection;

hit discovery and drug optimisation; and

preclinical translation and patient selection.
We undertake precision measurements for each design cycle in every experiment to improve the relationship between prediction and observation and advance our models. We produce our own proteins, solve our own protein structures and source our own patient tissues. We also develop our own biophysical, pharmacological and high content assays. Our biophysics technologies provide us with a deep understanding of the kinetics of binding for both membrane and soluble targets in their native state. The seamless integration of our AI platform with our experimental infrastructure drives the perpetual learning of our platform, increasing its power and accuracy. We have a broad set of experimental capabilities, including those illustrated in the graphic below.
 
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[MISSING IMAGE: TM2119783D1-FC_MEDICINE4CLR.JPG]
Precision Medicine
Select the right drug for the right patient with AI.   We have developed a functional precision oncology platform which provides clinically relevant data on the activity of drugs and drug candidates directly in live tissue samples from cancer patients. This enhances the patient relevance of discovery, preclinical and translational research, which we believe will ultimately increase the success rate of clinical trials and bring better drugs to patients.
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Figure above shows the steps by which translatable phenotypic screening may provide data through the discovery pipeline.
Use AI to identify key biomarkers.   We correlate genomics, proteomics and transcriptomics to functional drug response data to identify biomarkers, or signatures, for patient selection and stratification. Our system can utilise actual treatment results and genetic analysis to identify unique biomarkers in complex biological systems associated with areas of unmet need to improve patient selection. In addition, we can use the patient's own tissue to evaluate whether a treatment is likely to be successful and identify the most suitable patient population.
Our Team
We have gathered a team of world-class scientists and technologists that work collaboratively across the entire drug development process. They are led by a management team with deep industry experience. We are a global company, headquartered in Oxford, UK with sites in Miami (FL, US), Vienna (Austria), Dundee (Scotland, UK) and Osaka (Japan). We recruit talent from across the globe. As of September 1, 2021, our team of 208 people represented approximately 33 nationalities. Our pharmatech credentials are exemplified by the balance between technologists (41.3% of the company) and drug discovery scientists (40.4% of the company). Around 65% of our team works from our headquarters in Oxford, which includes a state-of-the-art lab completed in January 2021.
 
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Our people are highly educated and experienced with more than 77% holding a Masters or higher qualification, with more than 56% holding a PhD/DPhil or M.D. Throughout their careers, our expert drug hunters have contributed to the invention of eight marketed drugs and over 140 clinical stage molecules, and have been named as an inventor on more than 190 patents between them. We believe that this intellectual diversity and depth of talent is core to our success.
Our people have unique backgrounds but share a common goal of finding smarter and faster ways to discover and develop new drugs at the intersection of technology and experimental innovation.
Our Strengths
Platform with a history of operational execution.   From our founding in 2012 until 2020, we were funded solely through business performance and collaboration partners, so every project had to have real-world results. We are concurrently advancing more than 25 projects, including the first three AI-designed drug candidates to enter Phase 1 clinical trials, one of which we are developing internally, and two of which are being developed by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, who has all development and economic rights to these two programmes. In addition, both Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi have in-licenced candidates we designed through our collaborations. As we have scaled our business and invested in our wholly-owned pipeline, we have maintained our core culture of blending visionary goals with results-based pragmatism.
Precision oncology with clinical impact.   We apply deep learning AI imaging systems to understand drug effects on actual patient samples at every stage of drug development, including target identification, drug design and patient selection. We believe this enhances our ability to translate design concepts into impactful treatments beyond what would be possible with conventional techniques. We have demonstrated the value of our precision oncology technologies by significantly improving real world patient outcomes in a prospective clinical trial conducted by us.
End-to-end platform generates ideas, data and drug candidates.   Using our diverse capabilities across AI and experimental technologies, we prioritise novel protein and gene targets, create proprietary drug candidates, analyse their performance and select patients for treatment. We are also data agnostic, designing from any configuration of high content, structural or biochemical data, which allows us to advance our pipeline into cutting-edge and data-sparse target categories. By controlling and redefining the end-to-end process, we have developed a robust pipeline of product candidates. Our average time from first design to development candidate is approximately one year and we synthesise fewer than a tenth of the number of compounds compared to conventional approaches.
Our platform continually learns from new data integration.   Our platform is designed to learn and becomes increasingly powerful and accurate with each incremental piece of data analysed. We build and automatically update more than 2,500 data-driven predictive models, to predict the properties of every drug candidate we design. We also use outcomes data in conjunction with data from patient tissue to define the optimum target product profile. By anticipating the many characteristics a drug will need in an actual patient setting, our platform is designed to find an optimal balance of properties to maximise future probability of success.
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Our Patient-first AI Strategy
Through the power of AI and our patient-centric approach to drug discovery, our vision is to build the world’s leading pharmatech company. Our goal is to:

Encode and automate to transform every stage of the drug discovery process

Scale by automating interactions and autonomous decision making;

Leverage robotics and automation to transform cycle times and efficiency; and

Drive our technology stack through cutting-edge science and technology.

Design patient centric drug candidates with an improved probability of success

Use AI and technology to design precision drug candidates that have the potential to be safe and effective;

Use patient-based translation models to maximise the probability of clinical success; and

Reduce time and attrition throughout drug development.

Scale pipeline and operations

Focus our in-house programmes on oncology and immunology and anti-virals;

Leverage partnerships to rapidly expand the portfolio and maximise platform value; and

Execute on a global strategy for discovery, development and commercialisation.
Demonstrating the Impact of our AI
The first three AI-designed drug candidates to enter human clinical trials.   We have demonstrated that our AI platform can achieve the same practical and regulatory criteria imposed on traditional drug discovery by designing the world’s first three AI-designed drug candidates to enter human clinical trials. We have designed multiple other candidates currently moving through various stages of advanced preclinical evaluation and more than a dozen in earlier stage development.
First AI system demonstrated to improve clinical outcomes in oncology.   Our platform is able to anticipate the effectiveness of cancer treatments in the clinic by using AI to analyse the activity of drugs in live patient samples at single-cell resolution. In the EXALT-1 clinical study, which was completed in January 2020, tissue samples from late-stage haemato-oncology patients were collected and their reactions to more than 100 different clinically approved third-party cancer therapies, which therapies included the patients’ prior treatments, were evaluated at multiple concentrations. To evaluate the effectiveness of assay recommendations, progression free survival (PFS) of patients under assay prioritised study treatment was compared to the respective prior line of therapy of the same patients. This single-arm design was inspired by the prior MOSCATO study (Massard et al., Cancer Discov. 2017) which effectively used each patient as their own control (thus enabling the analysis of heterogenous patient groups). Evaluating PFS for each treatment line separately, the patients (n=56) who were treated following the AI-platform recommendation achieved a 55% overall response rate and statistically significant improvement in PFS over their prior line of therapy. In a post hoc analysis, patients receiving therapy recommended by the platform during the study showed significantly improved outcomes compared to their prior treatments (clinical benefit hazard ratio of 0.53; p=0.005), whereas patients who received treatments other than the platform recommended therapy during the study showed worse outcomes (clinical benefit hazard ratio of 1.4; p=0.4). We believe that this technology can be applied to new target selection, to ongoing drug design, as well as to patient selection in the clinic, thereby enabling truly patient centric drug design.
Exceptional, repeated efficiency.   We have demonstrated a repeated ability to create novel optimised drug candidates several years faster than the industry average using AI-first discovery. Our entire process from the AI generation of the first novel molecules within a particular project to the design of a development candidate typically takes approximately one year, with significantly fewer compounds synthesised and tested than the industry average.
 
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REDUCTION IN DISCOVERY TIME FROM TARGET TO CANDIDATE IDENTIFICATION BY 70%
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The figures above show a comparison of our timelines and process to the industry averages of 54 months and 2,500 molecules required to discover a drug candidate.
Advancing small molecule target druggability.   Our AI platform has enabled the exploration of challenging design hypotheses, such as purely phenotypic based projects or engineering bispecific small molecules. We believe our AI-based design can begin to solve some of the same scientific problems for which large molecules are currently used. For example, we have designed multiple highly selective bispecific small molecules. This is a design category where biologics are typically used because a design process would be almost impossible using conventional small molecule drug discovery techniques. We believe there are other similar categories where small molecules could be applied using our technology to expand the overall addressable market.
 
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Five bispecific small molecule examples are listed below. For GPCRs, the flexible combination of agonist and antagonist criteria is a further strength of the system.
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Business Model
Platform with a history of operational execution.   From our founding in 2012 until 2020, we were funded solely through business performance and collaboration partners, so every project had to have real-world results. We are concurrently advancing more than 25 projects, including the first three AI-designed drug candidates to enter Phase 1 clinical trials, one of which we are developing internally, and two of which are being developed by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, which has all development and economic rights to these two programmes. In addition, both Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi have in-licenced candidates we designed through our collaborations. As we have scaled our business and invested in our wholly-owned pipeline, we have maintained our core culture of blending visionary goals with results-based pragmatism.
Tech driven scalability.   Our focus on encoding and automating critical functions in drug discovery has meant we can readily scale our business. The technology can be applied to small molecule discovery, in any therapeutic indication, in any disease area. Our goal is to expand our range of partnerships and seek out new drug discovery problems to challenge and expand our technology platform. We continue to build in three distinct project categories:

Our wholly-owned programmes focused on oncology, immunology and anti-virals. We perform all activities (experimental and AI) from target identification through clinical trials;

50/50 joint ventures in a variety of therapeutic areas. We provide end-to-end drug discovery capabilities, while our partners provide therapeutic area expertise and oversee clinical and commercial development; and

Large pharma partnerships in a variety of therapeutic areas. We provide end-to-end discovery capabilities in exchange for significant upfront payments, development milestone payments and royalties.
We expect our future development efforts to be balanced among these three categories.
 
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Our Internal and Collaboration Projects
The following graphic summarises programmes that have been disclosed in our or our partners’ pipelines:
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The following graphic summarises our ongoing projects.
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Each of the development candidates listed above was designed in eight to 13 months, with an average of approximately one year from first hit to candidate identification. A few of the projects from the chart above are highlighted below.
I.
A2A antagonist:   Phase 1, immuno-oncology, majority owned. A2A is an attractive target, but existing approaches have either suffered from complex pharmacology due to lack of selectivity or side-effects caused by with low penetration. Our candidate, EXS21546, has demonstrated exceptional selectivity brain penetration while restoring immune activity and demonstrating single agent activity similar to PD-1 inhibitors in vivo. The compound reversed A2A receptor mediated immune suppression and also exhibited cancer cell killing activity in primary tissue samples of pancreatic and lung cancer patients.
II.
Kinase inhibitor:   Preclinical, immunology, partnered with Bristol Myers Squibb’s subsidiary, Celgene Corporation, or Celgene. This kinase is an attractive immune modulating drug target; however, several large pharma companies have failed to design a small molecule with the required potency and selectivity against other closely related kinases. Our balanced candidate has demonstrated high on-target activity while maintaining high selectivity and favourable tolerability.
III.
CDK7 inhibitor:   Preclinical, oncology, joint venture with GT Apeiron Therapeutics, or GT. CDK7 presents an opportunity to improve treatment outcomes over CDK4/6 inhibitors due to CDK7’s dual role in cell cycle and transcription. Previous development efforts have exhibited side effects, possibly due either to a covalent binding mechanism of action or poor oral absorption. Our selective, non-covalent candidate has demonstrated consistent tumour responses in xenograft models with improved absorption over competitors. It has also demonstrated selective activity over background immune cells in ovarian cancer patient tissue models.
IV.
ENPP1 inhibitor:   Preclinical, rare disease and immuno-oncology, joint venture with RallyBio. ENPP1 inhibition could be a potential treatment for hypophosphatasia and other bone defects. We have demonstrated mechanistic proof-of-concept and designed candidate quality molecules for this rare disease. We are also exploring potential utility in immuno-oncology.
V.
Psychiatric disease agents:   Two candidates in Phase 1, one out-licenced to Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., and one in late-stage preclinical, with an undisclosed partner. All three programmes sought bispecific small molecules targeting two unrelated receptors while maintaining high selectivity against all related receptors and penetrating the blood-brain barrier. In addition, since they were intended for chronic administration, they required an exceptionally clean tolerability profile and convenient dosing schedule. Despite the fact that no third-party compounds having both potency and the desired functional activity against both receptors in any of the programmes were previously known, all three projects were able to meet their respective design objectives within approximately one year.
Other notable discovery projects include:

HPK1 inhibitor:   Lead optimisation, immuno-oncology, wholly-owned. HPK1 is a new area in immuno-oncology that is believed to enhance leukocyte activation and reduce tumour cell evasion. We are designing our candidate for use in combination or as monotherapy to overcome PD-1 therapy resistance and improve outcomes.

NLRP3 inflammazone inhibitor:   Hit-to-lead, neuro-inflammation, majority-owned. This inhibitor was discovered in collaboration with Oxford University using a high-content, image-based primary assay.

Mpro inhibitor:   Hit-to-lead, anti-infective, wholly-owned. Mpro (also known as 3CLpro) is the main proteolytic enzyme in many viruses including SARS-CoV-2. Partly funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, or the Gates Foundation, this programme is part of a broader pandemic preparedness effort.
 
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We have more than a dozen additional ongoing projects that range from target profiling to lead optimisation and we are continually initiating new projects.
Background to Drug Discovery
The current drug discovery process requires the ability to (i) aggregate, evaluate and analyse a large amount of data and information, (ii) accurately predict how molecules will induce biological effects and (iii) leverage these data to design a drug that works safely and effectively in humans. Due to these challenges, the process is slow, expensive and results in a high failure rate. We believe there are four fundamental issues impacting the current paradigm of drug discovery:

drug design is a complex multi-dimensional optimisation problem, the analysis of which is challenging for humans;

global scientific knowledge is rapidly proliferating, and yet, the current approach to drug discovery frequently fails to bring the plethora of knowledge to bear when identifying targets because it is simply too complex for any individual to comprehend;

many compounds fail to demonstrate clinical efficacy because current translational models do not represent the complexity of human disease; and

many compounds fail to demonstrate clinical efficacy due to dose limiting effects, including safety issues, or for pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic reasons.
Successful drugs need to achieve an exquisite balance of many properties spanning selectivity, potency, pharmacokinetics, or PK, and toxicity. Drug discovery is a multi-parameter optimisation problem that humans have traditionally approached in a sequential manner, which we believe to be inferior. Specifically, humans perform multiple rounds of chemical synthesis one after another to fix design flaws post hit identification. Ultimately, the conventional approach to optimisation is a long linear sequence that frequently leads to failure late in the process, after significant investment of time and capital.
R&D Productivity across the Pharmaceutical Industry has been Declining for the Past Six Decades
Projected returns on investment in R&D for the top 12 global pharmaceutical companies have fallen to 1.8%. The productivity challenge facing the industry has significant economic implications. Leveraging the assumptions from Paul et al published in Nature Drug Discovery Reviews regarding the costs, timeline and probability of success per stage from discovery to clinical trials and launch, then the risk-adjusted net present value of an asset is only approximately $10 million.
Overview of Our Next Generation AI Platform and Approach
We think of drug discovery in a different way, as a learning problem from sparse data. From our first publications in Nature in 2012, we have pioneered AI-enabled drug discovery, operating at the convergence of advances in AI, chemistry, computation, biology and physics. Our AI-powered technology is designed to generate, analyse, prioritise and optimise small molecules to ultimately engineer novel precision drugs. We transform the drug discovery process from a lengthy, inefficient and somewhat random screening process to an automated learning and creation process. Every atom has a potential biological and physicochemical impact; hence, our algorithms work to find the most efficient, elegant and precise chemistry that satisfies the design objectives.
This enables us to create new innovative medicines faster.

Our AI algorithms are involved in the design of virtually every compound we make and test;

Our patient tissue AI translational screening platforms have demonstrated improved clinical outcomes for oncology patients;

We generate differentiated proprietary data, which strengthens the predictive power of our models going forward; and
 
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Our design AI intelligently applies these data to generate novel molecules and optimise across all design parameters in parallel, right from the start.
By testing our compounds in our patient-centric, disease-relevant assays, we can rapidly progress to clinical stage development and significantly decrease costs by increasing our speed of execution and our probability of success.
Focused on shifting the curve through improved probability of success, time and cost.    The investment model for new drugs has been dramatically impacted by the industry's 96% failure rate from project inception to drug approval, with an average cost of $1.8 billion per drug over more than 10 years of development. Although we and our collaboration partners have not to date received marketing approval for any of our drug candidates, by focusing on improving the probability of success, time and cost of drug creation, our goal is to enable a broad portfolio approach to pipeline development while minimising the capital and resources required for each individual project. In addition, our efficiency allows us to advance many projects simultaneously with a variety of business models, including wholly-owned projects, joint ventures and partnerships. As a result, near-term cash flows from partnerships can balance long-term investments in our own pipeline, as is demonstrated by our last twelve-month operating cash flows of only £(11.1) million.
The chart below shows our strategy of shifting the curve for drug development can have a significant impact on investment profile, and thereby overall pharmacoeconomics.
OPERATIONAL FOCUS ON IMPROVING PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS, TIME AND COST
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As discussed previously, we have demonstrated outcomes better than industry averages with our first seven development candidates. To quantify the potential value impact of that operational data, we utilised a publicly available industry summary of probability of success, or POS, time and cost by stage of development as well as an average commercial profile for pharmaceutical products. When we ran this summary through a Monte Carlo net present value, or NPV, analysis, the mean NPV for each new project was approximately $10 million (as represented as the tallest grey bar in the following figure).
Then we adjusted the standard industry metrics with our data from our first seven development candidates. Each metric had a meaningful impact on the project NPV individually — discovery time savings (+69% NPV), reduced cost (+36%) and improved success rates (+88%) — and in combination they result in approximately a threefold improvement in project NPV.
Finally, we modelled an illustrative 5% improvement per stage in probability of success after the drug discovery phase, which independently increased the NPV by +126%. This was intended to show
 
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the relevance of improving POS in later stage development. While we believe our efficiency in drug discovery has demonstrated substantial value, our intention is to increase clinical POS by choosing better targets, precision designing molecules and utilising patient-centric translational assays.
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The figure above illustrates the positive economic impact on NPV that our approach can provide. The risk adjusted NPV, or rNPV, of an asset is only approximately $10 million with industry standard parameters (Paul et. al. 2010 assumptions: 4.5 years to candidate, $18 million inflation-adjusted costs to candidate, and 4% probability to market at start). With our approach, the rNPV of an asset may be increased substantially with time acceleration (approximately one year to candidate), cost reduction ($8 million to candidate), and an increase in POS in drug discovery. If we increase the POS by 5% per stage from preclinical to launch, then the rNPV of each asset is further lifted.
Our Technology Platform
The learning loop of discovery and development.   We have designed a comprehensive learning system with AI at its heart, encompassing precision target generation, precision molecular design and extensive precision experimental laboratory-based testing. These work in concert to deliver constant feedback and refinement to support our drug discovery goals. We have also built an AI-enabled approach to precision medicine that uses high resolution single-cell analyses of tissue material from individual patients. This allows us to learn from patient data in all aspects of our drug discovery and development process from target discovery, through drug optimisation to patient selection.
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Precision Target
Centaur Biologist is our AI-driven, automated target discovery platform technology that applies deep learning to genome-scale datasets to identify connections and predict target-disease associations well ahead of publication in the scientific literature. At its core, Centaur Biologist is a system to gather, process and interpret data on potential targets and diseases that can enable us to differentiate the hot targets from the hype. We use Centaur Biologist to:

evaluate and prioritise incoming proposals for collaborative drug discovery;

seed our own internal drug discovery efforts; and

identify potential biomarkers for use in selecting patients and obtaining early signs of clinical activity.
The platform is disease area agnostic. To date, we have successfully applied it to target identification efforts in a wide range of areas, including oncology, immuno-oncology, immunology and rare diseases, supporting business development activities and initiating joint ventures. In addition, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, we are using Centaur Biologist to identify targets for diseases of particular importance to the developing world.
To automate hypothesis generation in biomedical science, it is essential to disambiguate biomedical entities in the scientific literature. Using learning algorithms and co-citation graphs, we have developed a methodology that addresses this issue arising from redundant and conflicting gene names in the scientific literature. Genome wide analysis of publications using recurrent neural networks allows trends or patterns in the literature to be identified, providing not only an alerting mechanism to highlight genes of emerging scientific importance but also a one-click disease area overview to increase the efficiency of our target analysis team. Of particular interest is the ability to identify targets with a higher probability of translating to the clinic, and we use our patent-pending Trendy Genes algorithm to identify these in an objective and consistent manner. This gives us early insight into target identification and allows us to initiate drug design ahead of our competitors.
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The figure above shows the Trendy Genes workflow which generates a graph representation of the literature and Trends are identified to highlight emerging opportunities.
 
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The figure above provides a view of the platform displaying an overview of ovarian cancer publications plus the citation graph for a potential target of interest.
This disambiguated literature pipeline also forms the basis for a suite of predictive algorithms, moving the analysis from a visualisation of what is currently known, to a prediction of what is likely to be identified in the future. Embeddings are vector representations of entities and concepts generated from the global body of literature using multiple state-of-the-art language models. The embeddings capture the semantic context of the words and include the context of biologically relevant terms such as gene and disease names. Terms with similar meaning are represented by similar vectors. Once generated, these embeddings can be used as substrates for classification algorithms to predict unpublished links between genes and diseases. Our research indicates that mining these embeddings can highlight novel gene-to-disease associations years before they appear in the literature. Other relevant biological relationships such as synthetic lethal gene pairs can also be predicted prior to publication, supporting our oncology target identification and patient selection activities ahead of the competition.
A further application of our Centaur Biologist platform is the combination of literature extracted data with other structured data sources, such as genomics, transcript profiling and pathway databases. These data are integrated into large scale knowledge graphs that allow ‘shortest path’ analyses to trace relationships between genes and diseases. Applying graph neural networks enables us to link prediction, again generating novel gene-disease target hypotheses.
To identify the next generation of targets we are integrating personalised genomic sequencing and patient data from our own precision medicine platform.
 
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Figure above is a visualisation of a knowledge graph embedding showing genes in the region of DNA Polymerase Theta, a DNA damage repair target for oncology. Targets visually close to one another (e.g., PolQ) are proximal in our knowledge graph and therefore likely to be involved in similar biological processes. This enables rapid hypothesis generation and prioritisation of opportunities.
Predicting future drug targets with AI.   The following example shows how Centaur Biologist can be used to predict gene-disease associations years before they are reported in literature. One of our partners requested a demonstration using non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, to identify potential development targets. We limited our analysis to only incorporate pre-2000 literature from PubMed, a publicly available repository of scientific publications, and then used these data to predict the top 100 novel targets most likely to be associated with NASH. The chart below shows that there was a linear progression over the following 20 years of the predicted targets being reportedly linked to NASH. Ultimately, 40% of the predicted targets are now described in the literature as demonstrating an association with NASH. Internally, we apply this to every project we consider undertaking to understand the genetic and target associations with disease using up-to-date data.
 
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Figure above demonstrates how our literature embedding algorithms are able to predict novel targets years ahead of publication. The x-axis plots the number of years past the time point used for the literature embedding. The Y-axis gives the percentage of top 100 genes predicted to be associated with NASH for a specific model that have in fact subsequently been published.
Patient driven target discovery.   Our patient tissue screening platform can be used to validate targets by testing the activity of known compounds in primary tissue samples. Similarly, new therapeutic opportunities for previously validated targets can be identified by evaluating compounds in diverse patient samples from different indications. De novo target discovery may also be feasible by evaluating the activity of annotated small molecule libraries or potentially using CRISPR gene editing.
In a recent example, we characterised the activity of 80 approved small molecule drugs in a set of samples from 20 ovarian cancer patients. In a subgroup of patients, a family of tyrosine kinase inhibitors were found to be highly active, as shown in the figure below. Gene expression and subsequent gene set enrichment analysis revealed a new pathway that could potentially be drugged for the treatment of this disease. Follow up work to narrow down the target selection is currently ongoing.
 
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Figure above shows patient driven target discovery and correlating drug response to gene expression data for target discovery. Single cell differential sensitivity data in 20 individual ovarian cancer samples. Colour indicates the mean of the dimethylsulfoxide normalised viable cancer cell number over all concentrations of a drug. Each drug was tested in seven concentrations starting at 20μM in 1:3 dilution. Blue colour indicates that the drug induced cancer cell specific cytotoxicity, red indicates adverse effect, and white not active. Each sample is classified into a reactivity category depending on the number of active drugs, yellow indicates the most reactive samples. The cancer population is measured by epithelial cell adhesion molecule surface expression in the image-based screening. The library of small molecules used in this screen have been blinded, the library was made up of 80 targeted inhibitors, chemotherapies, standard of care drugs and experimental compounds. A subset of patient samples is showing strong and targeted responses to a subset of the small molecule drugs (red box) that all have overlapping target and pathway activity indicating the potential presence of a novel target or target family.
Precision Experiment
The predictive power of our machine learning models is based on the quality of the underlying data. Generating high quality, reproducible experimental data is therefore core to our business. We have developed advanced internal laboratories of over 22,000 square feet (2,044 square meters) in Oxford to deliver the following capabilities:

translational assays using high content imaging of patient tissues;

patient-tissue biobank for translational models;

molecular and cellular pharmacology to develop primary project assays;

biosensor fragment screening to support project initiation and progression;

structural biology (crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, or cryo-EM) supports 3D design;

G-protein coupled receptor, or GPCR, biased-signalling pathways for next-generation pharmacology; and

molecular and cellular pharmacology to develop primary project assays.
It is important to control the precision of data generated by our primary pharmacology, biophysical and high content methods. We are focused on generating our own proteins and cell reagents in-house and sourcing tissue directly from patients. As a result, we are able to develop key assays and determine protein structures that are aligned to our design process and represent human biology. Where assay data are generated externally, we develop the primary and selectivity pharmacology assays in-house first to ensure high data quality. We continue to automate every aspect of drug design towards a strategic goal of fully automating laboratory sciences, from protein production and assay development to screening.
Translational assays using high content imaging of patient tissues.   Our platform combines the latest advances in high content confocal microscopy, proprietary deep learning image analysis and scalable cloud computing to interrogate the activity of small molecules and other therapies directly in diverse primary patient tissues at the single-cell level. We have developed our high content translational platform to overcome the unique challenges associated with working with primary tissues. The workflow
 
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is highly standardised and amenable to end-to-end lab automation. A typical patient-based high content assay workflow comprises the following:

tissues are collected and minimally processed to keep the composition close to the primary tumour;

tissue preparations are exposed to drugs in special imaging plates and incubated;

primary cells are fixed and stained with fluorescently labelled antibodies and dyes;

2D or 3D confocal images are taken of every single cell under every treatment condition using automated high content microscopy;

data are analysed using a proprietary image analysis software to identify, classify and phenotypically characterise each individual cell; and

the single cell data from millions of cells per experiment are analysed for biological effects.
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Figure above provides an overview of the patient tissue analysis workflow
Compared to other ex vivo drug testing platforms, our approach offers the following key advantages:

Patient relevance: The process maintains the patient’s very own connective tissue cells and immune system and is sensitive to individual variation between patients.

Single cell resolution: Sensitive measurements can be taken from both liquid and solid tissues. This is essential to distinguish on- from off-target response and prioritise clinically effective over ineffective or toxic drugs.

Versatility: Our assays are compatible with diverse cancers and tissue types, direct cell killing and immunomodulatory drugs.

Scalability: Our platform uses standard lab automation and maximises the number of drugs tested with limited tissue. Data analysis is fully cloud based and highly scalable. Typical throughputs range from 10 to 100 drugs analysed in parallel, in dose response curves and technical repeats and at different time points.

Speed: Typical turnaround times per assay can be as low as five days, which is substantially faster than industry-standard timelines for assays of organoid or animal models.

Reproducibility: The analytical performance of the platform has been extensively studied and results found to be highly reproducible both within and between assay runs.
 
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Figure above highlights the advantages of our approach. We believe our approach is the best in class technology for the single cell functional profiling of primary human material. We are able to distinguish at a single cell level on / off target effects of drugs. The technology is versatile with the capability to prosecute multiple tumour types. The technology is highly scalable as only a small amount of patient material is required per well. The results are reproducible and have been shown to be clinically translatable to prioritise therapies.
Patient-tissue biobank for translational models.   Our experimental process is compatible with diverse tissue types and tumour indications including blood (leukaemias), lymph nodes (lymphoma), malignant pleural effusions and ascites and solid tissue samples (solid tumours). It is currently established for the majority of haematological cancers (including acute and chronic leukaemias, T- and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas and multiple myeloma) and a growing number of solid tumours (lung, ovarian and pancreatic cancer, with breast cancer under development).
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Table above shows the indications and drug types currently used with our patient tissue platform.
The platform enables the robust quantification of complex phenotypes in advanced primary samples.
We routinely use readouts that include:

quantification of cell viability and classification of cell identity (e.g., to determine the ability of an anticancer drug to selectively kill cancer but not immune cells);
 
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quantification of activation marker intensities and expression for population changes (e.g., to quantify immune cell activation and proliferation); and

cell size, morphology and shape (e.g., to investigate cellular activity depending on stimulation or drug treatment).
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Figure above shows the readouts frequently used by the platform
We have also developed proprietary methods to quantify cell-to-cell interaction propensities as a measure of immunomodulation (e.g., to determine the likelihood of antigen presenting cells to interact with T-cells in complex primary tissues); and we are working to develop label free and unsupervised approaches for classifying phenotypic diversity in primary tissues. Additionally, the platform can in principle be adapted to work with induced pluripotent stem cells and co-culture models at the single-cell level, which could expand its potential application beyond oncology into inflammatory diseases and other indications.
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Figure above shows the rich phenotypic responses we are able to generate through our high content imaging technology with single cell resolution. Enabling us to generate a deep understanding of the cell its mechanism and predict responses to drugs.
Biosensor fragment screening to support project initiation and progression.   Biosensor assays, using surface plasmon resonance, or SPR, allow direct biophysical measurement of compound binding and its kinetics. We use biosensor assays throughout our drug discovery process from the creation of seed datasets of low molecular weight “fragment” compounds to optimisation of chemical scaffolds during generative design. Biosensor assays have an extremely wide dynamic range and can measure compounds with binding equilibria from pico-Molar to milli-Molar and are ideal for fragment screening. The label-free nature of biosensor assays allows ligands binding at both orthosteric and allosteric target sites to be measured. The graphic below illustrates the integration of our fragment screening technologies to identify and exploit novel binding sites.
 
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Figure above shows the steps required to identify multiple novel binding sites on Sting-1.
We are constantly striving to improve our technology and the quality of the data that we generate. Our team has developed a key innovation in biosensor assays, specifically, the application of SPR technology to screen “wild type”, fully functional GPCRs. The advantage of screening “wild type” GPCRs, compared to thermostabilised proteins, is that the full range of receptor conformations and associated pharmacological functions can be measured in a single assay — from inverse agonists to full agonists. This approach was critical, for example, to the successful development of our A2A clinical candidate.
Our biosensor assays are AI enabled, with SensAI, a machine learning method that automates the analysis and classification of SPR experiments. This extends our machine learning to SPR data and is a key component to scaling our fragment screening and kinetic analysis capacity.
Structural biology supports 3D design.   Our AI algorithms directly exploit data from structural biology, whenever it is available, to build hypotheses for generative design and to map the binding site using Hot Spot analysis. We employ techniques such as X-Ray crystallography and cryo-EM to provide comprehensive 3D structural information about the atomic interactions of a molecule. We have built in-house structural biology capabilities for X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM that also make use of high-throughput synchrotron beamlines and Cryo-electron microscopes.
GPCR biased-signalling pathways for next-generation pharmacology.   We have established a comprehensive platform of GPCR techniques that comprise molecular pharmacology, AI design, biophysical screening and structural biology, which we call TRUPATH. This approach, which was invented by our head of GPCR Pharmacology, is pathway agnostic and thus allows us to measure GPCR-ligand activities at the single-transducer level. The technology is an exquisitely sensitive and universal GPCR signalling assay, allowing for precise discrimination between all G protein pathways. Unlike most signalling assays, TRUPATH does not rely on second-messenger pathways. It is insensitive to receptor-reserve, meaning the signal is not influenced by the number of receptors present on the cell surface, improving translatability and simplifying comparisons of activity between pathways. We can use the approach to elucidate transduction networks and define biased signalling pathways that can refine target activity to mitigate off-target effects. It allows for high resolution at the pathway level to provide the most accurate measures of receptor occupancy and activity in a signalling assay. Our system, now optimised within Exscientia, expands the technology to support both live-cell and protein-based configurations that are routinely applied in drug discovery projects. This allows us to link GPCRs to previously undocumented or “silent” signalling networks even in the absence of ligands that drive a coupling event. Our TRUPATH platform provides unique value to GPCR drug-discovery programmes.
 
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Our multi-parametric drug design algorithms are well-suited to exploit these complex GPCR readouts which are a spectrum profile across 20 signalling pathways rather than a single endpoint.
The graphic below describes our GPCR platform.
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Molecular and cellular pharmacology to develop primary project assays.   Our laboratories are fully equipped to address the challenges of enabling a large-scale discovery portfolio and focus on the full integration of experiment with AI. The laboratories focus on four key areas to:

bring pharmacological and disease insights to the evaluation of new targets;

develop and implement translational strategy;

define, implement and monitor each screening cascade; and

drive projects through to candidate discovery.
To support our internal discovery portfolio, we incorporate a comprehensive range of biochemical screening technologies. In addition, we have extensive experience with physiologically relevant cellular screens covering immuno-oncology, oncology, inflammation and immunology.
To improve efficiency and integration with the AI platform we focus on:

integration of high-content data with multi-parametric analysis;

particle swarm optimisation for thermodynamic and enzyme kinetic analysis; and

automated assay development using design of experiments and Active Learning methods.
Precision Design
Our philosophy is that every molecule should be designed by an algorithm. We unlock the creativity of AI through the use of reinforcement learning, deep learning and genetic algorithms to intelligently design and select novel compounds that meet our design objectives.
Centaur Chemist is the core drug design component of our platform. It is a sophisticated combination of AI technologies and high-precision models that allow us to predict and utilise over 2,500 human biological endpoints in parallel to meet critical design objectives. Centaur Chemist can exploit diverse data, including three-dimensional protein structures, high content images and pharmacology data, creating predictive models to evaluate the multitude of drug properties in parallel. Satisfying composite design goals to create drug candidates with balanced properties in the most efficient molecular structure is a significant competitive advantage of our AI design.
 
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Objective setting and project telemetry.   Our AI platform allows us to design compounds that meet MPOs within a small number of design cycles. Using experimentally determined data we measure how well our compounds meet these objectives using our MERIT scoring system. Each circle in the charts below represents the overall performance for a single compound based on multiple defined objectives. The graph shows a typical project progression, with sequential compound number on the X axis and a composite measure of distance to desired drug properties (merit) on the Y axis. The composite measure drives the delivery of compounds with balanced properties since a single poor score in just one property will drive the overall MERIT score to zero. The graphs also illustrate how over time the system first explores the boundaries of the specific problem, initially producing a higher proportion of compounds with low MERIT scores but in doing so improving the underlying predictive models. As the system gains knowledge (i.e. more project specific experimental data) the project progresses rapidly and the system designs a higher proportion of compounds that satisfy all the desired properties. The entire process from the first round of novel designs to identifying candidate quality molecules typically takes approximately one year.
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The figure above shows how the system rapidly learns and progresses by exploring the chemical space, to generate molecules with high Merit score during the Exploitation phase, each cycle of design is represented by a different colour.
Model platform.   Our system predicts over 2,500 human endpoints automatically, from PK to off- target effects and we generate models which allow the Centaur platform to create and evaluate the suitability of the drug candidate molecules. These models are delivered through our comprehensive Model Platform, that allows us to ingest data from a wide variety of sources and automatically build multiple models using advanced machine learning techniques, such as multi-task deep learning models. In addition, we have built models on endpoints as diverse as in vivo behaviour and high content cellular imaging, through to the more routine, biochemical or cellular screening data. The system does not require crystal structures of the protein of interest, but if one is available, we have comprehensive tools to utilise this additional 3D information, including molecular dynamics and physics-based prediction models. The system utilises whatever information is available and begins to learn its way towards the predetermined design objectives. If the goals of the project change, it will extract the maximum value from what it has already learned to inform a path to the new goals.
 
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Hotspots.   This is a sophisticated statistical technology developed by our Head of Structural Bioinformatics that creates a detailed map of the surface of a protein. It describes the shape of any pockets present within a protein and the specific locations of the key features that determine ligand binding such as H-Bond donors, acceptors and apolar areas. The resulting map generated is incredibly valuable in describing the size, shape and composition of ligands that are likely to bind to these pockets and has great utility at multiple stages of the drug design process. Hotspots can be defined for a static structure or for a dynamic ensemble of structures derived by molecular dynamics.
Druggability assessment.   Having a map of potential binding sites for a protein enables a quantitative assessment of the likelihood of finding a ligand to be made in an automated manner. Further, the map also gives an indication of the likely physical properties of ligands that will bind to these pockets. This allows us to make a precise assessment of the druggability of any given protein or collection of proteins. In the diagram below we show how this automated analysis was applied to map the kinome.
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Figure above shows the distribution of tractability scores as both a histogram (top) and a kernel density estimation plot (bottom) for the ATP site of all human kinases (orange). These are compared to a reference set of known druggable (green) and presumed non-druggable targets (grey).
Defining 3D constraints as starting points for the generative process.   The same detailed map of each structural binding site can be used to create the objectives to initiate our generative design algorithms. The system generates molecules that are complementary to the Hotspot map and precisely engineered to fit into the cavity without any superfluous atoms.
 
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Figure above shows hotspot map of a binding pocket.
AlphaFold 2.0 has enabled genome wide protein structure prediction.   Structural data on this scale requires a fully automated, elastic platform. We believe that we are well positioned to employ this advance across our AI platform. We can map druggable binding sites across the genome using our automated, high-throughput structure-based target assessment pipeline and Hotspot capability. As a result, we believe that we will be able to deploy this technology to progress dark targets, which were previously deemed intractable or undruggable. For our drug design process, in principle, we can now consider any target to be structurally enabled. We believe that this will allow us to accelerate projects through automated validation, constraint generation and high-throughput physics-based approaches. Experimental validation is also critical, as we believe that purely physics-based modelling approaches will struggle with the variable quality of the available models. Our structural biology and biophysics capabilities can be used to generate a hybrid model that maximises information gain at scale.
Generative design.   Core to our AI approach is the belief that learning systems are superior to brute force in finding the optimal and most elegant solution to high dimensional problems. We have developed a suite of AI-design algorithms that generate novel chemical structures, allowing us to virtually navigate the vastness of chemical space in an efficient and intelligent manner.
Machine learning methods rely on having a reward mechanism to guide the algorithm as it generates molecules that better satisfy the desired criteria. This process is how the system learns. We have created a comprehensive “reward bundle” that allows us to plug in any combination of our predictive models to any of our generative design algorithms. We can exploit the precision of 3D structural information along with the breadth of 2D data in this fully integrated reward system to generate optimised molecules.
For each design cycle, we combine the key objectives into an MPO function and the AI generative models create molecules to meet these objectives. Employing generative AI means that our system can effectively evaluate billions of possible molecules to identify those that meet our desired criteria. We use multiple AI algorithms, all of which are optimised for real world applicability, to generate synthetically tractable and drug-like molecules with desirable properties. Some of these methods are described below:
Rogue is a class-leading reinforcement learning algorithm which is one of the many generative AI algorithms we routinely use. It uses a prior model of relevant chemical space that is initially trained using a large database of drug-like molecules. The Rogue agent then generates a molecule and calculates the new molecule’s properties, assessing if it is closer or further away from the desired MPO function. The
 
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agent learns during this process how to optimise the reward from both positive and negative changes. It updates the stochastic policy accordingly to make positive changes more likely. Once a policy to fully optimise the MPO is learned, the model generates a population of molecules from which our active learning algorithms pick the best candidates for synthesis and testing. The following graphic illustrates components of the drug design process with Rogue.
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Figure above describes the Rogue workflow.
Gambit is a generative molecule design algorithm that uses evolutionary optimisation. It automatically evolves populations of novel, tailored molecular designs using hybridisation and chemical transformations. Based on original work published by our founders in Nature in 2012, Gambit has been significantly refined and developed to incorporate our state-of-the-art scoring functions and run on our workflow system. The evolutionary design used in Gambit is complementary with deep learning generative approaches such as Rogue.
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Figure above describes the Gambit workflow.
DeLinker is the first graph-based deep generative method that incorporates 3D structural information directly into the design process. Our method takes as input two molecular fragments and designs a molecule incorporating both substructures, either generating or replacing the linker between them. This allows us to handle structure-based design tasks such as fragment linking and scaffold hopping effectively. The generation process integrates 3D structural information, specifically the distance between the fragments and their relative orientations. This 3D information is vital to successful compound
 
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design. In addition to fragment linking, we see great potential for this method in application to proteolysis targeting chimera design. The following graphic summarises our DeLinker approach.
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In the figure above, we summarise the algorithm’s model training and molecule generation process. The model is trained to reproduce known linkers in 3D and can be used to produce novel linkers, when used generatively.
Active Learning from sparse data.   Often at the start of a novel drug discovery programme, there is very little data available in the public domain. Where data on a target is sparse and we need to find new starting points, we proactively generate proprietary data via our precision experiment technologies to supplement what we can obtain from other sources. The early design cycles of a project we refer to as “exploration” because our systems are learning about the chemical landscape and building their predictive power. Using our Active Learning algorithms enables our design process to work with sparse data and identify the specific molecules to synthesise that will create the maximum information content at each design cycle. As the campaign progresses the amount of data available increases and active learning ensures we rapidly improve the predictive power of the models. This phase is referred to as “exploitation” because our systems are making the maximum use of the knowledge we have created.
We leverage the breadth of active learning strategies, including Shannon entropy and Bayesian optimisation, to identify the best compounds for experimentation based on which new data will improve our models more rapidly. Specifically, Active Learning identifies the best compounds to test to maximise information content and minimise overlapping features. Active Learning enables us to select compounds to optimally fill information gaps and areas of model uncertainty and thus maximise learning. Each cycle our Active Learning algorithms provide novel insights which strengthen the predictive power of our models. Consequently, we can rapidly progress towards the very best molecule for that specific target designed by our generative design models.
 
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Our Precision Design Process
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Step 1: Collecting and curating diverse data to seed models.   At the start of the project, we spend considerable time and effort to do a thorough and detailed assessment of all the available data relating to the target of interest. We have a dedicated team of experienced and skilled data scientists to extract and process data from a variety of sources and then perform sophisticated curation and quality control to ensure that it is of the highest quality for model building. Where we need to find new starting points, we proactively generate proprietary data via our precision experiment technologies including fragment screening or virtual screening to supplement data obtained from other sources
Step 2: Model building.   The models are deployed using our in-house model platform and the complex calculations orchestrated on our cloud architecture. Picking the right model for the right approach is important, but what is more critical is that the model learns and improves as it is fed with real experimental data. Every drug project is novel, and the molecules being designed have never existed before. We are often at the limit of the domain of applicability of our predictions: put simply, our models have not seen anything like the compounds we are designing, so our models need to learn how to predict each new compound’s properties. This is central to our philosophy that learning is the critical determinate of success in drug discovery. We continuously update the models in our state-of-the-art platform as new data are generated, and we test and validate their performance before deploying them, we then continue to monitor their performance to ensure we are delivering precise predictions. The graphic below illustrates this process.
Step 3: Design cycle objectives.   Each cycle of design has clearly defined objectives both in terms of the target properties to optimise but also in terms of the areas of the molecule to be modified. We describe this as an MPO, which enables our algorithms to automatically generate molecules to meet these criteria. It is important to balance exploration with exploitation to fully map the space around the design objectives, while efficiently optimising towards a development candidate. As an example, an MPO that appears to be a single objective such as dose actually comprises multiple objectives including potency, therapeutic index, bioavailability, solubility and many more that need to be broken down and encoded by the system to optimise. As projects progress, we measure progress towards the development candidate criteria using our MERIT scoring system.
Step 4: Optimisation.   New designs are produced using our generative AI approaches, such as Rogue and Gambit, in parallel to create a population of molecules that meet the optimisation criteria. Those with highest potential are then refined in silico using advanced models and prediction of synthetic accessibility.
Step 5: Selection.   From the large population produced by generative design, Active Learning is used to create a set of 10 to 20 prioritised molecules in each cycle that will give us the maximum information to improve our models and achieve multiple design goals. The 10 to 20 selected molecules are synthesised and tested extensively in the laboratory. The data are then fed back to build certainty into our predictive models so that the next cycle can commence.
 
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Broad Applicability
The power of our multi-parameter AI driven approach is that in addition to single target focused optimisation, we can optimise against more complex endpoints than have been conventionally possible. We can design against big and small data problems, with and without X-ray structure, and directly using high dimensional, high content data. We are not aware of any other design system that can incorporate such a breadth of data types into design.
Designing small molecule bispecifics.   We have completed multiple projects that require the modulation of two unrelated targets while retaining high off-target selectivity. Biologics have historically been used for bispecific molecules; however, our platform has enabled bispecific design for small molecules. Our AI platform has designed bispecific compounds that simultaneously fulfil the binding site requirements of two targets through an integrated pharmacophore. This means we do not use linker technologies that often lead to poor physical properties and high molecular weight. Due to the low molecular weight of our bispecific small molecules, they are more likely to be suitable for oral delivery and CNS penetration.
Dual Targeting with a Bispecific Small Molecule
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We designed small molecule DSP-0038, is a single compound with both agonist activity at the 5-HT1A receptor and antagonist activity at the 5-HT2A receptor.
Designing towards complex phenotypic endpoints.   High content assay technologies generate far more data than can be interpreted manually. We apply our deep learning expertise to both digest data and extract knowledge. Image-based data sets are processed to extract thousands of features, which are then encoded into our multi-parameter design map. These data are then clustered and correlated with the chemical profiles of active compounds to build models that can predict activity.
Evidencing the flexibility of our AI, we used our platform to interpret video data from a study of over 100,000 mice tested with a library of compounds. This high dimensional data contained 2,000 features, such as movement patterns and behaviour, and our algorithms extracted 62 key features that fully described all relevant phenotypic activity. Subsequent analyses then linked these responses to specific chemical structures, enabling our AI system to learn which chemical features were responsible for driving phenotypic changes and generating new chemical structures designed to optimise this activity. Drug design can therefore be implemented effectively by our technologies without any knowledge of the target.
 
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Figure shows the dimensionality reduction and featurization of high content video data analysing the behaviour of over 100,000 mice converted into molecular design hypotheses.
Platform Expansion
Autonomous Design.   The goal of Autonomous Design is to achieve significant efficiency gains through process-level automation of human expert decision making. To achieve this, we are building a rigorous understanding of the strategies that drug designers employ on active discovery projects, and developing new techniques to extract, organise and formalise this domain knowledge and expertise. Capturing drug designer intent and all strategic decision-making processes allows us to identify optimal scenarios in which to apply specific strategies. By adopting a combination of rule based and data driven assessments, a hybrid neurosymbolic approach, we extend the true impact of AI in drug discovery and increase its applicability in sparse-data scenarios.
Closed loop integration of automated experiment with AI.   We are currently designing and building what we believe will be the world’s most advanced automated drug discovery experimental platform. This new platform will be driven by our autonomous drug design algorithms and be a fully automated, AI-driven Design-Make-Test closed loop experimental engine.
This automated drug optimisation platform is designed to consist of four components:

AI autonomous design;

AI retrosynthesis and chemical reaction design;

automated chemical synthesis; and

robotic in vitro, cellular and biochemical screening.
 
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Precision Medicine
Our functional precision oncology platform embeds patient based translational assays throughout our AI-driven drug discovery process. It uses high-content, single-cell resolution analysis and deep learning to measure the activity of drug molecules, ex vivo, in primary patient tissues.
Testing drug action in primary tissues at single-cell resolution allows us to get as close as one reasonably can to an actual patient prior to clinical trials. We design and test molecules in the context of real-world patient-to-patient heterogeneity, with the goal of improving downstream success in the clinic. Our platform has been extensively used to characterise the cytotoxic activity of small molecules, biologics and cell-based therapies in primary human patient samples both for clinical and preclinical research applications. We believe our platform offers the following benefits:

De-risking clinical development.   Testing our drug candidates in our functional precision oncology platform allows us to demonstrate activity directly in patient cells before undertaking clinical studies. This affords us greater confidence that our drug candidates will demonstrate activity in patients.
 
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Figure above is an example of the high content images we generate, in this case evaluating five small molecules in seven concentrations with different activities. The red cells are cancer cells and the yellow cells are the immune cells, with the rows representing the different small molecules and the columns the concentrations of each small molecule. We can see in the top row the small molecule did not have an effect. In the second from top row, the samples did not change in appearance but the cells lost membrane integrity. In the bottom three rows, we can see a notable anti-cancer effect, and the drug candidates generated cell death in a dose dependent fashion.

Precision trials.   The platform can be used to design specifically tailored clinical trials in oncology where patients are stratified based on their actual response to a drug or combination of drugs. The EXALT-1 trial described below demonstrates the precision that we can apply to our clinical trial design.

Patient stratification.   Combining the genomic fingerprints obtained from patient samples with drug activity allows us to stratify patients rapidly and accurately.
We have successfully applied this technology to multiple projects. Two examples, our clinical stage A2A antagonist, EXS21546, and our CDK7 project focusing on ovarian cancer, are highlighted below and included in the section titled Technology in Action:

Immuno-oncology candidate EXS21546, an A2a antagonist.   We assessed our clinical stage A2A antagonist, EXS21546, in primary pancreatic and lung cancer tissue samples from patients. Not only could A2A-induced immune suppression be reversed, but the compound also exhibited cancer cell killing activity.

Small molecule CDK7 inhibitors in primary malignant ascites of ovarian cancer patients. We recently completed the first phase of a preclinical study evaluating the activity of two CDK7 inhibitors that we developed, EXS617 and EXS665, in primary tissue samples of ovarian cancer patients. The preliminary data show that both molecules exhibited potent antitumour activity with selectivity over immune cells in the same samples.
Personalised precision oncology.   We have developed the first-ever functional precision oncology platform to successfully guide treatment selection and improve patient outcome in a prospective interventional clinical study. We believe that this not only validates our AI-driven, high content platform as a clinically translatable preclinical drug testing technology, but also potentially positions it as a future companion diagnostics platform that can be used directly for patient selection into clinical trials.
In the first-ever prospective interventional study of its kind, EXALT-1, our platform predicted which therapy was to be most effective for late-stage haematological cancer patients based on drug activity in their own tissue samples. EXALT-1 demonstrated the real-world patient selection capabilities of our platform by achieving a 55% overall response rate and statistically significant improvement in progression free survival over the prior line of therapy for patients (n=56) that were treated following the platform’s recommendation. Specifically, 30 out of 56 patients (54%) reached a PFS under assay-guided therapy
 
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that was >1.3-fold longer than in their respective previous therapy, with a median ratio of 3.4. The post hoc analysis further showed that after 12 months, 15 out of 52 patients (29%) were still progression free on assay-guided therapy (clinical benefit hazard ratio of 0.53; p=0.005), compared to 4 out of 52 patients (8%) during their prior therapy (clinical benefit hazard ratio of 1.4; p=0.4). We believe that the results of EXALT-1 were very encouraging and warranted further investigation. In June 2020, we initiated the EXALT-2 clinical trial, a Phase 1 prospective, randomised trial of up to 150 patients to further investigate the original findings from the EXALT-1 trial.
This enabled physicians to optimise the therapeutic window by distinguishing on-target from off-target responses and select not only non-toxic but effective and selective drugs for each individual patient.
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Figure above shows an overview of the EXALT-1 study. Green box: Overall response rate in
N = 56 patients (primary analysis set). Left plot: PFS for patients treated with drugs recommended by the platform (N = 52, post-hoc analysis). Right plot: PFS for patients where other treatment was followed. All compared to their respective prior line of therapy (N = 14, post-hoc analysis).
Combination screening.   Today, anticancer drugs are almost exclusively used in combination regimens. Finding the right combination partner is a complex process that often requires parallel investigation of multiple combinations in costly clinical trials. We envision that our platform can substantially streamline this process, reducing both time to market and cost, by evaluating drug combinations in relevant viable patient tissues before embarking on costly trials. We completed proof-of-concept work to identify efficacious drug combinations with ibrutinib for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. This work yielded encouraging results that were published in Nature Chemical Biology in 2019.
 
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Technology in Action
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Deals
Our partners value our focus on goal-oriented delivery of drug candidates for both best-in-class and first-in-class challenging targets. We believe that our technology platform can be applied to any medical indication when combined with therapeutic area expertise to help set design goals. Subsequently, along with our immuno-oncology focused wholly-owned projects, we have signed a variety of select milestone driven and co-development, co-ownership, deals. In our large pharma partnerships, we provide end-to-end discovery capabilities in exchange for discovery, development and sales milestone payments, plus royalties. In our joint ventures where we share asset ownership, in deals ranging from 50% to 90% ownership, we provide end-to-end drug discovery capabilities to accelerate candidate molecule design, and our partners provide additional therapeutic area expertise and, in many cases, oversee clinical and commercial development.
Our Pharma Partnership Business
Bristol Myers Squibb.   We and BMS are collaborating on a portfolio of seven oncology, autoimmunity, immunology and inflammation projects. The partnership began in 2019 with Celgene, and it expanded in 2021 directly with BMS following their acquisition of Celgene, with increasingly rewarding terms for Exscientia. BMS provides invaluable therapeutic area expertise, as well as a commitment to fund the development of molecules through the clinic. The second deal, coming just two years after the first, demonstrated the power of our platform to successfully deliver high quality drug candidates to BMS’s exacting preclinical candidate criteria. Together, these deals have already delivered $55 million in upfront payments. In August 2021, BMS exercised its option to in-licence an immune-modulating drug candidate we created under the first collaboration agreement, triggering a $20 million milestone payment that we expect to collect in the third or fourth quarter of 2021. We refer to this milestone payment as the BMS milestone payment elsewhere in this prospectus. Under the second BMS agreement, we could receive near-term milestone payments of up to $125 million. The deals have a potential value of over $1.3 billion in total payments to us, including clinical and sales milestone payments, and additionally provide us with royalties on each marketed asset.
Bayer.   Under the terms of our agreement with Bayer AG, or Bayer, signed in early 2020, we will work on up to three projects, with targets agreed between both parties, covering multiple therapeutic areas including pain, inflammation and oncology. We are eligible to receive up to €240 million in a combination of upfront and research payments, near-term and clinical milestones, plus single digit sales royalties.
Sanofi.   Under our deal with Sanofi S.A., or Sanofi, we delivered a bispecific lead molecule in the area of inflammation and fibrosis in 2019. The project continues, and we can potentially receive up to a total of $250 million in preclinical, clinical and sales milestone payments. Along with the two clinical compounds we developed with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, this successful partnership demonstrates the ability of our AI platform to process the added complexity of intentionally targeting multiple therapeutic targets as just another parameter to optimise against.
Evotec.   Since late 2017, Evotec International GmbH, or Evotec, has been an important partner to Exscientia by not only investing in multiple of our preferred financing rounds, but also serving as a co-discovery partner on our wholly-owned A2A antagonist programme, pursuant to the terms of a Collaboration Agreement which was terminated in April 2021. Under the final terms of this deal, Evotec provided biology and chemistry capabilities and expertise in return for low-double digit royalties. Together, we were able to rapidly drive the discovery of the A2A candidate. The candidate molecule was discovered only nine months after the project began, and with 163 compounds synthesised. This compound is now in a Phase 1 clinical trial as an immuno-oncology treatment for several tumour types. The compound is a highly selective A2A receptor antagonist under investigation for its ability to prevent adenosine from binding to the T-cell receptor and therefore then promoting anti-tumour T-cell activity. We believe the drug candidate has the potential to be effective while cause fewer systemic side effects than other treatment options.
 
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Partnership Agreements with Non-Profit Organisations
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.   In December 2020, we were awarded a grant for $4.2 million from the Gates Foundation to develop treatments for malaria, tuberculosis and non-hormonal contraception. In June 2021, we received a further $1.5 million grant to expedite the optimisation of a new class of COVID-19 therapeutics created using our AI drug design platform. On September 1, 2021, we further expanded our collaboration and entered into a four year agreement with the Gates Foundation to develop small molecule therapeutics that tackle the current coronavirus pandemic and help prepare for future pandemics. The expanded collaboration will initially focus on developing broad-spectrum coronavirus agents (e.g. SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, MERS), including accelerating our lead programme, which targets the main protease, or Mpro, of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Subsequently, the collaboration will widen focus to develop therapeutics for influenza and paramyxoviridae (e.g., Nipah). As part of this collaboration, the Gates Foundation has committed to purchase $35.0 million of our ADSs in a concurrent private placement and we have committed to provide $35.0 million in matching contributions over the course of four years, through operations and funding for third party activities. For additional detail regarding the concurrent private placement, see the “Concurrent Private Placement” section of this prospectus.
Our Joint Venture Business
Rallybio.   In 2019, we entered into a co-development and co-ownership joint venture with Rallybio to investigate multiple areas of rare disease. There are 7,000 to 8,000 rare diseases, which affect over 30 million patients in the US alone. And yet data on potential treatments for most of these diseases is sparse or non-existent. The deep learning approach of our platform can accelerate the discovery of novel treatments in knowledge-poor areas such as these. Rallybio’s vital therapeutic area and clinical knowledge allows us to enter a therapeutic area we would not otherwise attempt to tackle. Under this joint venture, we jointly select targets after assessment by our AI platform for biological pathway relevance and chemical druggability risks. We are driving the programme through completion of pre-clinical toxicology studies, and then Rallybio will progress the candidates through clinical trials and commercialisation, if any candidates are approved. We also have the option to explore molecules in non-rare disease indications, such as oncology. The partnership has now delivered its first preclinical candidates on a challenging target and is progressing together on multiple projects.
EQRx.   In 2021, we entered into a co-development agreement with EQRx, Inc., or EQRx, to accelerate the design of multiple best-in-class molecules for many therapeutic indications, including oncology. We share the vision that there needs to be equity in healthcare and believe that together we can lower the cost of effective treatments by increasing the probability of successfully bringing better molecules to patients. EQRx has committed $7.5 million in upfront research funding per project, and we will drive the design of each candidate until the investigational new drug application, or IND, stage. After that, EQRx, with their business model of lowering risk and development costs in the clinic, and increasing market share through connection to payers, will drive clinical development of the molecule through to commercialisation.
GT Apeiron Therapeutics.   GT was launched in 2019 by GT Healthcare, one of our investors, and they immediately signed a deal with us to fund the discovery of novel checkpoint inhibitor compounds for the treatment of multiple oncology indications. The first candidate has now been designed, selected and entered into IND enabling toxicology studies. Upon achievement of this milestone, we were eligible to receive an equity stake in GT of approximately 13%. On July 1, 2021, we jointly terminated this collaboration and entered into a joint ownership and cost sharing arrangement with GT over the development and commercialisation of three programmes, including the candidate developed under the deal executed in 2019. At execution of this new arrangement, we agreed a 30% reduction in the equity stake we were eligible to receive under the original deal and paid GT $2 million cash. Through this new joint collaboration, we continue to work with GT on multiple additional checkpoint targets towards our goal to build a deep portfolio of both best-in-class and first-in-class assets together.
Huadong Medicine.   In 2020, Forbes ranked Huadong Medicine Co., Ltd., or Huadong, as among the top 10 Chinese pharmaceutical companies. It has more than 10,000 employees and annual revenue of more than $4 billion. We signed an agreement with Huadong to design optimised drug
 
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candidates against multiple targets in the area of transcription control of DNA damage response genes. The goal of this joint venture is to create a treatment for patients with defective DNA damage repair mechanisms, a common effect in patients with ovarian cancer, breast cancer and other cancer types. As part of the agreement, Huadong is funding discovery activities and we are providing our innovative AI platform in return for rights to the output in all non-Asian territories.
Blue Oak.   Blue Oak Pharmaceuticals, Inc, or Blue Oak, is a biotech focused on the discovery of transformative CNS drugs. In late 2020, we signed a deal with them to co-discover and develop new medicines to treat brain disorders. This partnership combines Blue Oak’s CNS expertise and our ability to design novel CNS penetrant chemotypes and demonstrated ability to apply our AI technology to the successful design of bispecific small molecules.
Employees and Culture
We define ourselves as a pharmatech, which is operating at the interface of advanced AI application and complex drug development. Unlike traditional biopharma, this unique focus is reflected through our rapidly growing, highly educated team, which is balanced between technologists (41.3% of the company) and drug discovery (40.4% of the company). This balance reflects how we collaborate as an organisation, leveraging the expertise of drug hunters, biologists, technologists and our computational platform to design drugs.
Our People and Human Capital Resources
As of September 1, 2021, we had 208 employees and we continue to scale rapidly across all of our teams. Our people are highly experienced and educated with more than 56% holding a PhD/DPhil or M.D. and more than 77% holding at least a master’s qualification. Our people have a world class set of skills gained from careers in academia, life sciences, technology and business. Throughout their careers, our expert drug hunters have been involved with the pre-clinical or clinical development of eight marketed drugs, two of which achieved blockbuster status. In addition, our team members have collectively contributed to the development of over 140 clinical stage molecules, authored/co-authored over 1,140 publications, and have been named as an inventor on over 217 patents.
Approximately 65% of our team work from our headquarters in Oxford, who have access to our state-of-the-art labs completed in January 2021. We have grown rapidly over the last three years, almost doubling in size each year. Our employees work across our global locations, including our offices in Oxford, Dundee, Miami, Boston, Osaka and Vienna to enable us to access global talent into all of our key markets: UK, EU, USA and Japan.
Outside of Austria, none of our employees are subject to collective bargaining agreements. Through our acquisition of Allcyte GmbH, or Allcyte, we have approximately 25 employees in Austria, in respect of which we are subject to a government-mandated collective bargaining agreement which sets minimum wage expectations and grants all employees additional benefits, such as parental leave and travel expenses, beyond those required by the local labour code.
 
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Our Culture
We believe that people are our most important assets. We believe that our focus on creating a collaborative, entrepreneurial and innovative culture with a non-hierarchical approach is a key reason for our success.
We aim to inspire our employees to act as entrepreneurs in their areas of specialty and to continuously strive for innovation and excellence in fulfilling their duties. Cultural fit is a key part of our recruiting process as we look to hire individuals who always want to challenge themselves, who take risks and who are bought into our vision of being impatient for patients. We reward people who take initiative and regard failure as an opportunity to learn and inform improved approaches.
In addition to our success at attracting and recruiting talent, we have also focused on providing those who are part of or join our team opportunities to develop, take on additional responsibility and grow their careers. Internal talent growth is important to us as we believe that we fundamentally design drugs differently and so institutional knowledge built upon the methodology developed by our founders is essential to help us design and develop drugs faster. We continually pursue progression opportunities for our staff to take on more complex or senior roles.
Diversity is an important area of focus for us. We are a global company, and our internationalism is reflected in our workforce which represents more than 30 nationalities, from six continents. We will continue to work on our internal initiatives and processes to ensure that Exscientia remains an inclusive and welcoming place to work for all while working to improve our sex, racial and cultural diversity at all levels in the organisation.
Facilities
We currently lease a facility that consists of our global headquarters, as well as research and development and laboratory space, which is approximately 21,000 square feet. We have two leases relating to different floors within our headquarters, which expire in 2028 and 2033. We also have automation laboratory space located in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom of another 26,000 square feet under a lease that expires in 2031 and has a five-year break period. We also lease approximately 54,990 square feet of office space in Vienna, Austria, under leases that expire in 2022 and 2029. We lease additional facilities in Dundee, Scotland, Osaka, Japan and Miami, Florida.
Competition
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anticipate that we will face intense and increasing competition as technologies for drug discovery and design are developed.
We are applying AI, predictive models and advanced bioanalytics to rapidly design and develop precision drugs. Given the breadth of our technology, we compete within multiple categories of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries working to integrate AI and computational technologies to advance the speed and precision of drug discovery and development activities as well as other companies that are developing therapies targeting indications we are or may choose to pursue. As such, we face competition from major pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, academic institutions, governmental agencies, consortiums and public and private research institutions, among others.
Many of our competitors, either alone or with their strategic collaborators, have substantially greater financial, technical and human resources than we do. Accordingly, our competitors may be more successful than we are in obtaining approval for treatments and achieving widespread market acceptance and may render our treatments obsolete or non-competitive. Mergers and acquisitions in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to our technology. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors.
We are aware of several companies using various technologies, including AI and other sophisticated computational tools, to accelerate drug development and improve the quality of identified drug candidates. These companies include Relay Therapeutics, AbCellera, Schrodinger, Recursion Pharmaceuticals, PathAI, Insitro, Valo Health, Cellarity, XtalPi, BenevolentAI, Datavant and Atomwise.
Manufacturing
We do not own or operate manufacturing facilities for the production of any product candidates, nor do we currently have plans to develop our own manufacturing operations. We expect to rely on third-party contract manufacturers for all of our required raw materials, drug substance and finished drug product for the preclinical and clinical development of any development candidates we develop ourselves. As we grow, we will continue to re-evaluate production capabilities and may establish in-house manufacturing; however, we believe that all of our expected manufacturing requirements can be sourced from multiple vendors.
Intellectual Property
We design novel precision drugs and technology and seek to protect our innovations with a combination of patents and trade secrets, and for each novel technology or improvement we develop, we consider the appropriate course of intellectual property protection.
Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain proprietary protection for drug candidates and any of our future drug candidates, novel discoveries, product development technologies and know how; to operate without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the proprietary rights of others; and to prevent others from infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating our proprietary rights. Our policy is to seek to protect our proprietary position by, among other methods, filing or in-licensing U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications related to our proprietary technology, inventions and improvements that are important to the development and implementation of our business. We also rely on trademarks, trade secrets, know-how, continuing technological innovation and potential in licensing opportunities to develop and maintain our proprietary position.
Patents
As of June 30, 2021, we owned and co-owned one issued U.S. patent, two pending U.S. patent applications, and over 23 pending foreign patent applications.
 
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These patents and patent applications fall into 11 different patent families across 17 different jurisdictions worldwide. We generally rely upon trade secret protections for our AI technology platform as the platform includes hundreds of algorithms and more than 2,500 predictive models. From time to time, we file patent applications directed to aspects of our platform technologies. We own a patent family which includes a granted U.S. patent, one pending U.S. non-provisional patent application, and foreign patent applications pending in Europe and India with claims covering certain aspects of our platform, which, if issued, are expected to expire in 2030, excluding any patent term adjustment or patent term extension. We also own a pending priority patent application with claims directed to aspects of our platform, which, if issued, is expected to expire in 2041, excluding any patent term adjustment or patent term extension.
With regards to patent protection on the molecules we design, we either solely own such filings, jointly own filings with our partners, or in some instances our partners solely own the patent filings. For example, we own and co-own seven patent families directed to our novel compounds which include one pending U.S. patent application and 19 foreign patent applications pending in such jurisdictions as Australia, Canada, China, Europe and Japan, which if issued, are expected to expire between 2039 and 2042.
The patent positions of companies like ours are generally uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions. No consistent policy regarding the scope of claims allowable in patents in the field of biotechnology has emerged in the United States and in Europe, among other countries. Changes in the patent laws and rules, either by legislation, judicial decisions or regulatory interpretation in other countries may diminish our ability to protect our inventions and enforce our intellectual property rights, and more generally could affect the value of our intellectual property. In particular, our ability to stop third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell, importing or otherwise commercialising any of our patented inventions, either directly or indirectly, will depend in part on our success in obtaining, defending and enforcing patent claims that cover our technology, inventions and improvements. With respect to company-owned intellectual property, we cannot be sure that patents will be granted with respect to any of our pending patent applications or with respect to any patent applications filed by us in the future, nor can we be sure that any of our existing patents or any patents that may be granted to us in the future will be commercially useful in protecting our platform and drug candidates and the methods used to manufacture them. Moreover, our issued patents and those that may issue in the future may not guarantee us the right to practice our technology in relation to the commercialisation of our platform’s drug candidates. The area of patent and other intellectual property rights in biotechnology is an evolving one with many risks and uncertainties, which may prevent us from commercialising our drug candidates and future drug candidates and practicing our proprietary technology.
Our issued patents and those that may issue in the future may be challenged, narrowed, circumvented or invalidated, which could limit our ability to stop competitors from marketing related platforms or drug candidates or limit the length of the term of patent protection that we may have for our drug candidates, and future drug candidates, and platforms. In addition, the rights granted under any issued patents may not provide us with complete protection or competitive advantages against competitors with similar technology. Furthermore, our competitors may independently develop similar technologies that achieve similar outcomes but with different approaches. For these reasons, we may have competition for our drug candidates. Moreover, the time required for development, testing and regulatory review of our candidate products may shorten the length of effective patent protection following commercialisation. For this and other risks related to our proprietary technology, inventions, improvements, platforms and drug candidates, please see the section titled “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property”.
Our commercial success will also depend in part on not infringing upon the proprietary rights of third parties. It is uncertain whether the issuance of any third-party patent would require us to alter our development or commercial strategies for our products or processes, or to obtain licences or cease certain activities. Our breach of any licence agreements or failure to obtain a licence to proprietary rights that we may require to develop or commercialise our future products may have an adverse impact on us. If third parties prepare and file patent applications in the United States that also claim technology to which we have rights, we may have to participate in interference or derivation proceedings in the
 
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U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, to determine priority of invention. For more information, please see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property”.
From time to time we may file provisional patent applications in the United States. Provisional patent applications are not eligible to become issued patents until, among other things, we file a non-provisional patent application within 12 months of filing of one or more of our related provisional patent applications. If we do not timely file any non-provisional patent applications, we may lose our priority date with respect to our provisional patent applications and any patent protection on the inventions disclosed in our provisional patent applications. While we would intend to timely file non-provisional patent applications relating to any provisional patent applications we may file, we cannot predict whether any such patent applications will result in the issuance of patents that provide us with any competitive advantage.
The term of individual patents depends upon the legal term of the patents in the countries in which they are obtained. In most countries in which we file, the patent term is 20 years from the earliest date of filing a non-provisional patent application related to the patent. However, the actual protection afforded by a patent varies on a product-by-product basis, from country to country, and depends upon many factors, including the type of patent, the scope of its coverage, the availability of regulatory-related extensions, the availability of legal remedies in a particular country, and the validity and enforceability of the patent. A U.S. patent also may be accorded patent term adjustment, or PTA, under certain circumstances to compensate for delays in obtaining the patent from the USPTO. In some instances, such a PTA may result in a U.S. patent term extending beyond 20 years from the earliest date of filing a non-provisional patent application related to the U.S. patent. In addition, in the United States, the term of a U.S. patent that covers an FDA-approved drug may also be eligible for patent term extension, which permits patent term restoration as compensation for the patent term lost during the FDA regulatory review process
Trademarks
As of June 30, 2021, our trademark portfolio comprises 43 trademark registrations or active trademark applications worldwide. Such portfolio includes 31 non-U.S. trademark registrations, 10 pending non-U.S. trademark applications and two pending U.S. trademark applications.
Trade Secrets
In addition to our reliance on patent protection for our inventions, drug candidates and programmes, we also rely on trade secrets, know-how, confidentiality agreements and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. For example, some elements of proprietary assays, analytics techniques and processes, knowledge gained through clinical experience such as approaches to dosing and administration and management of patients, as well as computational-biological algorithms, and related processes and software, are based on unpatented trade secrets and know-how that are not publicly disclosed. Although we take steps to protect our proprietary information and trade secrets, including through contractual means with our employees, advisors and consultants, these agreements may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. In addition, third parties may independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information and techniques or otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or disclose our technology. As a result, we may not be able to meaningfully protect our trade secrets. It is our policy to require our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisors to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of employment or consulting relationships with us. These agreements provide that all confidential information concerning our business or financial affairs developed or made known to the individual or entity during the course of the party’s relationship with us is to be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties except in specific circumstances. In the case of employees, the agreements provide that all inventions conceived of by the individual during the course of employment, and which relate to or are reasonably capable of being used in our current or planned business or research and development are our exclusive property. In addition, we take other appropriate precautions, such as physical and technological security measures, to guard against misappropriation of our proprietary technology by third parties. However, such agreements and policies
 
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may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for such breaches. For more information regarding the risks related to our intellectual property, see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property”.
Material Agreements
Allcyte Acquisition Agreement
On August 18, 2021, we acquired all of the outstanding share capital of Allcyte pursuant to an agreement with Allcyte’s shareholders, or the Allcyte Acquisition Agreement. We expect that our acquisition of Allcyte will expand our translational capabilities by enabling high content evaluation of individual patient biology in primary tumour tissues, rather than artificial cell lines or animal models.
The acquisition was structured in two parts: (i) a cash acquisition of shares, or the Share Acquisition; followed by (ii) a merger of Allcyte into Alphaexscientia Beteiligungs GmbH, a newly incorporated wholly-owned Austrian subsidiary of ours, or the Merger. The Share Acquisition together with the Merger is defined herein as the Transaction.
The consideration for the Transaction totalled €50.0 million, which was satisfied partly in cash and partly in shares with an approximately equal split. The cash portion of the consideration is subject to a net working capital adjustment, and €0.5 million of the cash portion of the consideration will be retained in escrow until the completion accounts have been finalised and any adjustment made. The aggregate of 8,726 shares issued as consideration were issued at $3,502.17 per share, which is the same price that was paid for our Series D1 Shares in our most recent equity financing. Approximately 5-15% of the Allcyte assets were allocated to goodwill and approximately 85-95% were allocated to intangibles and will be amortisable over a period of eight years, resulting in incremental amortisation expense of a range of between approximately £4 million and £5 million per year.
The Allcyte Acquisition Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and pre-closing covenants for a transaction of this kind, including warranties made by the founders of Allcyte regarding the company’s business. The transaction documents are governed by Austrian law and subject to the jurisdiction of the commercial court in the first district of Vienna, Austria. Following receipt on August 12, 2021 of the approval of the Austrian Ministry for Digitalization and Economic Affairs (Bundesministerium für Digitalisierung und Wirtschaftsstandort), in accordance with the Austrian Investment Control Act (Investitionskontrollgesetz, Austrian Federal Gazette I 87/2020), the Share Acquisition was completed on August 18, 2021, and the Merger was completed on August 24, 2021 upon registration of the Merger by the competent commercial registry in Austria.
Bayer Amended and Restated Collaboration Agreement
In April 2021, we entered into an Amended and Restated Collaboration Agreement, or the Amended Bayer Collaboration Agreement, with Bayer, which amended and restated a collaboration agreement that we had previously entered into with Bayer in December 2019, or the Original Bayer Collaboration Agreement. Under the terms of the Amended Bayer Collaboration Agreement, the parties agreed to pursue a specified number of projects, with collaboration targets for compound identification and drug development agreed between both parties.
The Amended Bayer Collaboration Agreement extended the collaboration time period under the Original Bayer Collaboration Agreement until December 2022, during which time both parties agreed not to conduct any independent research, development, or commercialization activities with respect to any collaboration targets. A joint steering committee, composed of equal members from each party, oversees the work performed under the Bayer Collaboration Agreement. To date, Bayer has paid us an aggregate of €2.5 million to fund project initiation and ongoing research activities. We are eligible to receive an estimated aggregate, excluding royalties, of up to €240 million, including upfront and research payments, as well as upon achievement of near term and clinical milestones. Under the Bayer Collaboration Agreement, Bayer will pay us a low-single-digit royalty that is percentage of net sales on collaboration targets that are approved for commercial sale, if any, sold worldwide.
 
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Bayer granted us a non-exclusive, worldwide, sublicensable license to relevant Bayer intellectual property, solely for our activities under the agreement. Bayer is the sole owner of any intellectual property that results from the collaboration, except that we solely own improvements and know-how related to our technology platform. If Bayer terminates or breaches the Amended Bayer Collaboration Agreement, or informs us that it has decided not to develop or commercialize any compound against a certain collaboration target, then we have the right to obtain certain rights to such compounds. If such notice occurs after the submission of a clinical trial application we may negotiate an exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, sublicensable license with Bayer for the relevant compounds for an agreed period of time. During the option period (and after, if no agreement is reached), Bayer may not enter into an agreements with third parties for the development and commercialization of the compounds on terms less favorable to Bayer than what we last offered. The term of the Amended Bayer Collaboration Agreement runs from the date of the Original Bayer Collaboration Agreement until no further milestone or royalty payments are due under the agreement. Bayer may terminate the agreement without cause upon prior written notice. Either party may terminate the agreement upon a material breach by the other party.
BMS Collaboration and License Agreement
In May 2021, we entered into a Collaboration and License Agreement, or the BMS Agreement, with BMS. Under the BMS Agreement, the parties agreed to collaborate in the discovery and preclinical development of target compounds for collaboration targets. During the term of the BMS Agreement, BMS retains the exclusive right to develop and commercialize target compounds, while we are exclusively responsible for the preclinical manufacturing process.
A joint steering committee, composed of an equal number of members from each party, oversees the work performed under the BMS Agreement. The research plan, which governs the research and development of target compounds under the BMS Agreement, runs for four years from the date on which the research plan commences. BMS retains the right to terminate the research plan upon six months’ prior written notice. Alternatively, BMS may also extend the research plan for an additional year after the initial four-year term.
Under the BMS Agreement, BMS has paid us an up-front amount of $30 million. We are also entitled to payments upon achievement of developmental benchmarks and regulatory and sales milestones. Under the BMS Agreement, we could potentially receive a total aggregate amount, excluding royalties, of up to $1.3 billion. Additionally, BMS will pay us a range of low to high single digit percentage royalty payments on sales of drug candidates developed pursuant to the agreement, if any, that receive regulatory approval.
Under the BMS Agreement, we granted BMS an exclusive, worldwide, royalty-bearing, sublicensable license to discover, develop, and commercialize target compounds. Additionally, BMS granted us a non-exclusive, worldwide, non-sublicensable, royalty-free license solely for the purposes of carrying out our obligations under the BMS Agreement. BMS retained the right to terminate the BMS Agreement entirely or on a country-by-country basis. Either party may terminate the BMS Agreement on a licensed product-by licensed product basis upon a material and uncured breach of the agreement by the other party , except that if BMS materially breaches its diligence obligations and does not cure within a specified period, we can terminate the BMS Agreement on a market-by-market or target-by-target basis.
Evotec Collaboration Agreement
In March 2016, we entered into a collaboration agreement, or the Evotec Collaboration Agreement, with Evotec, to generate molecules for immuno-oncology, including bispecifics. We amended the Evotec Collaboration Agreement in October 2017, October 2018, January 2019, January 2020 and April 2021.
Pursuant to the terms of the Evotec Collaboration Agreement, as amended, each party had the right, after March 29, 2018, to notify the other party that it is no longer able or willing to contribute to the programme. Upon receipt of such opt-out notice, the other party is entitled to continue the programme. The January 2020 amendment focused the collaboration on A2A antagonists. The April 2021 amendment acknowledged that Evotec had exercised its opt-out rights, terminated the initial Programme Plan (as
 
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defined in the Evotec Collaboration Agreement, as previously amended), and revised the revenue sharing provision to provide that the revenue sharing percentage would be the following based on when either party provided notice of its decision to opt-out: upon the start of a Phase 1a clinical trial of a Adenosine A2A antagonist in healthy volunteers, we are entitled to 55% of revenue and Evotec, 45%; upon publication of headline results from the Phase 1a clinical trial, we are entitled to 60% of revenue and Evotec, 40%; upon dosing of the fifth patient in the first Phase 1b/2a efficacy trial, we are entitled to 70% of revenue and Evotec, 30%; upon publication of headline results from the Phase 1b/2a trial, we are entitled to 85% of revenue and Evotec, 15%; and upon dosing of the fifth patient in a registrational trial, we are entitled to 90% of revenue and Evotec, 10%.
Our lead product candidate, EXS21546, is based on intellectual property developed under the Evotec Collaboration Agreement, as amended, and entered its first Phase 1a clinical trial on December 16, 2020. To the extent we wish to outsource any of our activities under the programme to any entity other than an affiliate of ours, and Evotec or any of its affiliates has the capability to provide such activity, we are required to offer such activity to Evotec and Evotec must use commercially reasonable efforts to provide such activity at reasonable service fees to be negotiated in good faith.
Under the Evotec Collaboration Agreement, as amended, Evotec granted us a non-exclusive, sublicensable, worldwide, royalty-free licence under any background intellectual property and any background intellectual property that constitutes an improvement of or enhancement to their existing intellectual property and does not specifically relate to the intellectual property made in the course of performing the Programme Plan, solely for the purpose of continuing the programme. Following Evotec's opt-out notice, we have exclusive ownership and the sole right to decide on the preparation, prosecution, filing enforcement and maintenance of any intellectual property made in the course of performing the Programme Plan.
We are free to negotiate and conclude any licence agreements with third parties under the programme in our own discretion. For such purpose, Evotec has granted us the right to grant any third-party party collaborator with whom we have concluded a licence agreement (i) any rights in intellectual property made in the course of performing the Programme Plan and (ii) a non-exclusive worldwide licence (with the right to grant sublicences) under Evotec's background intellectual property and any background intellectual property that constitutes an improvement of or enhancement to their existing intellectual property and does not specifically relate to the intellectual property made in the course of performing the Programme Plan, to develop, make, use, sell, offer for sale or import any therapeutic product based on intellectual property made in the course of performing the Programme Plan targeting Adenosine A2A antagonists.
Under the Evotec Collaboration Agreement, as amended, and a related agreement under which we engaged an Evotec affiliate to carry out the preclinical toxicology and manufacturing work for EXS21546, since January 1, 2018, we have been invoiced by Evotec and its affiliates an aggregate of £5,741,000 as of June 30, 2021.
Sanofi Research Collaboration and License Agreement
In June 2016, we entered into a Research Collaboration and License Agreement, or the Sanofi Agreement, with Sanofi. Under the terms of the Sanofi Agreement, the parties agreed to apply our research capabilities to identify possible structures for target combinations in metabolic disease and to apply our advanced design technologies to the targets that Sanofi identifies.
A steering committee, composed of an equal number of representatives from both parties, oversees the work carried out under the Sanofi Agreement. We granted Sanofi a worldwide, exclusive (other than with respect to our company), sublicensable license to our technology platform to carry out the research program during the course of the Sanofi Agreement. We granted Sanofi a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, nonexclusive license for research purposes, which does not include clinical development or commercialization rights. Under the Sanofi Agreement, we also granted Sanofi an exclusive option to acquire an exclusive, worldwide license to the results of the research conducted under the Sanofi Agreement, which would enable Sanofi to develop, manufacture and commercialize any resulting product candidates.
 
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Sanofi has provided us with an aggregate of €950,000 to fund our initial research efforts under the agreement and pursuant to Sanofi’s August 2019 exercise of the option described above with respect to one of the targets we designed. Sanofi has committed to make additional milestone payments tied to clinical success criteria, as well as regulatory approval in certain geographies. We can potentially receive up to a total of $250 million in preclinical, clinical and sales milestone payments. Additionally, we are entitled to further sales-based milestone payments upon achievement of certain thresholds in annual net sales. The Sanofi Agreement’s term runs from the last date on which the agreement was signed until it is terminated by the parties. Either party may terminate the Sanofi Agreement if the other party commits a material breach and does not remedy the breach. Sanofi may terminate the Sanofi Agreement for any reason upon prior written notice.
University of Dundee Patent Licence Assignment
In January 2019, The University of Dundee assigned to us all of its rights, title and interest in and to certain patents, which form a core part of our intellectual property portfolio. We have the sole right to prosecute, maintain and enforce these patents. In consideration for the assignment, we paid The University of Dundee £150,000.
Government Regulation
Government authorities in the United States, at the federal, state and local level, and in the European Union and other countries and jurisdictions, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacturing, quality control, approval, labelling, packaging, storage, record-keeping, promotion, advertising, distribution, post-approval monitoring and reporting, marketing and export and import of drugs, such as those we are developing. We, along with our vendors, third-party collaborators, contract research organisations, or CROs, and contract manufacturing organisations, or CMOs, will be required to navigate the various preclinical, clinical and commercial approval requirements of the governing regulatory agencies of the countries in which we wish to conduct studies or seek approval of our drug candidates. The processes for obtaining marketing approvals in the United States and in foreign countries and jurisdictions, along with subsequent compliance with applicable statutes and regulations and other regulatory authorities, require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources.
U.S. Drug Development Process
In the United States, the FDA regulates drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or the FDCA, and its implementing regulations. Failure to comply with the applicable FDA or other requirements at any time during the drug development process, approval process or after approval may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions or other legal consequences. These sanctions could include, among other things, the FDA’s refusal to approve pending applications, suspension or revocation of an approval, a clinical hold, warning or untitled letters, product recalls or withdrawals, product seizures, total or partial suspensions of manufacturing or distribution, injunctions, fines, refusals of government contracts, restitution, disgorgement or civil or criminal penalties.
The process required by the FDA before a drug may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:

completion of preclinical studies, including laboratory tests, animal studies and formulation studies, in accordance with FDA’s Good Laboratory Practice, or GLP, requirements and other applicable regulations;

submission to the FDA of an investigational new drug application, or IND, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin and must be updated annually or when significant changes are made;

approval by an independent institutional review board, or IRB, or ethics committee at each clinical site before each trial may be initiated;
 
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performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials in accordance with Good Clinical Practice, or GCP, requirements to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed drug for its intended use;

preparation and submission to the FDA of a New Drug Application, or NDA, after completion of all pivotal trials;

payment of user fees for FDA review of the NDA;

a determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of an NDA to file the NDA for review;

satisfactory completion of an FDA advisory committee review, if applicable;

satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the drug will be produced to assess compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice, or cGMP, requirements to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to ensure and preserve the drug’s identity, strength, quality and purity;

potential FDA audit of the clinical trial sites that generated the data in support of the NDA to assess compliance with GCP requirements; and

FDA review and approval of the NDA to permit commercial marketing of the drug for particular indications for use in the United States.
Before testing any drug in humans, the product candidate must undergo rigorous preclinical testing. Preclinical studies include laboratory evaluations of chemistry, formulation and stability, as well as in vitro and animal studies to assess safety and in some cases to establish the rationale for therapeutic use. The conduct of preclinical studies is subject to federal and state regulations and requirements, including GLP requirements for safety and toxicology studies. Prior to beginning the first clinical trial with a drug candidate in the United States, we must submit an IND to the FDA. An IND is a request for authorisation from the FDA to administer an investigational drug to humans. The central focus of an IND submission is on the general investigational plan and the protocol(s) for clinical studies. Some preclinical testing may continue even after the IND is submitted. The IND also includes results of animal and in vitro studies assessing the toxicology, PK, pharmacology and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the product; chemistry, manufacturing and controls information; and any available human data or literature to support the use of the investigational product. An IND must become effective before human clinical trials may begin. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day time period, raises concerns or questions about the proposed clinical trial, including concerns that human research subjects will be exposed to unreasonable health risks. In such a case, the IND may be placed on clinical hold and the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns or questions before the clinical trial can begin. Submission of an IND therefore may or may not result in FDA authorisation to begin a clinical trial.
Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational drug to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators in accordance with GCP requirements, which include the requirement that all research subjects provide their informed consent for their participation in any clinical study. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the clinical trial, dosing procedures, subject selection and exclusion criteria, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. A separate submission to the existing IND must be made for each successive clinical trial conducted during product development and for any subsequent protocol amendments. Furthermore, an independent IRB for each site proposing to conduct the clinical trial must review and approve the plan for any clinical trial before the clinical trial begins at that site and must monitor the clinical trial until it is completed. An IRB is charged with protecting the welfare and rights of trial participants and considers such items as whether the risks to individuals participating in the clinical trials are minimised and are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits. The IRB also approves the informed consent form that must be provided to each clinical trial subject or his or her legal representative and must monitor the clinical trial until completed. FDA, the IRB or the sponsor may suspend or discontinue a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Similarly, an IRB can suspend or terminate approval of a clinical trial at its institution if the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with the
 
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IRB’s requirements or if the drug has been associated with unexpected serious harm to patients. Some studies also include oversight by an independent group of qualified experts organised by the clinical study sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board, which provides authorisation for whether or not a study may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain data from the study and may halt the clinical trial if it determines that there is an unacceptable safety risk for subjects or other grounds, such as no demonstration of efficacy. There are also requirements governing the reporting of ongoing clinical trials and clinical trial results to public registries. In the United States, information about applicable clinical trials, including clinical trial results, must be submitted within specific timeframes for publication on the www.clinicaltrials.gov website.
A sponsor who wishes to conduct a clinical trial outside of the United States may, but need not, obtain FDA authorisation to conduct the clinical trial under an IND. The FDA will accept a well-designed and well-conducted foreign clinical trial not conducted under an IND if the trial was conducted in accordance with GCP requirements, and the FDA is able to validate the data through an onsite inspection if deemed necessary.
Human clinical trials to evaluate therapeutic indications to support an NDA for marketing approval are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined:

Phase 1:   The drug candidate is initially introduced into healthy human subjects or patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are typically designed to test the safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism and distribution of the investigational product in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and, if possible, to gain early evidence of effectiveness. In the case of some products for severe or life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, especially when the product may be too inherently toxic to ethically administer to healthy volunteers, the initial human testing is often conducted in patients.

Phase 2:   The drug candidate is administered to a limited patient population with a specified disease or condition to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, optimal dosages, dose tolerance and dosing schedule and to identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks. Multiple Phase 2 clinical trials may be conducted to obtain information prior to beginning larger and more expensive Phase 3 clinical trials.

Phase 3:   The drug candidate is administered to an expanded patient population to further evaluate dosage, to provide statistically significant evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety, generally at multiple geographically dispersed clinical trial sites. These clinical trials are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit ratio of the investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for product approval. Generally, two adequate and well-controlled Phase 3 clinical trials are required by the FDA for approval of an NDA.
Post-approval trials, sometimes referred to as Phase 4 clinical trials, may be conducted after initial marketing approval. These trials are used to gain additional experience from the treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication and are commonly intended to generate additional safety data regarding use of the drug in a clinical setting. In certain instances, the FDA may mandate the performance of Phase 4 clinical trials as a condition of approval of an NDA.
During the development of a new drug, sponsors are given opportunities to meet with the FDA at certain points. These points may be prior to submission of an IND, at the end of Phase 2 and before an NDA is submitted. Meetings at other times may be requested. These meetings can provide an opportunity for the sponsor to share information about the data gathered to date, for the FDA to provide advice, and for the sponsor and the FDA to reach agreement on the next phase of development. Sponsors typically use the meetings at the end of the Phase 2 trial to discuss Phase 2 clinical results and present plans for the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials that they believe will support approval of the new drug.
Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and must also develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the drug candidate and finalise a process for manufacturing the drug candidate in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality
 
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batches of the drug candidate and, among other things, the manufacturer must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final drug product. In addition, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested, and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
While the IND is active, progress reports summarizing the results of the clinical trials and nonclinical studies performed since the last progress report must be submitted at least annually to the FDA, and written IND safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and investigators fifteen days after the trial sponsor determines the information qualifies for reporting for serious and unexpected suspected adverse events, findings from other studies suggesting a significant risk to humans exposed to the same or similar drugs, findings from animal or in vitro testing suggesting a significant risk to humans, and any clinically important increased incidence of a serious suspected adverse reaction compared to that listed in the protocol or investigator brochure. The sponsor must also notify the FDA of any unexpected fatal or life-threatening suspected adverse reaction as soon as possible but in no case later than seven calendar days after the sponsor’s initial receipt of the information.
U.S. Review and Approval Process
Assuming successful completion of all required testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, the results of product development, preclinical and other non-clinical studies and clinical trials, along with descriptions of the manufacturing process, analytical tests conducted on the chemistry of the drug, proposed labelling and other relevant information are submitted to the FDA as part of an NDA requesting approval to market the drug for one or more indications. Data may come from company-sponsored clinical trials intended to test the safety and effectiveness of a use of a drug, or from a number of alternative sources, including studies initiated by investigators. To support marketing approval, the data submitted must be sufficient in quality and quantity to establish the safety and effectiveness of the investigational drug to the satisfaction of the FDA. The submission of an NDA is subject to the payment of substantial user fees; a waiver of such fees may be obtained under certain limited circumstances. FDA approval of an NDA must be obtained before a drug may be marketed in the U.S.
The FDA reviews an NDA to determine, among other things, whether a drug is safe and effective for its intended use and whether its manufacturing is cGMP-compliant to assure and preserve the drug’s identity, strength, quality and purity. Under the goals and policies agreed to by the FDA under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, the FDA has a goal of ten months from the date of “filing” of a standard NDA for a new molecular entity to review and act on the submission, and six months from the filing date of an NDA subject to priority review. The FDA does not always meet its PDUFA goal dates for standard or priority NDAs, and the review process is often extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification. The FDA conducts a preliminary review of all NDAs within the first 60 days after submission, before accepting them for filing, to determine whether they are sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. The FDA may request additional information rather than accept an NDA for filing. In this event, the NDA must be resubmitted with the additional information. The resubmitted application also is subject to review before the FDA accepts it for filing.
Further, under PDUFA, as amended, each NDA must be accompanied by a user fee. FDA adjusts the PDUFA user fees on an annual basis. Fee waivers or reductions may be available in certain circumstances, including a waiver of the application fee for the first application filed by a small business. Additionally, no user fees are assessed on NDAs for drugs designated as orphan drugs, unless the product also includes a non-orphan indication.
The FDA may refer an application for a drug to an advisory committee. An advisory committee is a panel of independent experts, including clinicians and other scientific experts, that reviews, evaluates and provides a recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.
Before approving an NDA, the FDA will typically inspect the facility or facilities where the drug is manufactured. The FDA will not approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent
 
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production of the drug within required specifications. Additionally, before approving an NDA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with GCP and other requirements relating to the integrity of the clinical data submitted to the FDA. If the FDA determines that the application, manufacturing process or manufacturing facilities are not acceptable, it will outline the deficiencies in the submission and often will request additional testing or information. Notwithstanding the submission of any requested additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval.
After the FDA evaluates an NDA, including the advisory committee recommendation, if any, and inspection reports regarding the manufacturing facilities and clinical trial sites, the FDA may issue an approval letter or a Complete Response Letter. An approval letter authorises commercial marketing of the drug with prescribing information for specific indications. A Complete Response Letter indicates that the review cycle of the application is complete, and the application will not be approved in its present form. A Complete Response Letter usually describes the specific deficiencies in the NDA identified by the FDA, except that where the FDA determines that the data supporting the application are inadequate to support approval, the FDA may issue the Complete Response Letter without first conducting required inspections and/or reviewing proposed labelling. In issuing the Complete Response Letter, the FDA may require additional clinical data, such as an additional pivotal Phase 3 trial or other significant and time-consuming requirements related to clinical trials, nonclinical studies or manufacturing. If a Complete Response Letter is issued, the sponsor must resubmit the NDA, addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, or withdraw the application or request a hearing. Even if such data and information are submitted, the FDA may decide that the NDA does not satisfy the criteria for approval. If and when the deficiencies are addressed to the FDA’s satisfaction, the FDA will typically issue an approval letter.
If regulatory approval of a product is granted, such approval will be granted for particular indications and may contain limitations on the indicated uses for which such product may be marketed. For example, the FDA may approve the NDA with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, to ensure the benefits of the product outweigh its risks. A REMS is a safety strategy to manage a known or potential serious risk associated with a medicine and to enable patients to have continued access to such medicine by managing its safe use, and could include medication guides, physician communication plans, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimisation tools. The FDA also may condition approval on, among other things, changes to proposed labelling or the development of adequate controls and specifications. Once approved, the FDA may withdraw the product approval if compliance with pre- and post-marketing requirements is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the marketplace. The FDA may also require one or more Phase 4 post-market studies and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness after commercialisation, and may limit further marketing of the product based on the results of these post-marketing studies. In addition, new government requirements, including those resulting from new legislation, may be established, or the FDA’s policies may change, which could impact the timeline for regulatory approval or otherwise impact ongoing development programmes.
Paediatric Information and Exclusivity
Under the Pediatric Research Equity Act, or PREA, as amended, certain NDAs and certain NDA supplements must contain data that can be used to assess the safety and efficacy of the drug candidate for the claimed indications in all relevant paediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each paediatric subpopulation for which the drug is safe and effective. The FDA may grant deferrals for submission of paediatric data or full or partial waivers. The FDCA requires that a sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a drug candidate that includes a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration submit an initial Pediatric Study Plan, or PSP, within 60 days of an end-of-Phase 2 meeting or, if there is no such meeting, as early as practicable before the initiation of the Phase 3 or Phase 2/3 study. The initial PSP must include an outline of the paediatric study or studies that the sponsor plans to conduct, including study objectives and design, age groups, relevant endpoints and statistical approach, or a justification for not including such detailed information, and any request for a deferral of paediatric assessments or a full or partial waiver of the requirement to provide data from paediatric studies along
 
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with supporting information. The FDA and the sponsor must reach an agreement on the PSP. A sponsor can submit amendments to an agreed-upon initial PSP at any time if changes to the paediatric plan need to be considered based on data collected from preclinical studies, early phase clinical trials and/or other clinical development programmes. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to a drug for an indication for which orphan designation has been granted, except that PREA will apply to an original NDA for a new active ingredient that is orphan-designated if the drug is a molecularly targeted cancer product intended for the treatment of an adult cancer and is directed at a molecular target that FDA determines to be substantially relevant to the growth or progression of a paediatric cancer.
A drug can also obtain paediatric market exclusivity in the United States. Paediatric exclusivity, if granted, adds six months to existing exclusivity periods and patent terms. This six-month exclusivity, which runs from the end of other exclusivity protection or patent term, may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a paediatric study in accordance with an FDA-issued “Written Request” for such a study.
Orphan Drug Designation and Exclusivity
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan drug designation, or ODD, to a drug or biologic intended to treat a rare disease or condition, defined as a disease or condition with either a patient population of fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or a patient population greater of than 200,000 individuals in the United States when there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making available the drug or biologic in the United States will be recovered from sales in the United States of that drug or biologic. ODD must be requested before submitting an NDA or biologics licence application, or BLA. After the FDA grants ODD, the generic identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA.
If a product that has received ODD and subsequently receives the first FDA approval for a particular clinically active component for the disease for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan product exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications, including a full NDA or BLA, to market the same drug or biologic for the same indication for seven years from the approval of the NDA or BLA, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent the FDA from approving a different drug or biologic for the same disease or condition, or the same drug or biologic for a different disease or condition. Among the other benefits of ODD are tax credits for certain research and a waiver of the NDA or BLA application user fee.
A designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received ODD. In addition, orphan drug exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.
Expedited Development and Review Programmes
The FDA has a number of programmes intended to expedite the development or review of products that meet certain criteria. For example, new drugs are eligible for Fast Track designation if they are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease or condition. Fast track designation applies to the combination of the product and the specific indication for which it is being studied. The sponsor of a fast track product has opportunities for more frequent interactions with the review team during product development, and the FDA may consider for review sections of the NDA on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted, if the sponsor provides a schedule for the submission of the sections of the NDA, the FDA agrees to accept sections of the NDA and determines that the schedule is acceptable, and the sponsor pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the NDA.
 
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Any product submitted to the FDA for approval, including a product with a fast track designation, may also be eligible for other types of FDA programmes intended to expedite development and review, such as priority review. A product is eligible for priority review if it is intended to treat a serious disease, and if approved, would provide a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness. The FDA will attempt to direct additional resources to the evaluation of an application for a new drug designated for priority review in an effort to facilitate the review. The FDA endeavours to review applications with priority review designations within six months of the filing date as compared to ten months for review of new molecular entity NDAs under its current PDUFA review goals.
In addition, a product may be eligible for accelerated approval. Drug candidates intended to treat serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions may be eligible for accelerated approval upon a determination that the product has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. As a condition of approval, the FDA may require that a sponsor of a drug receiving accelerated approval perform, in a diligent manner, adequate and well-controlled post-marketing confirmatory clinical trials to verify and describe the product’s clinical benefit. The FDA may withdraw approval of a drug or an indication approved under accelerated approval if, for example, the confirmatory trial fails to verify the predicted clinical benefit of the product. In addition, the FDA generally requires, unless otherwise informed by the agency, pre-approval of promotional materials for products being considered for accelerated approval, which could adversely impact the timing of the commercial launch of the product.
In addition, a new drug may be eligible to receive breakthrough therapy designation if the product is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other products, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. This designation includes all of the fast track designation programme features, as well as more intensive FDA interaction and guidance on an efficient development programme beginning as early as Phase 1, and FDA organisational commitment to expedited development, including involvement with senior managers and experienced review staff in a cross-disciplinary review, where appropriate. The breakthrough therapy designation is a distinct status from both accelerated approval and priority review, which can also be granted to the same drug if relevant criteria are met. If a product is designated as breakthrough therapy, the FDA will work to expedite the development and review of such drug.
Fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation, priority review and accelerated approval do not change the standards for approval or the quality of evidence necessary to support approval, but may expedite the development or approval process. Even if a product qualifies for one or more of these programmes, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened. We may explore some of these opportunities for our product candidates as appropriate.
Post-approval Requirements
Any products manufactured or distributed pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to record-keeping, reporting of adverse experiences, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution and advertising and promotion of the product. After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or other labelling claims, are subject to prior FDA review and approval. There also are continuing, annual programme fees for any marketed products. Drug manufacturers and their subcontractors involved in the manufacture of approved products are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies, and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMP, which impose certain procedural and documentation requirements upon us and our third-party manufacturers. Additionally, manufacturers and other parties involved in the drug supply chain for prescription drug products must
 
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also comply with product tracking and tracing requirements and for notifying FDA of counterfeit, diverted, stolen and intentionally adulterated products or products that are otherwise unfit for distribution in the United States. Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and, depending on the significance of the change, may require prior FDA approval before being implemented. FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMP and impose reporting requirements upon us and any third-party manufacturers that we may decide to use. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMP and other aspects of regulatory compliance.
The FDA may withdraw approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labelling to add new safety information; imposition of post-market studies or clinical trials to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS programme. Other potential consequences include, among other things:

restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls;

fines, warning letters or untitled letters;

clinical holds on clinical studies;

refusal of the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or withdrawal of product approvals;

product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products;

consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment or exclusion from federal healthcare programmes;

mandated modification of promotional materials and labelling and the issuance of corrective information;

the issuance of safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases and other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product; or

injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
The FDA also may require post-marketing testing, known as Phase 4 testing, and surveillance to monitor the effects of an approved product. Discovery of previously unknown problems with a product or the failure to comply with applicable FDA requirements can have negative consequences, including adverse publicity, judicial or administrative enforcement, warning letters from the FDA, mandated corrective advertising or communications with doctors, and civil or criminal penalties, among others. Newly discovered or developed safety or effectiveness data may require changes to a product’s approved labelling, including the addition of new warnings and contraindications, and also may require the implementation of other risk management measures
The FDA closely regulates the marketing, labelling, advertising and promotion of drugs. A company can make only those claims relating to safety and efficacy that are approved by the FDA and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in, among other things, adverse publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising and potential administrative, civil and criminal penalties. Physicians may prescribe, in their independent professional medical judgement, legally available products for uses that are not described in the product’s labelling and that differ from those tested by us and approved by the FDA. Physicians may believe that such off-label uses are the best treatment for many patients in varied circumstances. The FDA does not regulate the behaviour of physicians in their choice of treatments. The FDA does, however, restrict a manufacturer’s communications on the subject of off-label use of their products. The federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines against companies for alleged improper promotion
 
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of off-label use and has enjoined companies from engaging in off-label promotion. The FDA and other regulatory agencies have also required that companies enter into consent decrees or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct is changed or curtailed. However, companies may share truthful and not misleading information that is otherwise consistent with a product’s FDA-approved labelling.
In addition, the distribution of prescription pharmaceutical products is subject to the Prescription Drug Marketing Act, or PDMA, which regulates the distribution of drugs and drug samples at the federal level, and sets minimum standards for the registration and regulation of drug distributors by the states. Both the PDMA and state laws limit the distribution of prescription pharmaceutical product samples and impose requirements to ensure accountability in distribution.
Patent Term Restoration and Extension
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA approval of a sponsor’s product candidates, some of a sponsor’s U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. However, patent term restoration cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s approval date and only those claims covering such approved drug product, a method for using it or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. The patent term restoration period generally is one-half the time between the effective date of an IND and the submission date of a NDA, plus the time between the submission date of an NDA and the approval of that application, less any time the sponsor did not act with due diligence during these periods. Only one patent applicable to an approved drug is eligible for the extension and the application for the extension must be submitted prior to the expiration of the patent. Moreover, a given patent may only be extended once based on a single product. The USPTO, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any patent term extension or restoration. Similar provisions are available in Europe and other foreign jurisdictions to extend the term of a patent that covers an approved drug. In the future, if and when our products receive FDA approval, we expect to apply for patent term extensions on patents covering those products, however there is no guarantee that the applicable authorities, including the FDA in the United States, will agree with our assessment of whether such extensions should be granted, and if granted, the length of such extensions. For more information regarding the risks related to our intellectual property, see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Intellectual Property”.
Marketing Exclusivity
Market exclusivity provisions authorised under the FDCA can delay the submission or the approval of certain marketing applications. The FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent marketing exclusivity within the United States to the first applicant to obtain approval of an NDA for a new chemical entity. A drug is a new chemical entity if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety, which is the molecule or ion responsible for the action of the drug substance. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not approve or even accept for review an abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, or an NDA submitted under Section 505(b)(2), or a 505(b)(2) NDA, submitted by another company for another drug based on the same active moiety, regardless of whether the drug is intended for the same indication as the original innovative drug or for another indication, where the applicant does not own or have a legal right of reference to all the data required for approval. However, an application may be submitted after four years if it contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement to one of the patents listed with the FDA by the innovator NDA holder.
The FDCA also provides three years of marketing exclusivity for an NDA, or supplement to an existing NDA if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application, for example for new indications, dosages or strengths of an existing drug. This three-year exclusivity covers only the modification for which the drug received approval on the basis of the new clinical investigations and does not prohibit the FDA from approving ANDAs or 505(b)(2) NDAs for drugs
 
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containing the active agent for the original indication or condition of use. Five-year and three-year exclusivity will not delay the submission or approval of a full NDA. However, an applicant submitting a full NDA would be required to conduct or obtain a right of reference to any preclinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical trials necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness.
Regulation and Procedures Governing Approval of Medicinal Products in Europe
To market any product outside of the United States, a company also must comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries and jurisdictions regarding quality, safety and efficacy and governing, among other things, clinical trials, marketing authorisation, commercial sales and distribution of products. Whether or not it obtains FDA approval for a product, an applicant will need to obtain the necessary approvals by the comparable foreign regulatory authorities before it can initiate clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries or jurisdictions. Specifically, the process governing approval of medicinal products in the European Union generally follows the same lines as in the United States. It entails satisfactory completion of pharmaceutical development, nonclinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the medicinal product for each proposed indication. It also requires the submission to relevant competent authorities for clinical trials authorisation and to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, or to competent authorities in European Union Member States for a marketing authorisation application, or MAA, and granting of a marketing authorisation by these authorities before the product can be marketed and sold in the European Union.
The requirements and process governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary from country to country. In all cases, the clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with GCP and the applicable regulatory requirements and the ethical principles that have their origin in the Declaration of Helsinki. Medicines used in clinical trials must be manufactured in accordance with cGMP.
Clinical Trial Approval
Clinical trials of medicinal products in the European Union must be conducted in accordance with European Union and national regulations and the international council for harmonization, or ICH, guidelines on GCP. Additional GCP guidelines from the EC, focusing in particular on traceability, apply to clinical trials of advanced therapy medicinal products. The sponsor must take out a clinical trial insurance policy, and in most European Union countries, the sponsor is liable to provide “no fault” compensation to any study subject injured in the clinical trial.
Prior to commencing a clinical trial, the sponsor must obtain a clinical trial authorisation from the national competent authority of the relevant Member State, and a positive opinion from an independent ethics committee. The application for a clinical trial authorisation must include, among other things, a copy of the trial protocol and an investigational medicinal product dossier containing information about the manufacture and quality of the medicinal product under investigation. Currently, clinical trial authorisation applications must be submitted to the national competent authority in each European Union Member State in which the trial will be conducted and all suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions to the investigated drug that occur during the clinical trial have to be reported to the national competent authority and relevant ethics committees of each Member State where the clinical trial is authorised.
The EU clinical trials legislation currently is undergoing a transition process mainly aimed at harmonizing and streamlining clinical trial authorisation, simplifying adverse-event reporting procedures, improving the supervision of clinical trials and increasing their transparency. In April 2014, the EU adopted a new Clinical Trials Regulation (EU) No 536/2014, which is set to replace the current Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC. It is expected that the new Regulation will apply following confirmation of full functionality of the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS), the centralised EU portal and database for clinical trials foreseen by the new Regulation, through an independent audit, currently expected to occur in January 2022. Under the new Regulation, there will be a centralised application procedure where one national authority takes the lead in reviewing the application and the other national authorities have only a limited involvement. Any substantial changes to the trial protocol or other information
 
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submitted with the clinical trial applications must be notified to or approved by the relevant competent authorities and ethics committees. The United Kingdom has implemented the Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC into national law through the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004, so the United Kingdom regulation of clinical trials is currently aligned with EU regulations. The new EU Regulation was not in force in the EU at the time the UK exited the EU, and so was not incorporated into UK law on exit day under the terms of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. The extent to which the regulation of clinical trials in the United Kingdom will mirror the new EU Regulation once that comes into effect is unknown at present.
During the development of a medicinal product the EMA and national medicines regulators within the European Union provide the opportunity for dialogue and guidance on the development programme. At the EMA level, this is usually done in the form of scientific advice, which is given by the Scientific Advice Working Party of the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP. A fee is incurred with each scientific advice procedure. Advice from the EMA is typically provided based on questions concerning, for example, quality (chemistry, manufacturing and controls testing), nonclinical testing and clinical studies, and pharmacovigilance plans and risk-management programmes.
Marketing Authorisations
To market a new medicinal product in the European Economic Area, or EEA (comprising the EU Member States plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), a company must submit an MAA to either the EMA, using the centralised procedure, or the competent authorities in the Member States using the other procedures (decentralised procedure, mutual recognition procedure and national procedures). A marketing authorisation, or MA may only be granted to an applicant established in the EEA. Medicinal products can only be commercialised after obtaining an MA pursuant to one of the processes outlined below:

the centralised MA is issued by the European Commission through the centralised procedure, based on the scientific opinion of the CHMP, and is valid throughout the entire territory of the EEA. The centralised procedure is mandatory for certain types of products, such as (i) biotechnology medicinal products, (ii) orphan medicinal products, (iii) medicinal products containing a new active substance indicated for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, autoimmune and other immune dysfunctions and viral diseases and (iv) advanced-therapy medicinal products, i.e. gene therapy, somatic cell therapy or tissue-engineered medicines. The centralised procedure is optional for products containing a new active substance in therapeutic areas other than those listed as mandatory for the centralised procedure not yet authorised in the EEA, or for products that constitute a significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovation or which are in the interest of public health. Under the centralised procedure the maximum timeframe for the evaluation of an MAA by the EMA is 210 days, excluding procedural clock stops, which provide the applicant with the time to provide additional written or oral information in response to questions asked by the CHMP. Therefore, clock stops may extend the timeframe of evaluation of an MAA considerably beyond 210 days. Where the CHMP gives a positive opinion, the EMA provides the opinion together with supporting documentation to the European Commission, who make the final decision upon whether to grant an MA. If an MA is to be granted, it is usually issued within 67 days of receipt of the EMA’s recommendation. Accelerated assessment might be granted by the CHMP in exceptional cases, when a medicinal product is expected to be of a major public health interest, particularly from the point of view of therapeutic innovation. The timeframe for the evaluation of an MAA under the accelerated assessment procedure is 150 days, excluding stop-clocks, but it is possible that the CHMP may revert to the standard time limit for the centralised procedure if it determines that the application is no longer appropriate to conduct an accelerated assessment.

Decentralised procedure MAs are available for products not falling within the mandatory scope of the centralised procedure. An identical dossier is submitted to the competent authorities of each of the Member States in which the MA is sought, one of which is selected by the applicant as the Reference Member State, or RMS, to lead the evaluation of the regulatory submission. The competent authority of the RMS prepares a draft assessment report, a draft summary
 
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of the product characteristics, or SmPC, and a draft of the labelling and package leaflet as distilled from the preliminary evaluation, which are sent to the other Member States (referred to as the Concerned Member States) for their approval. If the Concerned Member States raise no objections, based on a potential serious risk to public health, to the assessment, SmPC, labelling, or packaging proposed by the RMS, the RMS records the agreement, closes the procedure and informs the applicant accordingly. Each Concerned Member State is required to adopt a national decision to grant a national MA in conformity with the approved assessment report, SmPC and the labelling and package leaflet as approved. Where a product has already been authorised for marketing in a Member State of the EEA, the granted national MA can be used for mutual recognition in other Member States through the mutual recognition procedure.

National MAs, which are issued by a single competent authority of the Member States of the EEA and only cover their respective territory, are also available for products not falling within the mandatory scope of the centralised procedure. Once a product has been authorised for marketing in a Member State of the EEA through a national procedure, this national MA can also be recognised in other Member States through the mutual recognition procedure, as described above.
Under the procedures described above, before granting the MA, the EMA or the competent authority(ies) of the Member State(s) of the EEA prepare an assessment of the risk-benefit balance of the product against the scientific criteria concerning its quality, safety and efficacy.
Data and Market Exclusivity in Europe
Under Regulation (EC) No 726/2004/EC and Directive 2001/83/EC (each as amended), the EEA has adopted a harmonised approach to data and market protection or exclusivity (known as the 8 + 2 + 1 formula). The data exclusivity period for a product begins to run on the date when the first MA for such product is granted in the EEA. It confers on the MA holder of the reference medicinal product eight years of data exclusivity and an additional two years of market exclusivity. A reference medicinal product is a medicinal product (including both small molecules and biological medicinal products), which is authorised based on a full stand-alone dossier consisting of pharmaceutical and preclinical testing results and clinical trial data. The data exclusivity, if granted, prevents generic or biosimilar applicants from referencing the innovator’s preclinical and clinical trial data contained in the dossier of the reference product when applying for a generic or biosimilar marketing authorisation, for a period of eight years from the date on which the reference product was first authorised in the EEA. Even if the generic or biosimilar marketing authorisation is granted, the generic or biosimilar product cannot be marketed until the two-year market exclusivity expires. The ten-year market protection can be extended cumulatively to a maximum period of eleven years if during the first eight years of those ten years, the MA holder obtains an authorisation for one or more new therapeutic indications that are deemed to bring a significant clinical benefit compared to existing therapies. Even if an innovative medicinal product gains the prescribed period of data exclusivity, this exclusivity right against cross-referencing does not stop another company from seeking grant of a marketing authorisation based on data generated by its own independent research and development programme to support a full stand-alone application consisting of the data relating to preclinical tests and clinical trials.
In addition to the above, where an application is made for a new indication for a well-established substance, a non-cumulative period of one year of data exclusivity may be granted, provided that significant preclinical or clinical studies were carried out in relation to the new indication. Finally, where a change of classification of a medicinal product has been authorised on the basis of significant preclinical tests or clinical trials, the competent authority shall not refer to the results of those tests or trials when examining an application by another applicant for or holder of marketing authorisation for a change of classification of the same substance for one year after the initial change was authorised.
European orphan designation and exclusivity
Regulation (EC) No. 141/2000 and Regulation (EC) No. 847/2000 provide that a product can be designated as an orphan drug by the European Commission if its sponsor can establish: (i) that the product is intended for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a life-threatening or chronically debilitating
 
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condition; (ii) either such condition affects not more than five in ten thousand persons in the European Union when the application is made, or, without incentives, it is unlikely that the marketing of the drug in the European Union would generate sufficient return to justify the necessary investment in its development; and (iii) there exists no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention or treatment of the condition in question that has been authorised in the European Union or, if such method exists, the product is of significant benefit compared to products available for the condition.
An Orphan Drug Designation provides a number of benefits, including fee reductions, regulatory assistance and the possibility to apply for a centralised EEA-wide marketing authorisation. Marketing authorisation for an orphan drug leads to a ten-year period of market exclusivity. During this market exclusivity period, neither the EMA (or the European Commission on the EMA’s recommendation) nor the competent authorities of the member states can accept an application or grant a marketing authorisation for a “similar medicinal product”. A “similar medicinal product” is defined as a medicinal product containing a similar active substance or substances as contained in an authorised orphan medicinal product, and which is intended for the same therapeutic indication. During the period of market exclusivity, marketing authorisation may only be granted to a “similar medicinal product” if: (i) a second applicant can establish that its product, although similar to the authorised product, is safer, more effective or otherwise clinically superior; (ii) the marketing authorisation holder for the authorised product consents to a second orphan medicinal product application; or (iii) the marketing authorisation holder for the authorised product cannot supply enough orphan medicinal product. The market exclusivity period for the authorised therapeutic indication may, however, be reduced to six years if, at the end of the fifth year, it is established that the product no longer meets the criteria for Orphan Drug Designation because, for example, the product is sufficiently profitable not to justify market exclusivity. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting an application for marketing approval. Orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review and approval process.
Post-Authorisation Obligations in the European Union
The holder of a centralised MA or national MA is subject to various obligations under the applicable European Union laws, such as pharmacovigilance obligations, requiring it to, among other things, report and maintain detailed records of adverse reactions, and to submit periodic safety update reports, or PSURs, to the competent authorities. All new MAAs must include a risk management plan, or RMP, describing the risk management system that the company will put in place and documenting measures to prevent or minimise the risks associated with the product. The regulatory authorities may also impose specific obligations as a condition of the marketing authorisation. Such risk-minimisation measures or post-authorisation obligations may include additional safety monitoring, more frequent submission of PSURs, or the conduct of additional clinical trials or post-authorisation safety studies. RMPs and PSURs are routinely available to third parties requesting access, subject to limited redactions. All advertising and promotional activities for the product must be consistent with the approved SmPC, and therefore all off-label promotion is prohibited. Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines is also prohibited in the European Union. The holder must also ensure that the manufacturing and batch release of its product is in compliance with the applicable requirements. The MA holder is further obligated to ensure that the advertising and promotion of its products complies with applicable European Union laws and industry code of practice as implemented in the domestic laws of the Member States of the EEA. The advertising and promotional rules are enforced nationally by the EEA Member States.
Paediatric Development in the European Union
In the EEA, companies developing a new medicinal product must agree to a Paediatric Investigation Plan, or PIP, with the EMA’s Paediatric Committee, or PDCO, and must provide the data in compliance with the agreed PIP to accompany an application for marketing authorisation, unless a deferral or waiver applies, (e.g., because the relevant disease or condition occurs only in adults), unless a deferral or waiver applies, (e.g., because the relevant disease or condition occurs only in adults). The agreed PIP sets out the timing and measures proposed to generate data to support a paediatric indication of the drug for which marketing authorisation is being sought. Products that are granted a marketing authorisation on the basis of the paediatric clinical trials conducted in accordance with the PIP (even
 
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where such results are negative) are eligible for a six month extension of the protection under a supplementary protection certificate, or SPC (provided an application for such extension is made at the same time as filing the SPC application for the product, or at any point up to 2 years before the SPC expires), or, in the case of orphan medicinal products, a two year extension of the orphan market exclusivity. This paediatric reward is subject to specific conditions and is not automatically available when data in compliance with the PIP are developed and submitted.
Brexit and the Regulatory Framework in the United Kingdom
On June 23, 2016, the electorate in the United Kingdom voted in favour of Brexit and the United Kingdom officially withdrew from the European Union on January 31, 2020. Pursuant to the formal withdrawal arrangements agreed between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the United Kingdom was subject to a transition period until December 31, 2020, during which European Union pharmaceutical law continued to apply in the UK. The European Union and the United Kingdom have concluded a trade and cooperation agreement, or TCA, which has been provisionally applicable since January 1, 2021 and formally entered into force on May 1, 2021. The TCA includes specific provisions concerning pharmaceuticals, which include the mutual recognition of GMP inspections of manufacturing facilities for medicinal products and GMP certificates, but does not foresee wholesale mutual recognition of United Kingdom and European Union pharmaceutical regulations. As the regulatory framework in the United Kingdom covering the quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products, clinical trials, marketing authorisation, commercial sales and distribution of medicinal products is derived from EU directives and regulations, Brexit could materially impact the future regulatory regime which applies to products and the approval of product candidates in the United Kingdom, as United Kingdom legislation now has the potential to diverge from EU legislation.
For example, Great Britain is no longer covered by the European Union’s procedures for the grant of marketing authorisations (under the Northern Ireland Protocol, centralised MAs will continue to be recognised in Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland remains subject to EU Regulations). A separate marketing authorisation will therefore be required to market drugs in Great Britain. For two years from 1 January 2021, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, or the MHRA, may adopt decisions taken by the European Commission on the approval of new marketing authorisations through the centralised procedure to more quickly grant a new Great Britain MA, and the MHRA will have regard to marketing authorisations approved in a country in the European Economic Area (although in both cases a marketing authorisation will only be granted if any Great Britain-specific requirements are met). Various national procedures are now available to place a drug on the market in the United Kingdom, Great Britain or Northern Ireland, with the main national procedure having a maximum timeframe of 150 days (excluding time taken to provide any further information or data required). The data exclusivity periods in the United Kingdom are currently in line with those in the European Union, but the TCA provides that the periods for both data and market exclusivity are to be determined by domestic law, and so there could be divergence in the future.
Orphan designation in Great Britain following Brexit is essentially identical to the position in the European Union, but is based on the prevalence of the condition in Great Britain. It is therefore possible that conditions that are currently designated as orphan conditions in Great Britain will no longer be and that conditions that are not currently designated as orphan conditions in the European Union will be designated as such in Great Britain.
Following Brexit pre-marketing authorisation Orphan designation is not available in Great Britain, however, as a result of the Northern Ireland Protocol European Union orphan designation and time periods of market exclusivity still remain valid for marketing products in Northern Ireland. The MHRA reviews applications for Great Britain orphan designation in parallel with the corresponding application for a marketing authorisation. The criteria are essentially the same as those in place in the European Union, but based on the prevalence of the condition in Great Britain. Products awarded Great Britain orphan designation will benefit from 10 years of orphan market exclusivity from the date of the relevant marketing authorisation, and an additional two years of exclusivity are available where paediatric data requirements are met.
 
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Other Healthcare Laws and Regulations
Healthcare providers and third-party payors play a primary role in the recommendation and use of pharmaceutical products that are granted marketing approval. Arrangements with third-party payors, existing or potential customers and referral sources, including healthcare providers, are subject to broadly applicable fraud and abuse, and these laws and regulations may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which manufacturers conduct research, market, sell and distribute the products for which they obtain marketing approval. Such restrictions under applicable federal and state healthcare laws and regulations include the following:

the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and wilfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or kind, in exchange for, or to induce or reward either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, any good or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under federal healthcare programmes such as the Medicare and Medicaid programmes. This statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers, on the one hand, and prescribers, purchasers, formulary managers and other individuals and entities on the other. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, or collectively, the ACA, amended the intent requirement of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute such that a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it to commit a violation;

the federal civil and criminal false claims, including the civil False Claims Act, or the FCA, and civil monetary penalties laws, which prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, claims for payment from Medicare, Medicaid or other third-party payors that are false or fraudulent, or knowingly making, or causing to be made, a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim to avoid, decrease, or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. Certain marketing practices, including off-label promotion, also may implicate the FCA. In addition, the ACA codified case law that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA.

the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, imposes criminal and civil liability, among other things, for executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit programme or making false statements relating to healthcare matters;

the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Programme, with specific exceptions, to report annually to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, information related to payments and other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, and ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Effective January 1, 2022, applicable manufacturers will also be required to report such information regarding payments and other transfers of value made during the previous year to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, anaesthesiologist assistants, certified registered nurse anaesthetists and certified nurse midwives;

HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, and their implementing regulations, which imposes certain obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, with respect to safeguarding the transmission, security and privacy of individually identifiable health information on covered entities, such as health plans, health care clearinghouses and certain healthcare providers, and their respective business associates that create, receive, maintain or transmit individually identifiable health information for or on behalf of a covered entity, and their subcontractors that use, disclose, access or otherwise process individually identifiable protected health information; and
 
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state and foreign law equivalents of each of the above federal laws, such as anti-kickback and false claims laws which may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payor, including commercial insurers; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government that otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers and other potential referral sources; state laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers, drug pricing and/or marketing expenditures; state and local laws requiring the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; and state laws governing the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not pre-empted by HIPAA, and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Violation of the laws described above or any other governmental laws and regulations may result in significant penalties, including administrative, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, the curtailment or restructuring of operations, the exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programmes, disgorgement, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, imprisonment and additional reporting requirements and oversight if a person becomes subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws. Furthermore, efforts to ensure that business activities and business arrangements comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations can be costly.
Coverage and Reimbursement
Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any products for which we may obtain regulatory approval. In the United States, sales of any product candidates for which regulatory approval for commercial sale is obtained will depend in part on the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors. Third-party payors include government authorities and health programmes in the United States such as Medicare and Medicaid, managed care providers, private health insurers and other organisations. These third-party payors are increasingly reducing reimbursements for medical products and services. The process for determining whether a payor will provide coverage for a drug product may be separate from the process for setting the reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the drug product. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific drug products on an approved list, or formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved drugs for a particular indication. Additionally, the containment of healthcare costs has become a priority of federal and state governments, and the prices of drugs have been a focus in this effort. The U.S. government, state legislatures and foreign governments have shown significant interest in implementing cost-containment programmes, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products for branded prescription drugs. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit our net revenue and results.
A payor’s decision to provide coverage for a drug product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Further, coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our products to each payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price and examining the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of medical products and services, in addition to their safety and efficacy. New metrics frequently are used as the basis for reimbursement rates, such as average sales price, average manufacturer price and actual acquisition cost. To obtain coverage and reimbursement for any product that might be approved for sale, it may be necessary to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of the products, in addition to the costs required to obtain regulatory approvals. If third-party payors do not consider a product to be cost-effective compared to other available therapies, they may not cover the product after approval
 
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as a benefit under their plans or, if they do, the level of payment may not be sufficient to allow a company to sell its products at a profit. Additionally, any companion diagnostic test that we develop will be required to obtain coverage and reimbursement separate and apart from the coverage and reimbursement we seek for our product candidates, if approved. If any companion diagnostic is unable to obtain reimbursement or is inadequately reimbursed, that may limit the availability of such companion diagnostic, which would negatively impact prescriptions for our product candidates, if approved.
The marketability of any product candidates for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale may suffer if the government and third-party payors fail to provide adequate coverage and reimbursement. In addition, emphasis on managed care in the United States has increased and we expect will continue to increase the pressure on pharmaceutical pricing. Coverage policies and third-party reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favourable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we or our collaborators receive regulatory approval, less favourable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.
In the European Union, pricing and reimbursement schemes vary widely from country to country. Some countries provide that products may be marketed only after a reimbursement price has been agreed. Some countries may require the completion of additional studies that compare the cost-effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently available therapies. European Union member states may approve a specific price for a product or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the product on the market. Other member states allow companies to fix their own prices for products, but monitor and control company profits. The downward pressure on health care costs has increased over the last few years. As a result, increasingly high barriers are being erected to the entry of new products. In addition, in some countries, cross-border imports from low-priced markets exert competitive pressure that may reduce pricing within a country. Any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations may not allow favourable reimbursement and pricing arrangements.
Health Reform
The United States and some foreign jurisdictions are considering or have enacted a number of reform proposals to change the healthcare system. There is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality or expanding access. In the United States, the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by federal and state legislative initiatives, including those designed to limit the pricing, coverage and reimbursement of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products, especially under government-funded health care programmes, and increased governmental control of drug pricing.
By way of example, in March 2010, the ACA was signed into law, and was intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the healthcare and health insurance industries, impose taxes and fees on the healthcare industry and impose additional health policy reforms. Among the provisions of the ACA of importance to our business are:

an annual, non-deductible fee on any entity that manufactures or imports specified branded prescription drugs and biologic agents, apportioned among these entities according to their market share in certain government healthcare programmes;

an increase in the statutory minimum rebates a manufacturer must pay under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Programme to 23.1% and 13.0% of the average manufacturer price for most branded and generic drugs, respectively;

a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Programme are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or injected;

extension of a manufacturer’s Medicaid rebate liability to covered drugs dispensed to individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid managed care organisations;
 
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expansion of eligibility criteria for Medicaid programmes by, among other things, allowing states to offer Medicaid coverage to certain individuals with income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, thereby potentially increasing a manufacturer’s Medicaid rebate liability;

a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount programme, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% (increased to 70% pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, effective as of January 1, 2019) point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for a manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D;

expansion of the entities eligible for discounts under the Public Health Service pharmaceutical pricing programme; and

a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research.
Since its enactment, there have been executive, judicial and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA. For example, various portions of the ACA are currently undergoing legal and constitutional challenges in the United States Supreme Court. Further, on February 10, 2021, the Biden administration withdrew the federal government’s support for overturning the ACA. Although the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the constitutionality of the ACA, on January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order to initiate a special enrolment period for purposes of obtaining health insurance coverage through the ACA marketplace, which began on February 15, 2021 and will remain open through August 15, 2021. In addition, the 2020 federal spending package permanently eliminated, effective January 1, 2020, the ACA-mandated “Cadillac” tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage and medical device tax and, effective January 1, 2021, also eliminated the health insurer tax. We cannot predict what effect further changes to the ACA would have on our business, especially given the new administration.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted. For example, in August 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011 was signed into law, which, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2012 through 2021, was unable to reach its target goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programmes. This includes aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, will remain in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, and other COVID-19 pandemic relief legislation have suspended the 2% Medicare sequester from May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021. In January 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to certain providers, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years.
There also has been heightened governmental scrutiny in the United States of pharmaceutical pricing practices in light of the rising cost of prescription drugs and biologics. Such scrutiny has resulted in several recent congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programmes, and reform government programme reimbursement methodologies for products. At the federal level, the former presidential administration used several means to propose or implement drug pricing reform, including through federal budget proposals, executive orders and policy initiatives. For example, on July 24, 2020 and September 13, 2020, former President Trump announced several executive orders that are intended to lower the costs of prescription drug products and seek to implement several of the administration’s proposals. As a result, the FDA released a final rule, effective November 30, 2020, implementing a portion of the importation executive order providing guidance for states to build and submit importation plans for drugs from Canada. Further, on December 2, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, published a regulation removing safe harbour protection for price reductions from pharmaceutical
 
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manufacturers to plan sponsors under Part D, either directly or through pharmacy benefit managers, unless the price reduction is required by law. The implementation of the rule has been delayed by the Biden administration from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023. The rule also creates a new safe harbour for price reductions reflected at the point-of-sale, as well as a safe harbour for certain fixed fee arrangements between pharmacy benefit managers and manufacturers, the implementation of which have been delayed by the Biden administration until January 1, 2023. On November 20, 2020, CMS issued an interim final rule implementing the Most Favored Nation, or MFN, Model under which Medicare Part B payments will be calculated for certain physician-administered drugs and biologics based on the lowest price drug manufacturers receive in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries with a similar gross domestic product per capita. The MFN Model regulations mandate participation by identified Part B providers and would have applied to all U.S. states and territories for a seven-year period beginning January 1, 2021 and ending December 31, 2027. However, on December 28, 2020, the United States District Court in Northern California issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against implementation of the interim final rule. On January 13, 2021, in a separate lawsuit brought by industry groups in the U.S. District of Maryland, the government defendants entered a joint motion to stay litigation on the condition that the government would not appeal the preliminary injunction granted in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and that performance for any final regulation stemming from the MFN Interim Final Rule shall not commence earlier than 60 days after publication of that regulation in the Federal Register. Further, authorities in Canada have passed rules designed to safeguard the Canadian drug supply from shortages. If implemented, importation of drugs from Canada and the MFN Model may materially and adversely affect the price we receive for any of our product candidates. It is unclear whether the Biden administration will work to reverse these and other proposed measures or pursue similar policy initiatives. At the state level, individual states in the United States have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing.
We expect that these initiatives, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and lower reimbursement, and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. It is also possible that additional governmental action is taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government-funded programmes may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability or commercialise our product candidates.
Further, additional healthcare reform initiatives may arise from future legislation or administrative action, particularly as a result of the recent U.S. presidential election.
Data Privacy and Security Laws
We also are or may become subject to privacy laws in the jurisdictions in which we are established, have partners or sell or market our products or run clinical trials. For example, we are or may become subject to privacy and data protection laws, such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, and HIPAA in the United States, among many others. Our regulatory obligations in foreign jurisdictions could harm the use or cost of our solution in international locations as data protection and privacy laws and regulations around the world continue to evolve.
Certain aspects of our business, including those for which we rely upon collaborators, service providers, contractors or others, are or may become subject to HIPAA and its implementing regulations, which establish standards for covered entities (healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses) governing the conduct of certain electronic healthcare transactions and protecting the security and privacy of protected health information, including, among other requirements, mandatory contractual terms and technical safeguards designed to protect the privacy, security and transmission of protected health information and notification to affected individuals and regulatory authorities in the
 
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event of certain breaches of security of protected health information. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly referred to as the economic stimulus package, included sweeping expansion of HIPAA’s privacy and security standards called for by HITECH, which became effective on February 17, 2010. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA’s privacy and security standards directly applicable to business associates, or independent contractors or agents of covered entities, that receive or obtain protected health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also increased the civil and criminal penalties that may be imposed against covered entities, business associates and possibly other persons, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorney’s fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions.
Even when HIPAA does not apply, failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers’ personal information secure can constitute unfair acts or practices in or affecting commerce and be construed as a violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, or the FTCA, 15 U.S.C § 45(a). The Federal Trade Commission expects a company’s data security measures to be reasonable and appropriate in light of the sensitivity and volume of consumer information it holds, the size and complexity of its business, and the cost of available tools to improve security and reduce vulnerabilities.
In the European Union, we are subject to the GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), in relation to our processing and other use of personal data (i.e. data relating to an identifiable living individual). We may in the future process personal data in relation to participants in our clinical trials in the European Economic Area, including the health and medical information of these participants. The GDPR imposes accountability obligations requiring data controllers and processors to maintain a record of their data processing and implement policies as part of its mandated privacy governance framework. It also requires data controllers to be transparent and disclose to data subjects how their personal information will be used; imposes limitations on retention of personal data; introduces mandatory data breach notification requirements; and sets higher standards for data controllers to demonstrate that they have obtained valid consent for certain data processing activities.
EU Member States may introduce further conditions, including limitations which could limit our ability to collect, use and share personal data (including health and medical information) or could cause our compliance costs to increase. In addition, the GDPR includes restrictions on cross-border data transfers. Certain aspects of cross-border data transfers under the GDPR are uncertain as the result of legal proceedings in the EU, including a recent decision by the Court of Justice for the European Union that invalidated the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield and, to some extent, called into question the efficacy and legality of using standard contractual clauses. This may increase the complexity of transferring personal data across borders out of the European Union.
Fines for certain breaches of the GDPR are significant: up to the greater of €20 million or 4% of total global annual turnover. In addition to the foregoing, a breach of the GDPR or other applicable privacy and data protection laws and regulations could result in regulatory investigations, reputational damage, orders change our use of data, enforcement notices or potential civil claims including class action type litigation.
Further, Brexit, and ongoing developments in the United Kingdom have created uncertainty with regard to data protection regulation in the United Kingdom. Following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU on January 31, 2020, pursuant to the transitional arrangements agreed to between the United Kingdom and EU, the GDPR continued to have effect under law in the United Kingdom, and continued to do so until December 31, 2020 as if the United Kingdom remained a member state of the EU for such purposes. Following December 31, 2020, and the expiry of those transitional arrangements, the data protection obligations of the GDPR continue to apply to United Kingdom-related processing of personal data in substantially unvaried form and fashion under the so-called “UK GDPR” ​(i.e., the GDPR as it continues to form part of United Kingdom law by virtue of section 3 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended (including by the various Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations)). However, going forward, there will be increasing scope for divergence in application, interpretation and enforcement of data protection laws as between the United Kingdom and EEA. In addition, the relationship between the United Kingdom and the EEA in relation to certain aspects of data protection law remains unclear. For example, it is still unclear whether
 
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the transfer of data from the EEA to the United Kingdom will in the future remain lawful under the GDPR. For the meantime, under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, it has been agreed that, transfers of personal data to the United Kingdom from EU Member States will not be treated as “restricted transfers” to a non-EEA country for a period of up to six months from January 1, 2021, or the extended adequacy assessment period. This will also apply to transfers to the United Kingdom from EEA member states, assuming those member states accede to the relevant provision of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Although the current maximum duration of the extended adequacy assessment period is six months, it may end sooner, for example, in the event that the European Commission adopts an adequacy decision in respect of the United Kingdom, or the United Kingdom amends the UK GDPR and/or makes certain changes regarding data transfers under the UK GDPR/ DPA 2018 without the consent of the EU (unless those amendments or decisions are made simply to keep relevant laws in the United Kingdom aligned with the EU’s data protection regime). Unless the European Commission makes an “adequacy finding” in respect of the United Kingdom prior to the expiry of the extended adequacy assessment period, from that point onwards the United Kingdom will be an inadequate “third country” under the GDPR and transfers of data from the EEA to the United Kingdom will require a “transfer mechanism”, such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses issued and approved from time to time. Additionally, as noted above, the United Kingdom has transposed the GDPR into domestic law by way of the UK GDPR with effect from January 2021, which could expose us to two parallel regimes, each of which potentially authorises similar fines and other potentially divergent enforcement actions for certain violations. In addition to such parallel United Kingdom and EU regimes, following the expiry of the post-Brexit transitional arrangements agreed between the United Kingdom and EU, the United Kingdom Information Commissioner’s Office is not able to be our ‘lead supervisory authority’ in respect of any “cross border processing” for the purposes of the GDPR. Because we did not designate a lead supervisory authority in an EEA member state with effect from January 1, 2021, we are not able to benefit from the GDPR’s “one stop shop” mechanism. Among other things, this means that, in the event of a violation of the GDPR affecting data subjects across the United Kingdom and the EEA, we could be investigated and ultimately fined by, the United Kingdom Information Commissioner’s Office and the supervisory authority in each and every EEA member state where data subjects have been affected by such violation.
In the United States, state laws may be more stringent, broader in scope or offer greater individual rights with respect to health information than HIPAA, and state laws may differ from each other, which may complicate compliance efforts. By way of example, California recently enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, which creates new individual privacy rights for California residents and places increased privacy and security obligations on entities handling certain personal data of such residents. The CCPA requires covered companies to provide new disclosures to California residents about such companies’ data collection, use and sharing practices and provide such residents new ways to opt out of certain disclosures of personal information and provides such residents with additional causes of action. The CCPA became effective on January 1, 2020, and (a) allows enforcement by the California Attorney General, with fines set at $2,500 per non-intentional violation or $7,500 per intentional violation and (b) authorises private lawsuits to recover statutory damages for certain data breaches. Additionally, a new privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA, was recently approved by California voters in November 2020. The CPRA significantly modifies the CCPA, resulting in further uncertainty and requiring us to incur additional costs and expenses to comply.
Additional Regulation
In addition to the foregoing, provincial, state and federal U.S. and European Union laws regarding environmental protection and hazardous substances affect our business. These and other laws govern our use, handling and disposal of various biological, chemical and radioactive substances used in, and wastes generated by, our operations. If our operations result in contamination of the environment or expose individuals to hazardous substances, we could be liable for damages and governmental fines. We believe that we are in material compliance with applicable environmental laws and that continued compliance therewith will not have a material adverse effect on our business. We cannot predict, however, how changes in these laws may affect our future operations.
 
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Anti-Corruption Laws
We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and the UK Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and possibly other state and national anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in countries in which we conduct activities, collectively, Anti-Corruption Laws. Among other matters, such Anti-Corruption Laws prohibit corporations and individuals from directly or indirectly paying, offering to pay or authorizing the payment of money or anything of value to any foreign government official, government staff member, political party or political candidate or certain other persons, to obtain, retain or direct business, regulatory approvals or some other advantage in an improper manner. We can also be held liable for the acts of our third-party agents under the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and possibly other Anti-Corruption Laws. In the healthcare sector, anti-corruption risk can also arise in the context of improper interactions with doctors, key opinion leaders and other healthcare professionals who work for state-affiliated hospitals, research institutions or other organisations.
Government Regulation Outside of the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom
In addition to regulations in the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, we may be subject to a variety of regulations in other jurisdictions governing, among other things, clinical studies and any commercial sales and distribution of their products. Whether or not we obtain FDA, MHRA, or EU approval for a product, we must obtain the requisite approvals from regulatory authorities in foreign countries prior to the commencement of clinical studies or marketing of the product in those countries. Certain countries outside of the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union have a similar process that requires the submission of a clinical study application much like the IND, or CTA, prior to the commencement of human clinical studies. The requirements and process governing the conduct of clinical studies, product licensing, coverage, pricing and reimbursement vary from country to country. In all cases, the clinical studies are conducted in accordance with GCP and the applicable regulatory requirements and the ethical principles that have their origin in the Declaration of Helsinki.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business. We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings.
 
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MANAGEMENT
Executive Officers and Directors
The following table sets forth information regarding our executive officers and directors, including their ages as of June 30, 2021.
Name
Age
Position(s)
Executive Officers:
Andrew L. Hopkins, DPhil
49
Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Ben Taylor
43
Chief Financial Officer and Director
David Hallett, Ph.D.
51
Chief Operations Officer
Garry Pairaudeau, Ph.D.
55
Chief Technology Officer
Non-Executive Directors:
David Nicholson, Ph.D.(1)(2)(3)
66
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Elizabeth Crain(1)(2)(3)
56
Director
Robert Ghenchev
38
Director
Mario Polywka, DPhil(1)(2)(3)
58
Director
Joanne Xu
43
Director
(1)
Member of the audit committee
(2)
Member of the renumeration committee
(3)
Member of the nomination and corporate governance committee
Executive Directors
Andrew L. Hopkins, DPhil, founded Exscientia and has acted as Chief Executive Officer and served on our board of directors since our inception in 2012. Prior to founding Exscientia, Dr. Hopkins spent near 10 years at Pfizer Inc., from 1998 to 2007, and 5 years in academia. He is also an honorary professor at the School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, where he previously held the Chair of Medicinal Informatics from 2007 to 2020 and was the SULSA Research Professor of Translational Biology from 2007 to 2020. He was also the Director of Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance (SULSA) from 2011 to 2016. Dr. Hopkins holds a first class B.Sc (Hons) from the University of Manchester, conducted his graduate research at Wadham College, Oxford, University of Oxford and earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Molecular Biophysics from University of Oxford. We believe his extensive experience in the healthcare industry and being a founder of our company qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.
Ben Taylor serves as our Chief Financial Officer and as a member of the board of directors, having joined Exscientia in November 2020. Mr. Taylor has more than two decades of experience, including 15 years in healthcare investment banking, primarily at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, or Goldman Sachs, and seven years in biotech and healthtech executive roles. During this period, Mr. Taylor focused on strategy, financings, communications, clinical development and business development in the biopharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Exscientia, Mr. Taylor was interim Chief Financial Officer at Aetion, Inc., a healthtech company using real world data analytics to optimise biopharma clinical development and commercialisation, from April 2020 to November 2020. Mr. Taylor served as President and Chief Financial Officer for Tyme Technologies, Inc., where he oversaw operations for the oncology company from April 2017 to August 2020. Mr. Taylor served as Head of Commercial Pharma, Managing Director for Barclays Capital Inc. from February 2016 to March 2017 and in a variety of roles with Goldman Sachs from July 2006 to February 2016. He received a B.A. with Honors from Brown University in East Asian Studies. We believe his extensive experience in the healthcare industry qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.
David Hallett, Ph.D., has served as our Chief Operations Officer since January 2020. Dr. Hallett has more than two decades of experience in drug discovery and alliance management. Prior to joining
 
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Exscientia, Dr. Hallett served as Executive Vice President of Chemistry and Executive Vice President of Alliance Management at Evotec from September 2005 to December 2019. Dr. Hallett trained as a medicinal chemist and served as a Research Fellow at Merck & Co., Inc. He holds a B.A. from the University of Cambridge in Natural Sciences, a Ph.D. from the University of Manchester in Synthetic Organic Chemistry and was a post-doctoral fellow in Synthetic Organic Chemistry at the University of Texas Austin.
Garry Pairaudeau, Ph.D., has served as our Chief Technology Officer since November 2020. Dr. Pairaudeau has more than 25 years of experience in the drug hunting and technology leadership space. Prior to joining Exscientia, Dr. Pairaudeau served as Head of Hit Discovery at AstraZeneca plc from January 2017 to November 2020 and as Head of External Sciences from October 2014 to January 2017. He was also Chair of the Global Chemistry Leaders Network. Dr. Pairaudeau holds a Bachelor of Science and Ph.D. in Chemistry from Southampton University and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California, Irvine.
Non-Executive Directors
David Nicholson, Ph.D., has served on our board of directors since October 2020. Dr. Nicholson joined Exscientia having held senior US-based leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief R&D Officer at Allergan plc. Dr. Nicholson joined Allergan plc (then known as Actavis plc) as Senior Vice President, Global Brands R&D in August 2014. Previously, he served as Chief Technology Officer and EVP, R&D for Bayer Crop Science from March 2012 to August 2014; Vice President of Licensing and Knowledge Management at Merck & Co., Inc. from 2009 to December 2011; and Senior Vice President, responsible for Global Project Management and Drug Safety at Schering-Plough Corporation from 2007 to 2009. From 1988 to 2007, Dr. Nicholson held various leadership positions at Organon International, where he most recently served as Executive Vice President, Research & Development and was a member of the company’s Executive Management Committee. Dr. Nicholson also serves on the board of directors of Actinium Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Science Exchange, Inc. He received a B.Sc. from the University of Manchester and his Ph.D. from the University of Wales. We believe his extensive experience in the healthcare industry qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.
Elizabeth Crain has served on our board of directors since February 2021. Ms. Crain is a co-founder of Moelis & Company and has served as Chief Operating Officer of Moelis & Company since 2007, where she leads the firm’s global strategy, infrastructure and business management functions. Ms. Crain has been in the investment banking and private equity industries for over 30 years as a banker, principal and operations executive. Prior to founding Moelis & Company, Ms. Crain worked at UBS Group AG, or UBS, from 2001 to 2007, where she was most recently a Managing Director in the UBS Investment Bank Office of the CEO and President, Manager of the Investment Bank Client Committee, a member of the Investment Bank Board, and previously Chief Operating Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of the UBS Investment Banking Department Americas franchise. Before joining UBS, Ms. Crain was in the private equity industry from 1997 to 2001. She began her career in investment banking in 1988 at Merrill Lynch. Ms. Crain serves on the Graduate Executive Board of The Wharton School and the Board of Trustees of The Windward School. Ms. Crain holds a B.S. from Arizona State University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. We believe that Ms. Crain’s experience in finance and business development qualifies her to serve on our board of directors.
Robert Ghenchev has served on our board of directors since May 2020. Mr. Ghenchev has been employed by Novo Holdings since January 2018 (and since August 2019, by its wholly owned subsidiary, Novo Holdings Equity US Inc., which provides certain consulting services to Novo Holdings). He is currently employed as a Senior Partner, with responsibility over Growth Equity investments. Before joining Novo Holdings, Mr. Ghenchev was a Senior Vice President at Moelis & Company in London from April 2010 to January 2018, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions within the healthcare industry. Prior to Moelis, Mr. Ghenchev was part of the UK Mergers & Acquisitions team at Deutsche Bank in London from June 2007 to April 2010. Mr. Ghenchev also currently serves on the Boards of Tempus Labs, Inc., Oxford Biomedica plc, Mission Bio, Inc. and MightyOwl, Inc. Mr. Ghenchev holds a J.Hons. B.A. degree in Finance and Economics from McGill University and a M.Sc. degree in Financial
 
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Economics from the University of Oxford. We believe that Mr. Ghenchev’s experience in finance and business development qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.
Mario Polywka, DPhil, has served on our board of directors since September 2017 and on our Audit Committee since June 2021. Dr. Polywka was Chief Operating Officer of Evotec SE before retiring in 2018 and has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Evotec SE since June 2019. Dr. Polywka also currently serves on the Boards of Forge Therapeutics Inc., Blacksmith Medicines Inc., and Orbit Discovery Limited, and is a Senior Advisor with MCF Corporate Finance. Dr. Polywka has previously served on the Boards of Nanotether Discovery Services Limited from 2015 to 2016, Pharminox Ltd. from 2003 to 2018, and Glycoform Ltd. from 2004 to 2010. Dr. Polywka was a Founding Chemist of Oxford Asymmetry International (OAI) in 1991, became Director of Chemistry in 1993 and became a member of the Board of Directors in 1996. In 1999 he was appointed Chief Operating Officer and in 2000 Chief Executive Officer of OAI plc. From 1989 to 1991 he worked as Senior Chemist at Oxford Chirality Ltd., the predecessor to OAI. Dr Polywka received a doctorate from the University of Oxford in Mechanistic Organometallic Chemistry under Professor Steve Davies and continued at Oxford with post-doctoral studies on the Biosynthesis of Penicillins under Professor Sir Jack Baldwin. Dr. Polywka is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. We believe Dr. Polywka’s breadth of experience in managing growth, operations and business development in the biopharma and life sciences industries qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.
Joanne Xu has served on our board of directors since April 2021. Ms. Xu has been a Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisors since January 2020. Before joining SoftBank Investment Advisors, Ms. Xu was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in Asia from August 2008 to January 2020. She began her career at Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. as a Senior Consultant from 2003 to 2006. Ms. Xu holds a B.A. in Japanese Language and Literature from Nanjing University, a master’s degree in Commerce from Waseda University and a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. We believe Ms. Xu’s experience as an investor in the biopharma and life sciences industries qualifies her to serve on our board of directors.
Family Relationships
There are no family relationships among any of our executive officers or directors.
Foreign Private Issuer Exemption
We are a “foreign private issuer”, as defined by the SEC. As a result, in accordance with Nasdaq rules, we may, and intend to, rely on and comply with home country governance requirements and certain exemptions thereunder rather than complying with Nasdaq corporate governance standards. While we expect to voluntarily follow most Nasdaq corporate governance rules, we may choose to take advantage of the following limited exemptions:

Exemption from filing quarterly reports on Form 10-Q containing unaudited financial and other specified information or current reports on Form 8-K upon the occurrence of specified significant events;

Exemption from Section 16 rules requiring insiders to file public reports of their securities ownership and trading activities and providing for liability for insiders who profit from trades in a short period of time;

Exemption from the Nasdaq rules applicable to domestic issuers requiring disclosure within four business days of any determination to grant a waiver of the code of business conduct and ethics to directors and officers;

Exemption from the requirement to obtain shareholder approval for certain issuances of securities, including shareholder approval of share option plans;

Exemption from the requirement that our audit committee have review and oversight responsibilities over all “related party transactions”, as defined in Item 7.B of Form 20-F;

Exemption from the requirement that our board have a compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and
 
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Exemption from the requirements that director nominees are selected, or recommended for selection by our board, either by (1) independent directors constituting a majority of our board’s independent directors in a vote in which only independent directors participate, or (2) a committee comprised solely of independent directors, and that a formal written charter or board resolution, as applicable, addressing the nominations process is adopted.
Furthermore, Nasdaq Rule 5615(a)(3) provides that a foreign private issuer, such as we, may rely on home country corporate governance practices in lieu of certain of the rules in the Nasdaq Rule 5600 Series and Rule 5250(d), provided that we nevertheless comply with Nasdaq’s Notification of Noncompliance requirement (Rule 5625), the Voting Rights requirement (Rule 5640) and that we have an audit committee that satisfies Rule 5605(c)(3), consisting of committee members that meet the independence requirements of Rule 5605(c)(2)(A)(ii). Although we are permitted to follow certain corporate governance rules that conform to U.K. requirements in lieu of many of the Nasdaq corporate governance rules, we intend to comply with the Nasdaq corporate governance rules applicable to foreign private issuers.
Accordingly, our shareholders will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq. We may utilise these exemptions for as long as we continue to qualify as a foreign private issuer. See the section titled “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association” for additional information.
Composition of our Board of Directors
Our board of directors will be composed of seven members upon the closing of this offering. As a foreign private issuer, under the listing requirements and rules of Nasdaq, we are not required to have independent directors on our board of directors, except that our audit committee is required to consist fully of independent directors, subject to certain phase-in schedules. Our board of directors has determined that David Nicholson, Elizabeth Crain and Mario Polywka representing of the directors who will be serving on our board of directors upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, do not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgement in carrying out the responsibilities of director and that each of these directors is “independent” as that term is defined under Nasdaq rules.
In accordance with our articles of association to be in effect upon the completion of this offering, one-third of our directors will retire from office at each annual general meeting of shareholders. See “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association — Board of Directors”.
Committees of our Board of Directors
Our board of directors has three standing committees: an audit committee, a remuneration committee and a nomination and corporate governance committee.
Audit Committee
Following the completion of this offering, our audit committee will consist of Elizabeth Crain, David Nicholson and Mario Polywka, and will assist the board of directors in overseeing our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of our financial statements. Elizabeth Crain will serve as chairman of the audit committee. The audit committee consists exclusively of members of our board who are financially literate, and Elizabeth Crain is considered an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by applicable SEC rules and has the requisite financial sophistication as defined under the applicable Nasdaq rules and regulations. Our board has determined that all of the members of the audit committee satisfy the “independence” requirements set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. The audit committee will be governed by a charter that complies with Nasdaq rules, effective upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
The audit committee’s responsibilities will include:

monitoring the integrity of our financial and narrative reporting;
 
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reviewing accounting policies and key estimates and judgements;

reviewing the appropriateness and completeness of the internal controls;

recommending the appointment, re-appointment or removal of the independent auditor to the annual general meeting of shareholders;

the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of any accounting firm engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit services;

pre-approving the audit services and non-audit services to be provided by our independent auditor before the auditor is engaged to render such services;

evaluating the independent auditor’s qualifications, performance and independence, and presenting its conclusions to the full board of directors on at least an annual basis;

reviewing and discussing with the executive officers, the board of directors and the independent auditor our financial statements and our financial reporting process; and

reviewing procedures for detection of fraud, whistleblowing and prevention of bribery, and reports on systems for internal financial control, financial reporting and risk management.
Remuneration Committee
Following the completion of this offering, our remuneration committee will consist of Elizabeth Crain, David Nicholson and Mario Polywka, and will assist the board of directors in determining executive officer compensation. Mario Polywka will serve as chairman of the remuneration committee.
The remuneration committee’s responsibilities will include:

identifying, reviewing and proposing policies relevant to executive officer compensation;

evaluating each executive officer’s performance in light of such policies and reporting to the board;

analysing the possible outcomes of the variable remuneration components and how they may affect the remuneration of the executive officers;

recommending any equity long-term incentive component of each executive officer’s compensation in line with the remuneration policy and reviewing our executive officer compensation and benefits policies generally;

evaluating and assessing potential and current compensation advisors in accordance with the independence standards identified in the applicable Nasdaq rules;

reviewing and recommending to the board of directors the compensation of our directors; and

reviewing and assessing risks arising from our compensation policies and practices.
Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee
Following the completion of this offering, our nomination and corporate governance committee will consist of Elizabeth Crain, David Nicholson and Mario Polywka, and will assist our board of directors in identifying individuals qualified to become members of our board and executive officers consistent with criteria established by our board and in developing our corporate governance principles. David Nicholson will serve as chairman of the nomination committee.
The nomination and corporate governance committee’s responsibilities will include:

drawing up selection criteria and appointment procedures for directors;

reviewing and evaluating the size and composition of our board and making a proposal for a composition profile of the board of directors at least annually;

recommending nominees for election to our board of directors and its corresponding committees;
 
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assessing the functioning of individual members of our board of directors and executive officers and reporting the results of such assessment to the board of directors; and

developing and recommending to the board rules governing the board, reviewing and reassessing the adequacy of such rules governing the board and recommending any proposed changes to the board of directors.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
In connection with this offering, we have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, or Code of Ethics, applicable to our and our subsidiaries’ employees, independent contractors, senior management and directors, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. Following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, a current copy of the Code of Ethics will be posted on our website, which is located at www.exscientia.ai. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference herein.
Compensation of Executive Officers and Directors
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the aggregate compensation paid to the members of our board of directors and our executive officers for services in all capacities, including retirement and similar benefits, was £1.33 million. Of that aggregate amount, £1.03 million was related to compensation paid to the members of our board of directors. In 2020, our highest paid director was Dr. Andrew Hopkins, our Chief Executive Officer, who received compensation of £0.27 million for all services he provided to us.
We maintain performance-based bonus arrangements with specific executives pursuant to the terms of their service agreements (or otherwise pursuant to our discretionary annual bonus arrangements). The compensation amounts above include bonus amounts in respect of the year ended December 31, 2020 payable to members of our board of directors and our executive officers of £9,720. Our Chief Executive Officer’s bonus amount, which was approved by our board of directors in July 2021, was £25,000. As this bonus arrangement was introduced on October 1, 2020, the bonus amount was pro-rated to reflect the three months of the Chief Executive Officer’s participation. We do not set aside or accrue any amounts to provide pension, retirement or similar benefits to members of our board of directors or executive officers, although we made defined contribution pension contributions on behalf of our directors or executive officers in an aggregate amount of £5,184 during the year ended December 31, 2020, which amount is included in the foregoing aggregate compensation figure.
We are not proposing to make any equity awards to members of our board of directors or executive officers in connection with this offering.
Executive Officer Employment Arrangements and Director Service Agreements
The compensation for each member of our executive officers comprises the following elements: base salary, annual performance bonus, personal benefits (including healthcare and insurances and assistance with relocation, immigration and tax matters) pension or 401(k) plan and equity incentives. These equity incentives include participation in certain of the Legacy Plan and will include participation in the 2021 EIP. We intend to enter into new service agreements with our executive officers and director service agreements with our executive directors, Andrew Hopkins and Ben Taylor, prior to the closing of this offering.
Executive Director Employment Agreements
Andrew Hopkins
Prior to the closing of this offering Exscientia AI Limited will enter into an amended and restated employment agreement with Dr. Andrew Hopkins, which governs the terms of his employment and which will be conditional upon closing of this offering. Pursuant to this agreement, Dr. Hopkins is entitled to a gross annual base salary of £415,000, and is eligible to receive an annual performance bonus
 
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with a target amount of 50% of his annual base salary, as determined by our board of directors or the remuneration committee thereof. In respect of the part of the year prior to completion of this offering, Dr. Hopkins’ target bonus percentage shall remain at 33%.
The period of notice required to terminate Dr. Hopkins’ employment is 12 months. In addition to this, the agreement provides Dr. Hopkins with certain severance benefits, subject to his execution of an effective release of claims and compliance with certain post-termination obligations and resignation from all positions with us. Pursuant to Dr. Hopkins’ agreement, if Exscientia AI Limited terminates his employment without cause or he resigns for good reason (each as defined in the employment agreement), then he is eligible for severance benefits in the form of a pro rata portion of his annual bonus for the year in which termination occurs (calculated to the date on which his employment terminates) and the payment of health insurance premiums for up to 12 months. If such termination without cause or resignation for good reason occurs within 12 months following a change in control, then, in lieu of the severance benefits described above, Dr. Hopkins is eligible for severance benefits in the form of continued base salary and payment of health insurance premiums for up to 18 months (reduced by any payments made to Dr. Hopkins in respect of any notice period during which he is not require to provide any services), a payment equal to one-and-a-half (1.5) times his target bonus for the year in which termination occurs, and vesting acceleration for all outstanding equity awards.
We also intend to enter into a director appointment letter with Dr. Hopkins in respect of his appointment as an executive director of Exscientia plc prior to the closing of this offering. Dr. Hopkins will not receive any additional compensation in respect of his role as an executive director.
Ben Taylor
Prior to the closing of this offering Exscientia AI Limited will enter into an amended and restated employment agreement with Ben Taylor, which governs the terms of his employment and which will be conditional upon closing of this offering. Pursuant to this agreement, Mr. Taylor is entitled to a gross annual base salary of £275,000 , and is eligible to receive an annual performance bonus with a target amount of 35% of his annual base salary, as determined by our board of directors or the remuneration committee thereof. In respect of the part of the year prior to completion of this offering, Mr. Taylor’s target bonus percentage shall remain at 30%. Mr. Taylor’s annual base salary will increase to £310,000, effective as at 1 January 2022.
The period of notice required to terminate Mr. Taylor’s employment is 6 months. In addition to this, the agreement provides Mr. Taylor with certain severance benefits, subject to his execution of an effective release of claims and compliance with certain post-termination obligations and resignation from all positions with us. Pursuant to Mr. Taylor’s agreement, if Exscientia AI Limited terminates his employment without cause or he resigns for good reason (each as defined in the employment agreement), then he is eligible for severance benefits in the form of continued base salary and payment of health insurance premiums for up to 12 months (reduced by any payments made to Mr. Taylor in respect of any notice period). If such termination without cause or resignation for good reason occurs within 12 months following a change in control, then, in lieu of the severance benefits described above, Mr Taylor is eligible for severance benefits in the form of continued base salary and payment of health insurance premiums for up to 12 months (reduced by any payments made to Mr. Taylor in respect of any notice period during which he is not require to provide any services), a payment equal to one (1) times his target bonus for the year in which termination occurs, and vesting acceleration for all outstanding equity awards.
We also intend to enter into a director appointment letter with Mr. Taylor in respect of his appointment as an executive director of Exscientia plc prior to the closing of this offering. Mr. Taylor will not receive any additional compensation in respect of his role as an executive director.
Non-Executive Director Appointment Letters
Non-executive directors are engaged on letters of appointment that set out their duties and responsibilities. The non-executive directors do not receive benefits upon termination or resignation
 
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from their respective positions as directors. We intend to enter into new appointment letters with our non-executive directors prior to the closing of this offering, and a new appointment letter with our non-executive chairman, Dr. David Nicholson. Under the non-executive director appointment letters, our non-executive directors are entitled to receive annual fees in accordance with our non-executive director remuneration policy as described below, and in each case inclusive of fees payable for all duties.
Non-Executive Director Remuneration Policy
In August 2021, following advice from its compensation consultant, our board of directors adopted a non-executive director remuneration policy, to be effective upon the execution of the underwriting agreement in connection with this offering.
Cash Compensation
Under this policy, effective the first calendar quarter after this offering, we will pay each of our nonexecutive directors a cash retainer for service on our board of directors and committees of our board of directors. The annual cash compensation amount set forth below is payable to eligible directors under the policy in equal quarterly installments, payable in arrears on the last day of each fiscal quarter in which the service occurred.
If an eligible director joins our board of directors or a committee of our board of directors at a time other than effective as of the first day of a fiscal quarter, each annual retainer set forth below will be pro-rated based on days served in the applicable fiscal year, with the pro-rated amount paid for the first fiscal quarter in which the eligible director provides the service and regular full quarterly payments thereafter.
All annual retainers are vested upon payment. At their election, eligible directors residing in the United Kingdom will be paid the applicable amounts converted from U.S. dollars to pounds sterling at the time of payment.
Directors are eligible to receive cash compensation as follows:

Annual Board of Directors Service Retainer:

All Eligible Directors: $50,000

Independent Chair of the Board of Directors Service Retainer (in addition to Eligible Director Service Retainer): $40,000

Annual Committee Chair Service Retainer (in addition to Annual Committee Member Service Retainer):

Chair of the Audit Committee: $20,000

Chair of the Remuneration Committee: $15,000

Chair of the Nominations and Governance Committee: $10,000
Equity Compensation
In addition to cash compensation, each eligible director is eligible to receive equity compensation set forth below will be granted under the Non-Employee Sub-Plan to our 2021 EIP. All share options granted under this Policy will be nonstatutory stock options, with an exercise price per share equal to 100% of the fair market value (as such term is defined in our 2021 EIP) of the underlying shares on the date of grant, and a term of ten years from the date of grant, subject to earlier termination in connection with a termination of service (as such term is defined in our 2021 EIP).
Initial Grant
Each eligible director who is first elected or appointed to our board of directors following the effective date of this policy, will automatically, and without further action by our board of directors or the
 
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Remuneration Committee of our board of directors, upon the date of his or her initial election or appointment to be an eligible director (or, if such date is not a market trading day, the first market trading day thereafter), be granted equity awards in respect of an estimated $500,000 of ordinary shares to be delivered in equal proportions of options and restricted stock units unless the eligible director requests to be granted a greater proportion of options, or the Initial Grant. The shares subject to each Initial Grant will vest in equal monthly installments over a three year period such that the option is fully vested on the third anniversary of the date of grant; provided, that the eligible director continues to be a service provider (as such term is defined in our 2021 EIP) through each such vesting date.
Annual Grant
At the close of business on the date of each of our annual general meetings held after this offering, each eligible director who continues to serve as a non-employee member of our board of directors at such time will be automatically, and without further action by our board of directors or the Remuneration Committee of our board of directors, be granted an equity award in respect of an estimated $250,000 of ordinary shares to be delivered in equal proportions of options and restricted stock units unless the eligible director requests to be granted a greater proportion of options, or the Annual Grant. The shares subject to the Annual Grant will vest at the earlier of (i) the one-year anniversary of the date of grant and (ii) the day immediately prior to the date of our next annual general meeting; provided, that the eligible director continues to be a service provider (as defined in the 2021 EIP) through such vesting date.
Vesting
All vesting is subject to the eligible director continuing to be a service provider (as such term is defined in our 2021 EIP) on each applicable vesting date.
Expenses
We will also reimburse our directors for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attending board and committee meetings.
Equity Incentive Plans
We have granted options and equity incentive awards under our: (1) 2019 Company Share Option Plan, as amended, or the 2019 CSOP; (2) 2018 Unapproved Share Option Plan, as amended, or the 2018 USOP; (3) RSU sub-plan to the 2018 USOP; and (4) 2016 Enterprise Management Incentive Plan, or the 2016 EMI Plan. No further options or awards will be granted under these plans, or the Legacy Plans, following the adoption of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2021 EIP. We have also granted options and equity incentive awards under the 2021 EIP.
The principal features of our equity incentive plans are summarised below. These summaries are qualified in their entirety by reference to the actual text of the applicable plan, which is filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
2021 Equity Incentive Plan
The 2021 EIP was adopted by our board of directors on August 11, 2021 and allows for the grant of equity-based incentive awards to our employees and directors, including directors who are also our employees. The material terms of the 2021 EIP are summarised below.
Eligibility and administration
Our employees, executive directors and employees of our subsidiaries are eligible to receive awards under the 2021 EIP. Our consultants, and non-executive directors and those of our subsidiaries, are eligible to receive awards under the Non-Employee Sub-Plan to the 2021 EIP described below. Our U.K. employees who meet the criteria under the Company Share Option Plan, or CSOP, regime, including that they do not have a material interest in our company (being either beneficial ownership of, or the ability to control directly or indirectly, more than 30% of our ordinary share capital) may be
 
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granted options under the CSOP Sub-Plan to the 2021 EIP described below. CSOP options can only be granted for so long as we continue to meet the criteria under the CSOP regime. Persons eligible to receive awards under the 2021 EIP (including the Non-Employee Sub-Plan and the CSOP Sub-Plan) are together referred to as service providers below.
Except as otherwise specified, references below to the 2021 EIP include the Non-Employee Sub-Plan and the CSOP Sub-Plan.
The 2021 EIP is administered by our board of directors, which may delegate its duties and responsibilities to one or more committees of our directors and/or officers (referred to as the Plan Administrator below), subject to certain limitations imposed under the 2021 EIP, and other applicable laws and Nasdaq rules. The Plan Administrator has the authority to take all actions and make all determinations under the 2021 EIP, to interpret the 2021 EIP and award agreements and to adopt, amend and repeal rules for the administration of the 2021 EIP as it deems advisable. The Plan Administrator also has the authority to determine which eligible service providers receive awards, grant awards, set the terms and conditions of all awards under the 2021 EIP, including any vesting and vesting acceleration provisions, subject to the conditions and limitations in the 2021 EIP.
Shares available for awards
The maximum number of ordinary shares, or the Share Reserve, that may be issued under our 2021 EIP as approved at the time of adoption of the 2021 EIP was 5.661 ordinary shares. Effective upon pricing, the Share Reserve will be increased to an aggregate amount which will be confirmed upon pricing but will, subject to adjustment, be increased by a number equal to ordinary shares, which represents approximately 7.5% of our expected entire issued share capital to be outstanding shares to be outstanding immediately after this offering and the concurrent private placement, assuming the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional ADSs. No more than      ordinary shares may be issued under the 2021 EIP upon the exercise of incentive share options. In addition, effective upon pricing, the number of ordinary shares reserved for issuance under our 2021 EIP will automatically increase on January 1 of each year, commencing on January 1, 2022 and ending on (and including) January 1, 2031, in an amount equal to 5% of the total number of ordinary shares outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year. Our board may act prior to January 1 of a given year to provide that there will be no increase for such year or that the increase for such year will be a lesser (but not greater) number of ordinary shares. Ordinary shares issued under the 2021 EIP may be new shares, shares purchased on the open market or treasury shares.
If an award under the 2021 EIP, expires, lapses or is terminated, exchanged for cash, surrendered, repurchased, cancelled without having been fully exercised or forfeited, any unused shares subject to the award will, as applicable, become or again be available for new grants under the 2021 EIP.
If an option granted under the Legacy Plans prior to its effective date expires, lapses or is terminated, exchanged for cash, surrendered, repurchased, cancelled without having been fully exercised or forfeited on or after its effective date, any unused shares subject to the option will, as applicable, become available for new grants under the 2021 EIP and shall be added to the share reserve up to a maximum of      ordinary shares.
Awards granted under the 2021 EIP in substitution for any options or other equity or equity-based awards granted by an entity before such entity’s merger or consolidation with us or our acquisition of such entity’s property or stock will not reduce the number of ordinary shares available for grant under the 2021 EIP, but will count against the maximum number of ordinary shares that may be issued upon the exercise of incentive stock options.
Options granted under the CSOP Sub-Plan are subject to individual and overall limits as specified by the CSOP regime from time to time.
References in this summary to ordinary shares include an equivalent number of our ADSs.
 
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Awards
The 2021 EIP provides for the grant of options (which may be market value or otherwise, subject to local laws), share appreciation rights (which may be market value or otherwise, subject to local laws), or SARs, restricted shares, restricted share units, or RSUs, and other share-based awards. All awards under the 2021 EIP will be set forth in award agreements, which will detail the terms and conditions of awards, including any applicable vesting and payment terms, change of control provisions and post-termination exercise limitations. A brief description of each award type follows.
Options and SARs.   Options provide for the purchase of our ordinary shares in the future at an exercise price set at no less than the nominal value (market value in the case of participants subject to taxation in the United States or options granted under the CSOP Sub-Plan) of an ordinary share on the grant date. SARs entitle their holder, upon exercise, to receive from us an amount equal to the appreciation of the shares subject to the award between the grant date and the exercise date. The Plan Administrator will determine the number of shares covered by each option and SAR, and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of each option and SAR. Only options may be granted under the CSOP Sub-Plan.
Restricted shares and RSUs.   Restricted shares are an award of non-transferable ordinary shares that remain forfeitable unless and until specified conditions are met and which may be subject to a purchase price. RSUs are contractual promises to deliver our ordinary shares in the future, which may also remain forfeitable unless and until specified conditions are met. The Plan Administrator may provide that the delivery of the shares underlying RSUs will be deferred on a mandatory basis or at the election of the participant. The terms and conditions applicable to restricted shares and RSUs will be determined by the Plan Administrator, subject to the conditions and limitations contained in the 2021 EIP.
Other share-based awards.   Other share-based awards are awards of fully vested ordinary shares and other awards valued wholly or partially by referring to, or otherwise based on, our ordinary shares or other property. Other share-based awards may be granted to participants and may also be available as a payment form in the settlement of other awards, as standalone payments and as payment in lieu of compensation to which a participant is otherwise entitled. The Plan Administrator will determine the terms and conditions of other share-based awards, which may include any purchase price, performance goal, transfer restrictions and vesting conditions.
Performance criteria
The Plan Administrator may set performance goals in respect of any awards in its discretion.
Certain transactions
In connection with certain corporate transactions and events affecting our ordinary shares, including a change of control, another similar corporate transaction or event, the Plan Administrator has broad discretion to take action under the 2021 EIP. This includes cancelling awards for cash or property, accelerating the vesting of awards, providing for the assumption or substitution of awards by a successor entity, adjusting the number and type of shares subject to outstanding awards and/or with respect to which awards may be granted under the 2021 EIP and replacing or terminating awards under the 2021 EIP. In addition, in the event of certain equity restructuring transactions, the Plan Administrator will make equitable adjustments to the limits under the 2021 EIP and outstanding awards as it deems appropriate to reflect the transaction. The treatment of CSOP options in connection with such a transaction is subject to the requirements of the CSOP regime.
Plan amendment and termination
Our board of directors may amend or terminate the 2021 EIP at any time; however, no amendment, other than an amendment that increases the number of shares available under the 2021 EIP, may materially and adversely affect an award outstanding under the 2021 EIP without the consent of the affected participant and shareholder approval will be obtained for any amendment to the extent necessary
 
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to comply with applicable laws. The 2021 EIP will remain in effect until the tenth anniversary of its effective date unless earlier terminated by our board of directors. No awards may be granted under the 2021 EIP after its termination.
Transferability and participant payments
Except as the Plan Administrator may determine or provide in an award agreement, awards under the 2021 EIP are generally non-transferrable, except to a participant’s designated beneficiary, as defined in the 2021 EIP. With regard to tax and/or social security withholding obligations arising in connection with awards under the 2021 EIP, and exercise price obligations arising in connection with the exercise of options under the 2021 EIP, the Plan Administrator may, in its discretion, accept cash, wire transfer or check, our ordinary shares that meet specified conditions, a promissory note, a “market sell order”, such other consideration as the Plan Administrator deems suitable or any combination of the foregoing, subject, in the case of CSOP options, to the requirements of the CSOP regime.
Non-U.S. and Non-U.K. participants
The Plan Administrator may modify awards granted to participants who are non-U.S. or U.K. nationals or employed outside the U.S. and the U.K. or establish sub-plans or procedures to address differences in laws, rules, regulations or customs of such international jurisdictions with respect to tax, securities, currency, employee benefit or other matters or to enable awards to be granted in compliance with a tax favourable regime that may be available in any jurisdiction.
Non-Employee Sub-Plan
The Non-Employee Sub-Plan governs equity awards granted to our non-executive directors, consultants, advisers and other non-employee service providers and provides for awards to be made on identical terms to awards made under our 2021 EIP.
Legacy Plans
2019 Company Share Option Plan
Overview
The 2019 CSOP was adopted on November 27, 2019, as amended on April 3, 2021 and is intended to qualify as a “company share option plan” that meets the requirements of Schedule 4 to the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, or ITEPA. Options granted under the 2019 CSOP are potentially UK tax favoured options up to an individual limit of £30,000 calculated by reference to the market value of the shares under option at the date of grant.
Options granted under the 2019 CSOP must have an exercise price equal to or more than the market value of a share on the date of grant and, where the exercise of an option is to be satisfied by newly issued shares, the exercise price must not be less than the nominal value of a share.
Participation / Eligibility and Administration
Options granted under the 2019 CSOP are granted by the board of directors in its absolute discretion to employees that qualify to be granted an option under Schedule 4 of ITEPA.
Vesting and Exercise of Options
Options granted under the 2019 CSOP may be granted subject to a vesting schedule containing one or more time-based conditions and additionally, or in the alternative, specific performance conditions that must be met before all or part of an option can be exercised. The board of directors has discretion to determine whether and the extent to which a performance condition has been satisfied.
The board of directors may vary or waive one or more performance conditions attaching to an option, provided that such variation to a performance condition can only be effected by the board of
 
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directors if an option becomes exercisable before the end of the period over which the original performance condition was to be assessed or it reasonably considers that the performance condition is no longer an appropriate measure of performance. Such varied performance condition must be no more difficult to satisfy than when the original performance condition was set and not materially easier to satisfy than the original performance condition was at the original option’s grant date.
Options granted under the 2019 CSOP may not be exercised after the tenth anniversary of the date of grant and generally may only be exercised on the earliest of (1) the company coming under the control (as defined in section 719 ITEPA) of another person; (2) a court sanctioned scheme of arrangement; (3) shareholders becoming bound by a non-UK reorganisation; or (4) a person becoming bound or entitled to acquired shares under sections 979 to 985 of the Companies Act; or (5) the vesting conditions specified in the applicable option agreement being met. Options may also be exercised by certain by participants that cease to be employed by us. See “Cessation of Employment” below.
Terms Generally Applicable to Options
Save for transferring an option to a deceased option holder’s personal representative on their death, options granted under the 2019 CSOP cannot be transferred, assigned or have any charge or other security created over them.
Options granted under the 2019 CSOP will lapse on the earliest of the following:

an attempt to transfer, assign or encumber the option (save for a transfer to a personal representative on death);

a performance condition failing to be met that results in the entire option being incapable of exercise;

the lapse date stated in the relevant option agreement;

the first anniversary of an option holder’s death;

the day after the option holder ceases to be an employee or director of the company if the options were unvested, save that:

if cessation of employment is due to injury, ill-health, disability, a transfer of one of our businesses out of the group, retirement or redundancy (within the meaning of the Employment Rights Act 1996), options will be exercisable for six months after cessation of employment; and

our board of directors may determine within 90 days of cessation of employment that options may remain exercisable for a specified period of time post-cessation of employment;

90 days after the option holder ceases to be employed by the company if the options were vested and cessation of employment was not due to summary dismissal;

six months after the company coming under the control (as defined in section 719 ITEPA) of another person; (2) a court sanctioned scheme of arrangement; or (3) shareholders becoming bound by a non-UK reorganisation;

six months after a reorganisation of the company if a replacement option is offered in the acquirer as part of the reorganisation; or

the option holder becoming bankrupt.
Cessation of Employment
If an option holder that holds an unvested option ceases to be employed by us, their option will lapse and cease to be exercisable on the day after the option holder ceases to be employed by the company unless:

cessation of employment is due to injury, ill-health, disability, a transfer of one of our businesses out of the group, retirement or redundancy (within the meaning of the Employment Rights Act 1996), in which case the option will be exercisable for six months after cessation of employment; or
 
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our board of directors determine within 90 days of cessation of employment that the option may remain exercisable for a specified period of time post-cessation of employment.
If an option holder that holds a vested option ceases to be employed by the company and such cessation of employment was not due to summary dismissal, they may exercise their vested option for a period of 90 days after cessation of employment, after which, the option will lapse.
If an option holder ceases to be employed by reason of summary dismissal, the option shall not be capable of exercise unless our board of directors determine within 90 days of cessation of employment that the option may remain exercisable for a specific period of time post-cessation of employment.
Corporate Transactions
If (1) a person or entity acquires control (as defined in section 719 ITEPA) of the company, (2) a court sanctions a scheme of arrangement or (3) shareholders become bound to a non-UK reorganisation, option holders shall be entitled to exercise their options in whole or in part within the period of six (6) months beginning with the date when such relevant event occurs, and to the extent that an option is not exercised within such period it shall lapse and cease to be exercisable. However, in anticipation of the completion of any of the events described in clauses (1) through (3) above, the board of directors may in its absolute discretion make arrangements to permit outstanding options to be exercisable during a period of 20 days ending immediately before such event occurs. If options are not exercised within this period, they shall lapse immediately upon expiry of such period.
A change of control will not trigger a right to exercise options in a scenario in which the acquirer is an entity under which the ultimate beneficial ownership of the remains the same and such entity offers a replacement option to the option holders. If a replacement option is not accepted by option holders in this scenario, their options will lapse six months after the change of control.
Amendments to 2019 CSOP
The board of directors can amend the 2019 CSOP from time to time save that such amendments (1) cannot be made if it would mean that the 2019 CSOP would no longer qualify under Schedule 4 of ITEPA; (2) cannot be made without option holders’ prior written consent if the amendment would have a material impact on their rights; or (3) require certain investor approvals if the amendment would (a) make existing options grants materially more generous; (b) increase option limits; or (c) expand the class of employees eligible to participate in the 2019 CSOP.
2018 Unapproved Share Option Plan
Overview
The 2018 USOP was adopted on February 13, 2018 and amended on September 25, 2019 and April 1, 2021, and provides for the grant of options over Ordinary shares or B Ordinary Shares (or an equivalent number of our ADSs) in the capital of the company.
Participation / Eligibility and Administration
Options granted under the 2018 USOP are granted by the board of directors to individuals.
Vesting and Exercise of Options
Options granted under the 2018 USOP may be granted subject to such vesting and exercise conditions as contained in the option agreement relating to such option.
Save where the context otherwise permits, or if otherwise determined by the board of directors, a vested option shall be capable of exercise on any business day. Options granted under the 2018 USOP may be exercised in whole or in part provided that, on any day, an option may be exercised over no fewer than the less of 25% of the vested shares, the total number of shares that remain exercisable at the time, and such other number as the board of directors may determine.
 
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Options can potentially also be exercised by option holders if they cease to be employed or engaged. See “Cessation of Employment/Engagement” below.
Terms Generally Applicable to Options
Save for transferring an option to a deceased option holder’s personal representative on their death, options granted under the 2018 USOP cannot be transferred, assigned or have any charge or other security created over them.
Options granted under the 2018 USOP will lapse on the earliest of the following:

the tenth anniversary of the date of grant;

an attempt to transfer, assign or encumber the option (save for a transfer to a personal representative on death);

the first anniversary of an option holder’s death;

the date of cessation of employment or engagement if the option holder is a Bad Leaver (as defined below);

if the option holder is a Good Leaver (as defined below):

90 days after the date of cessation of employment or engagement in respect of the portion of the option that is exercisable on cessation (or 12 months if the Good Leaver reason is the death of the option holder); and

the date of cessation of employment or engagement in respect of the portion of the option that is not exercisable on cessation;

60 days after the completion of an asset sale or a share sale resulting in a change of control (or immediately after completion if option holders are given the opportunity to exercise their options by the board of directors prior to completion); or

the option holder becoming bankrupt.
Cessation of Employment/Engagement
If an option holder ceases to be employed or engaged with us and:

they are a Good Leaver, then:

the portion of the option that is exercisable on cessation shall be exercisable for up to 90 days after the date of cessation of employment or cessation (or 12 months if the Good Leaver reason is the death of the option holder); and

the portion of the option that is not exercisable on cessation shall lapse on the date of cessation; and

they are Bad Leaver, the option shall lapse in full on the date of cessation.
For the purposes of the 2018 USOP:
“Good Leaver” means an option holder that becomes a leaver as a result of : (a) injury, ill-health or disability (evidenced to the reasonable satisfaction of the board of directors); (b) retirement; (c) redundancy within the meaning of the Employment Rights Act 1996; (d) death; (e) employment being solely with a company which is not the company or one of its subsidiaries or their employment being transferred to a person who is not a member of the company or one of its subsidiaries on completion of the sale of the business or part of the business to which their employment relates; or (f) the board of directors declaring the option holder a Good Leaver in its absolute discretion.
“Bad Leaver” means a leaver that is not a Good Leaver.
 
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Corporate Transactions
If a person makes an offer for the company that results in a company reorganisation, an asset sale or a majority share sale giving rise to a change of control, the board of directors may in its absolute discretion and by notice in writing to all option holders declare all outstanding options to be exercisable in full during a period specified by the board of directors not exceeding three (3) months (and which period shall end immediately before the acquirer obtains control of the company if it has not already ended). If options are not exercised within this period, they shall lapse immediately upon expiry of such period. If no notice is given to the option holders, options shall lapse 60 days after the completion of a company reorganisation, asset sale or share sale resulting in a change of control.
In the event of the establishment of a new holding company, options shall be substituted for equivalent options over shares in the new holding company.
Amendments to 2018 USOP
The board of directors can make minor alterations or additions to the 2018 USOP from time to time to benefit the administration of the 2018 USOP, to take account of changes in legislation or to obtain or maintain favourable taxation or regulatory treatment for participants.
RSU Sub-Plan to the 2018 Unapproved Share Option Plan
The RSU Sub-Plan governs the terms of restricted stock unit awards, or RSUs, may be granted under the RSU Sub-Plan to the 2018 USOP. RSUs are contractual promises to deliver our ordinary shares or ADSs in the future and are subject to substantially the same terms to options granted under the 2018 USOP.
In connection with certain corporate transactions and events affecting our ordinary shares, including a change of control, another similar corporate transaction or event, our board of directors has broad discretion to take action under the RSU Sub-Plan. This includes cancelling RSUs for cash or property, accelerating the vesting of RSUs, providing for the assumption or substitution of RSUs by a successor entity, adjusting the number and type of shares subject to outstanding RSUs and replacing or terminating RSUs.
2016 Enterprise Management Incentive Plan
Overview
The 2016 EMI Plan was adopted on February 29, 2016 and is intended to qualify as an “enterprise management incentive”, or EMI, plan that meets the requirements of Schedule 5 to ITEPA.
The 2016 EMI Plan is operated on the same terms as the 2018 USOP but with the following differences:
Participation / Eligibility and Administration
Notwithstanding the company and option requirements, an individual is eligible to be granted EMI options under the 2016 EMI Plan if they satisfy the employee requirements of Schedule 5 to ITEPA.
Vesting and Exercise of Options
In addition to the terms described above for the 2018 USOP, the board of directors may in its absolute discretion declare an option to be exercisable to such extent as it determines upon the occurrence of a disqualifying event, as set out in sections 533-539 of ITEPA.
Corporate Transactions
In addition to the terms described above for the 2018 USOP, where there is a company reorganisation that includes the creation of a new holding company which has substantially the same
 
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identity and proportion of shareholders and such new holding company offers a replacement option to participants of the 2016 EMI Plan, options shall not be exercisable in connection with the aforesaid company reorganisation.
Insurance and Indemnification
To the extent permitted by the Companies Act, we are empowered to indemnify our directors against any liability they incur by reason of their directorship. We maintain directors’ and officers’ insurance to insure such persons against certain liabilities. We expect to enter into a deed of indemnity with each of our directors and executive officers prior to the completion of this offering. In addition to such indemnification, we provide our directors and executive officers with directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.
Insofar as indemnification of liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our board, executive officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
 
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RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Since January 1, 2018, we have engaged in the following transactions or loans between us and (a) enterprises that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, control or are controlled by, or are under common control with, our company; (b) associates; (c) individuals owning, directly or indirectly, an interest in the voting power of our company that gives them significant influence over our company, and close members of any such individual’s family; (d) key management personnel, that is, those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling our activities, including directors and senior management and close members of such individuals’ families; and (e) enterprises in which a substantial interest in the voting power is owned, directly or indirectly, by any person described in (c) or (d) or over which such a person is able to exercise significant influence. We refer to the entities and persons described in (a) through (e) above as “related parties”.
All share and per share information presented in this “Related Party Transactions” section do not reflect our corporate reorganisation, which is to occur prior to completion of this offering.
Arrangements with Evotec
Evotec SE, or, together with its affiliates, Evotec, is a beneficial owner of more than 5% of our share capital. Evotec is a party to the Series D1 Shareholders’ Agreement (as defined below). Mario Polywka, DPhil, a member of our board of directors, is the former Chief Operating Officer of Evotec and a member of its Supervisory Board. Initially, our collaborations with Evotec were aimed at designing dual CD73/ A2A- and CD73-inhibitor compounds. Our collaborative projects have developed from that point.
We and our subsidiaries have entered into the following commercial arrangements with Evotec:
Collaboration Agreement and Services
In March 2016, we entered into a collaboration agreement, or the Evotec Collaboration Agreement, with Evotec to generate one or more molecules for immuno-oncology, including bispecifics for further commercialisation. We amended the Evotec Collaboration Agreement in October 2017, October 2018, January 2019, January 2020 and April 2021.
Although joint development efforts under the Evotec Collaboration Agreement ceased as of April 2021, we plan to continue the development of Adenosine A2A antagonists (and bispecific A2A-“plus” antagonists) at our sole discretion. Our lead product candidate, EXS21546, is based on intellectual property developed under the Evotec Collaboration Agreement, and it entered its first Phase 1 clinical trial on December 16, 2020. We have received invoices from Evotec totalling £1,575,000, £1,824,000, £678,000, and £12,000 in the years ended 2018, 2019, 2020, and the six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively, in connection with this arrangement. For further details on the Evotec Collaboration Agreement, see the section titled “Business — Material Agreements”.
We engaged Aptuit (Verona) SRL (an affiliate of Evotec) to carry out the preclinical toxicology and manufacturing work for EXS21546. We shared the costs of this arrangement equally with Evotec. In connection with this arrangement, we have received invoices from Evotec totalling £271,000, £793,000, £146,000, and £609,000 in the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively.
Drug Discovery Services Agreement
In November 2017, we entered into a drug discovery services agreement, or the Evotec Discovery Agreement, with Evotec to procure its drug discovery services, including those related to the development of assays, screening, structural biology and medicinal chemistry.
In October 2020, we amended the Evotec Discovery Agreement to extend its term to November 2022. Before that time, either party may terminate specific projects if those resources are to be immediately redeployed, and we may additionally terminate any project under the agreement without cause by providing 90 days’ prior written notice. The Evotec Discovery Agreement stipulates that upon our request,
 
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for each planned project, Evotec shall provide reasonably detailed estimates of the services, time frame, deliverables and pricing for such project. Once agreed to by both parties, each project will be overseen by a steering committee comprised of an equal number of representatives from each party. Subject to certain limited exceptions, we retain ownership over all intellectual property discovered or made by Evotec in the course of its performance of the services under the Drug Discovery Services Agreement, and to the extent that any rights in such intellectual property cannot be assigned to us by Evotec, they have provided to us a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, exclusive, transferable licence, sublicensable through multiple tiers, to practice such non-assignable rights in any manner for any purpose.
We have engaged Evotec and its affiliates to provide services on several projects under this agreement, the most material of which is an engagement to provide CRO services to help us deliver candidate compounds under one of our collaboration agreements with Celgene Corporation and BMS which commenced in 2019 and 2020, respectively. In connection with this CRO services project, we have received invoices totally £4,485,000, £12,843,000, and £5,957,000 in the years ended 2019, 2020, and the six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively. For all other projects provided under the Evotec Discovery Agreement, we have received invoices totalling £72,000, £49,000, £2,000 and £17,000 in the years ended 2018, 2019, 2020, and the six months ended June 30, 2021, respectively.
Compound Management Services Agreement
In April 2021, we entered into a compound management services agreement, or the Evotec Compound Management Agreement, with Evotec to procure compound management services, including those related to compound reception, storage, maintenance while in storage, quality analysis and control, and shipment.
The Evotec Compound Management Agreement is effective for a five-year term, though either party may terminate the agreement without cause by providing 90 days’ prior written notice. Under the Evotec Compound Management Agreement we may engage Evotec’s compound management services by agreeing to the terms of a work order detailing the services, obligations and other material terms. Subject to certain limited exceptions, we retain ownership over all final products and intellectual property discovered or made by Evotec in the course of its performance of the services under the agreement and, if required, Evotec will take actions necessary or appropriate to establish, register, assign or otherwise record our ownership. During the term of the Evotec Compound Management Agreement, we grant to Evotec a royalty-free, fully paid-up, worldwide, non-exclusive licence to use any relevant intellectual property owned by, or licenced to us, to the extent necessary for Evotec to perform its services under the agreement.
We have engaged Evotec to provide general services related to powder and solution compound transfer, reception, identification, inventory registration, quality analysis and control, storage, maintenance while in storage and shipment to our sites and partners. In connection with this arrangement, we have paid Evotec £14,000 in the six months ended June 30, 2021.
Equity Facility with SoftBank
SVF II Excel (DE) LLC, or SoftBank, is the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our share capital. Joanne Xu, a member of our board of directors, is a Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisors.
In April 2021, we entered into an equity facility agreement with SoftBank, pursuant to which SoftBank irrevocably agreed to subscribe for up to $300 million of preferred shares on the terms and subject to the conditions set out therein. The Equity Facility Agreement terminates upon the earliest to occur of: the consummation of this offering, the one-year anniversary of April 27, 2021, or a Share Sale (as defined in our articles of association in effect on the date of signing), and as of the date of this prospectus it has not been drawn down.
At the date of execution, the subscription price for each preferred share was set to equal the subscription price of the Series D1 Shares that we sold in our April 2021 fundraise, or $3,502.17 per share. Prior to the consummation of this offering, should we elect to require SoftBank to purchase shares
 
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pursuant to the terms of the Equity Facility Agreement, the subscription price of such shares will be adjusted in reference to completion of certain portfolio and collaboration milestones as specified in the Equity Facility Agreement, up to a maximum subscription price of $5,078.15 per share.
Collaboration with GT Apeiron Therapeutics
GT and we are parties to a joint ownership and cost sharing agreement, or the Joint Arrangement, which we entered into on July 1, 2021.
On June 5, 2019, we entered into a collaboration agreement, the GT Collaboration Agreement, with GT whereby we agreed to direct our platform technology towards the identification, selection, and development of target molecules, at which point GT would then develop the resulting compounds to generate potential drug candidates. Under the GT Collaboration Agreement, as subsequently amended, GT retained the exclusive right to develop or commercialize any of resulting compounds. On March 31, 2021, we successfully reached the clinical candidate milestone under the GT Collaboration Agreement. As a result, we became entitled to receive a number of ordinary and preference shares in GT equivalent to approximately 13% of that company’s share capital on a fully diluted basis, with a fair value of £3.3 million ($4.6 million). On July 1, 2021, we converted our collaboration with GT into the Joint Arrangement, whereby each party has a 50% ownership of the programmes under the GT Collaboration Agreement. In return for greater commercial ownership in the underlying programmes, on execution of the documentation establishing the Joint Arrangement, we returned 30% of the shares assigned to us on achievement of the clinical candidate under the original terms of the GT Collaboration Agreement and paid GT $2.0 million in cash. The GT Collaboration Agreement was also mutually terminated by both parties. Through the Joint Arrangement, we continue to work with GT on multiple additional checkpoint targets towards our goal to build a deep portfolio of both best-in class and first-in-class assets together.
Subscriptions of our Series D1 Shares
In April 2021, we entered into a subscription agreement with investors to purchase an aggregate of 64,247 Series D1 Shares for gross aggregate proceeds of $225.0 million at a price of $3,502.17 per share.
The following table sets forth the aggregate number of Series D1 Shares issued to our related parties pursuant to these transactions:
Participants
Series D1
Shares (#)
SVF II Excel (DE) LLC (an entity affiliated with SoftBank)
28,554
Entities affiliated with BlackRock, Inc.
5,425
Series D1 Shareholders’ Agreement
We entered into the Series D1 Shareholders’ Agreement with our shareholders in April 2021. This agreement amended and restated the Series C1 Shareholders’ Agreement (as defined below), and among other things, it:

grants our preferred shareholders specified registration rights with respect to our shares held by them; and

provides for certain appointment rights with respect to our board of directors and the voting of shares in favour of specified transactions approved by our board of directors and the requisite majority of our shareholders.
The rights granted above will terminate upon the completion of this offering, except for the contemplated registration rights, which will be memorialised in a registration rights agreement that we intend to enter into prior to the completion of this offering. For more information regarding the registration rights to be provided in this agreement, please refer to the section titled “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association — Registration Rights”.
 
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Subscriptions of our Series C1 Shares
In March 2021, we entered into a subscription agreement with investors to purchase an aggregate of 17,132 C1 Shares for aggregate proceeds of $29.9 million at a price of $1,751 per share.
The following table sets forth the aggregate number of C1 Shares issued to our related parties pursuant to these transactions:
Participants
Series C1
Shares (#)
Entities affiliated with BlackRock, Inc.
17,132
March 2021 Shareholders’ Agreement
The March 2021 Subscription, Amendment and Adherence Deed or the Series C1 Shareholders’ Agreement, amended and restated a subscription and shareholders’ agreement entered into between us and our shareholders in May 2020. Among other things, the Series C1 Shareholders’ Agreement:

grants our preferred shareholders specified registration rights with respect to our shares held by them; and

provides for certain appointment rights with respect to our board of directors and the voting of shares in favour of specified transactions approved by our board of directors and the requisite majority of our shareholders.
The rights granted above will terminate upon the completion of this offering, except for the contemplated registration rights, which will be memorialised in a registration rights agreement that we intend to enter into prior to the completion of this offering. For more information regarding the registration rights to be provided in this agreement, please refer to the section titled “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association — Registration Rights”.
Subscriptions of our Series C Shares
In May 2020, we entered into a subscription agreement with investors to purchase an aggregate of 57,295 Series C Shares for aggregate proceeds of $59.9 million at a price of $1,047 per share.
The following table sets forth the aggregate number of Series C Shares issued to our related parties pursuant to these transactions:
Participants
Series C
Shares (#)
Novo Holdings A/S
38,197
Evotec SE
9,549
Celgene Corporation
4,452
May 2020 Shareholders’ Agreement
Among other things, the May 2020 Shareholders’ Agreement, or the Series C Shareholders’ Agreement:

grants our preferred shareholders specified registration rights with respect to our shares held by them;

obligates us to deliver periodic financial statements and other information to certain of the shareholders who are parties to the Series C Shareholders’ Agreement; and

provides for certain appointment rights with respect to our board of directors and the voting of shares in favour of specified transactions approved by our board of directors and the requisite majority of our shareholders.
 
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The rights granted above will terminate upon the completion of this offering, except for the contemplated registration rights, which will be memorialised in a registration rights agreement that we intend to enter into prior to the completion of this offering. For more information regarding the registration rights to be provided in this agreement, please refer to the section titled “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association — Registration Rights”.
Management Rights
In connection with our Series C preferred share financing, we also granted certain investors the right to consult with and advise management on significant business issues, appoint an observer to our board and have access to our books and records. These rights will terminate upon the completion of this offering.
Subscriptions of our Series B Shares
In December 2018, we entered into a subscription agreement with investors to purchase an aggregate of 29,408 Series B Shares for aggregate proceeds of £18.7 million at a price of £635 per share.
The following table sets forth the aggregate number of Series B Shares issued to our related parties pursuant to these transactions:
Participants
Series B
Shares (#)
Celgene Corporation
12,464
Evotec SE
4,480
GT Healthcare Partners Fund III, LP
12,464
December 2018 Shareholders’ Agreement
Among other things, the December 2018 Shareholders’ Agreement, or the Series B Shareholders’ Agreement:

grants our preferred shareholders specified registration rights with respect to our shares held by them;

obligates us to deliver periodic financial statements and other information to certain of the shareholders who are parties to the Series B Shareholders’ Agreement; and

provides for certain appointment rights with respect to our board of directors and the voting of shares in favour of specified transactions approved by our board of directors and the requisite majority of our shareholders.
The rights granted above will terminate upon the completion of this offering, except for the contemplated registration rights, which will be memorialised in a registration rights agreement that we intend to enter into prior to the completion of this offering. For more information regarding the registration rights to be provided in this agreement, please refer to the section titled “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association — Registration Rights”.
Management Rights
In connection with our Series B preferred share financing, we also granted certain investors the right to appoint an observer to our board and have access to our books and records. These rights will terminate upon the completion of this offering.
Agreements with Our Executive Officers and Directors
We have entered into service agreements with our executive officers and with Professor Andrew Hopkins and Ben Taylor, our executive directors. See “Management — Compensation of Executive
 
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Officers and Directors”. These agreements contain customary provisions and representations, including confidentiality, non-competition, non-solicitation and inventions assignment undertakings by our executive officers and our executive directors. However, the enforceability of the non-competition provisions may be limited under applicable law.
Indemnification Agreements
We intend to enter into a deed of indemnity with each of our directors and executive officers prior to the completion of this offering. Our articles of association to be adopted in connection with the consummation of this offering empower us to indemnify our directors and executive officers to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. See “Management — Insurance and Indemnification”.
Related Person Transactions Policy
Prior to the completion of this offering, we expect to adopt a related person transaction policy. Our related person transaction policy will set forth our procedures for the identification, review, consideration and approval or ratification of related person transactions. The policy will become effective immediately upon the execution of the underwriting agreement for this offering. For purposes of our policy only, a related person transaction is a transaction, arrangement or relationship or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships, in which we or any of our subsidiaries and any related person are, were or will be participants in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 or which is unusual in its nature or conditions. Transactions involving compensation for services provided to us as an employee or director are not covered by this policy. A related person is any executive officer, director or beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities, including any of their immediate family members and any entity owned or controlled by such persons.
Under the policy, if a transaction has been identified as a related person transaction, including any transaction that was not a related person transaction when originally consummated or any transaction that was not initially identified as a related person transaction prior to consummation, our management must present information regarding the related person transaction to our Audit Committee, or, if Audit Committee approval would be inappropriate, to another independent body of our board of directors for review, consideration and approval or ratification. The presentation must include a description of, among other things, the material facts, the interests, direct and indirect, of the related persons, the benefits to us of the transaction and whether the transaction is on terms that are comparable to the terms available to or from, as the case may be, an unrelated third party or to or from employees generally. Under the policy, we will collect information that we deem reasonably necessary from each director, executive officer and, to the extent feasible, significant shareholder to enable us to identify any existing or potential related person transactions and to effectuate the terms of the policy. In addition, under our Code of Ethics, which we have adopted and will be effective in connection with this offering, our employees and directors have an affirmative responsibility to disclose any transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to a conflict of interest.
 
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PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS
The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of           , 2021 for:

each beneficial owner of 5% or more of our outstanding ordinary shares;

each of our directors and executive officers; and

all of our directors and executive officers as a group.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC. These rules generally attribute beneficial ownership of securities to persons who possess sole or shared voting power or investment power with respect to those securities and include ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options that are immediately exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of           , 2021. Percentage ownership calculations are based on ordinary shares outstanding as of           , 2021, after giving effect to (i) the exchange by shareholders of Exscientia Scotland for issued shares of Exscientia Holdco of the same classes; and (ii) the completion of the other steps in our corporate reorganisation, which have occurred or will occur prior to the completion of this offering as described elsewhere in this prospectus.
The percentage of ordinary shares beneficially owned after completion of this offering and the concurrent private placement is based on        ordinary shares outstanding after this offering, including the         ordinary shares represented by ADSs to be issued in connection with this offering and the      ordinary shares to be issued in connection with the concurrent private placement, and assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional ADSs, assuming a public offering price of $     per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus.
Except as otherwise indicated, all of the shares reflected in the table are ordinary shares and all persons listed below have sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares beneficially owned by them, subject to applicable community property laws. The information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose.
Except as otherwise indicated in the table below, addresses of the directors, executive officers and named beneficial owners are care of Exscientia Limited, The Schrödinger Building, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, United Kingdom. As of           , 2021, to our knowledge,           U.S. record holders held    % of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares.
Name of Beneficial Owner
Number of
Ordinary
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
Percentage of Ordinary
Shares
Beneficially Owned
Before Offering
and Concurrent
Private Placement
After Offering
and Concurrent Private
Placement
5% or Greater Shareholders:
Evotec SE(1)
Softbank Group Corp.(2)
Novo Holdings A/S(3)
Entities affiliated with BlackRock, Inc.(4)
Celgene Corporation(5)
GT Healthcare Partners Fund III, L.P.(6)
Executive Officers and Directors:
Andrew Hopkins, DPhil, FRSE, FRSC(7)
Ben Taylor(8)
David Hallett, Ph.D.(9)
Garry Pairaudeau(10)
David Nicholson, Ph.D. (11)
Elizabeth Crain(12)
Robert Ghenchev(13)
 
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Name of Beneficial Owner
Number of
Ordinary
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
Percentage of Ordinary
Shares
Beneficially Owned
Before Offering
and Concurrent
Private Placement
After Offering
and Concurrent Private
Placement
Mario Polywka, Ph.D.(14)
Joanne Xu
All current directors and executive officers as a
group (9 persons)
*
Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent.
(1)
Consists of (i)           A Ordinary Shares held by Evotec SE, (ii)           ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of Series A Shares held by Evotec SE, (iii)           ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of Series B Shares held by Evotec SE and (iv)           ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of Series C Shares held by Evotec SE. The beneficial owner of the shares is Evotec SE. The address of Evotec SE is Essener Bogen 7, 22419 Hamburg, Germany.
(2)
SVF II Excel (DE) LLC (the “Investor”) holds 44,318 series D preferred shares in Exscientia. Currently, the Investor’s sole member is SVF II Holdings (DE) LLC (which is ultimately 100% indirectly owned by SoftBank Vision Fund II-2 L.P.) It is anticipated that SoftBank Vision Fund II-2 L.P. will undergo certain internal restructurings, and following the completion of such restructurings, the Investor’s shareholding structure will be as follows. The Investor’s sole member will be SVF II Investment Holdings (Subco) LLC, and in turn its sole member will be SVF II Investment Holdings LLC. It is expected that SVF II Investment Holdings LLC will have three members: (i) SVF II Investment Holdings (Jersey) L.P. holding 100% of issued preferred equity shares, (ii) SVF II Holdings (DE) LLC holding 82.75% of the issued equity shares and (iii) MASA USA LLC holding 17.25% of the issued equity shares. As of the date of this disclosure, MASA USA LLC is indirectly wholly-owned by Masayoshi Son. SVF II Investment Holdings (Jersey) L.P.’s sole limited partner is SVF II Holdings (DE) LLC. SVF II Holdings (DE) LLC sole member is SVF II Aggregator (Jersey) L.P., which in turn is 100% held by SoftBank Vision Fund II-2 L.P. SoftBank Group Corp. (a publicly traded company listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange) is the only limited partner in SoftBank Vision Fund II-2 L.P.
(3)
Consists of (i)             ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of Series B Shares held by Novo Holdings A/S and (ii)             ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of Series D1 Shares held by Novo Holdings A/S. Novo Holdings A/S has the sole power to vote and dispose of the shares, and no individual or other entity is deemed to hold any beneficial ownership in the shares. Robert Ghenchev is employed as a Senior Partner at Novo Holdings Equity US Inc., which provides certain consultancy services to Novo Holdings A/S, and is a member of our board of directors. Mr. Ghenchev is not deemed to hold any beneficiary ownership or reportable pecuniary interest in the shares held by Novo Holdings A/S. The business address of Novo Holdings A/S is Tuborg Havnevej 19, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark.
(4)
The registered holders of the referenced shares are funds and accounts under management by subsidiaries of BlackRock, Inc. BlackRock, Inc. is the ultimate parent holding company of such subsidiaries. On behalf of such subsidiaries, the applicable portfolio managers, as managing directors (or in other capacities) of such entities, and/or the applicable investment committee members of such funds and accounts, have voting and investment power over the shares held by the funds and accounts which are the registered holders of the referenced shares. Such portfolio managers and/or investment committee members expressly disclaim beneficial ownership of all shares held by such funds and accounts. The address of such funds and accounts, such subsidiaries and such portfolio managers and/or investment committee members is 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055.
(5)
Consists of (i)           ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of Series B Shares held by Celgene Corporation, (ii)            ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of Series C Shares held by Celgene Corporation and (iii)            ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of Series D1 Shares held by Celgene Corporation. The beneficial owner of the shares is Celgene Corporation. The address of Celgene Corporation is Route 206 & Province Line Road, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, United States.
(6)
Consists of (i)           ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of Series B Shares held by GT Healthcare Partners Fund III, L.P. and (ii)           ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of Series D1 Shares held by GT Healthcare Partners Fund III, L.P. Green Tomato Capital Limited owns 100% of the issued share capital of GT Healthcare GP III Ltd., and GT Healthcare GP III Ltd. is the general partner of GT Healthcare Partners Fund III, L.P. Mr. Au Chun Kwok Alan owns all of the issued share capital and is the director of Green Tomato Capital Limited, and he may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of the shares held by GT Healthcare Partners Fund III, L.P.
(7)
Consists of           ordinary shares and           ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of           , 2021.
(8)
Consists of           ordinary shares and           ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of           , 2021.
(9)
Consists of           ordinary shares and           ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of           , 2021.
(10)
Consists of           ordinary shares and           ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of           , 2021.
(11)
Consists of           ordinary shares and           ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of           , 2021.
 
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(12)
Consists of           ordinary shares and           ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of           , 2021.
(13)
Consists of           ordinary shares and           ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of           , 2021.
(14)
Consists of           ordinary shares and           ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of           , 2021.
 
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DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
Introduction
Set forth below is a summary of certain information concerning our share capital as well as a description of certain provisions of our articles of association and relevant provisions of the Companies Act, together with a summary of certain differences in corporate law in the United Kingdom and Delaware. The summary below contains only material information concerning our share capital and corporate status and does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our articles of association to be in effect upon completion of this offering and applicable English law. Further, please note that holders of ADSs to be in effect upon completion of this offering will not be treated as one of our shareholders and will not have any shareholder rights.
On June 29, 2021, Exscientia Limited was incorporated under the laws of England and Wales as Exscientia Holdings Limited, with nominal assets and liabilities for the purpose of becoming the ultimate holding company for Exscientia AI Limited (formerly Exscientia Limited) and consummating the corporate reorganisation described herein. Exscientia AI Limited was incorporated under the laws of Scotland in July 2012. On August 18, 2021 Exscientia Holdings Limited, which we refer to as Exscientia Holdco, changed its name to Exscientia Limited and Exscientia Limited, which we refer to as Exscientia Scotland, changed its name to Exscientia AI Limited.
Corporate Reorganisation
Prior to the completion of this offering, we are undertaking a corporate reorganisation pursuant to which Exscientia Holdco, a company with limited liability that we recently incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, acquired all the issued shares in Exscientia Scotland in consideration for the issue by Exscientia Holdco of newly issued shares of the same class, and with the same rights attaching thereto, of Exscientia Holdco and, as a result, Exscientia Scotland became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Exscientia Holdco. Exscientia Holdco incorporated a new wholly-owned subsidiary under the laws of England and Wales, called Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited, that acquired all the issued shares in Exscientia Scotland from Exscientia Holdco in consideration for the issue of an additional share in Exscientia Scotland to Exscientia Holdco and Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited became the direct holding company of Exscientia Scotland.
Subsequently, Exscientia Holdco will re-register as a public limited company and change its name from Exscientia Limited to Exscientia plc. Immediately prior to completion of this offering, it is expected that Exscientia plc’s share capital will be reorganised such that it consists of a single class of ordinary shares. Please see the section titled “Corporate Reorganisation” for additional information.
Our registered office in the United Kingdom is located at The Schrödinger Building, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, United Kingdom, and the telephone number of our registered office is +44 (0)1865 818941.
The issued share capital of Exscientia Holdco is currently comprised of 86,426 A Ordinary Shares of £0.16 each, 4,848 B Ordinary Shares of £0.16 each, 10,123 Junior C Shares of £0.16 each, 30,255 Series A Shares of £0.16 each, 29,408 Series B Shares of £0.16 each, 57,295 Series C Shares of £0.16 each, 17,132 Series C1 Shares of £0.16 each and 88,634 Series D1 Shares of £0.16 each. Upon the closing of this offering and the concurrent private placement, Exscientia plc will have       ordinary shares outstanding, including ordinary shares represented by ADSs.
Ordinary Shares
In accordance with our articles of association to be in effect upon the completion of this offering, the following summarises the rights of holders of our ordinary shares:

each holder of our ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per ordinary share on all matters to be voted on by shareholders generally;

the holders of the ordinary shares shall be entitled to receive notice of, attend, speak and vote at our general meetings; and
 
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the holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to receive such dividends as are recommended by our directors and declared by our shareholders.
See also “— Articles of Association” below.
Options
As of June 30, 2021, there were options to purchase 28,691 ordinary shares outstanding with a weighted average exercise price of £6.39 per ordinary share.
Register of Members
We are required by the Companies Act to keep a register of our shareholders. Under the laws of England and Wales, the ordinary shares are deemed to be issued when the name of the shareholder is entered in our register of members. The register of members therefore is prima facie evidence of the identity of our shareholders, and the shares that they hold. The register of members generally provides limited, or no, information regarding the ultimate beneficial owners of our ordinary shares. Our register of members is maintained by our registrar, Computershare Investor Services plc.
Holders of our ADSs will not be treated as one of our shareholders and their names will therefore not be entered in our register of members. The depositary, the custodian or their nominees will be the holder of the ordinary shares underlying our ADSs. Holders of our ADSs have a right to receive the ordinary shares underlying their ADSs. For discussion on our ADSs and ADS holder rights, see the section titled “Description of American Depositary Shares” in this prospectus.
Under the Companies Act, we must enter an allotment of shares in our register of members as soon as practicable and in any event within two months of the allotment. We will perform all procedures necessary to update the register of members to reflect the ordinary shares being sold in this offering and the concurrent private placement, including updating the share register with the number of ordinary shares to be issued to the depositary upon the closing of this offering and the concurrent private placement. We also are required by the Companies Act to register a transfer of shares (or give the transferee notice of and reasons for refusal) as soon as practicable and in any event within two months of receiving notice of the transfer.
We, any of our shareholders or any other affected person, may apply to the court for rectification of the register of members if:

the name of any person, without sufficient cause, is wrongly entered in or omitted from our register of members; or

there is a default or unnecessary delay in entering on the register the fact of any person having ceased to be a member or on which we have a lien, provided that such refusal does not prevent dealings in the shares taking place on an open and proper basis.
Registration Rights
We, the holders of our Series A Shares, the holders of our Series B Shares, the holders of our Series C Shares, the holders of our Series C1 Shares, the holders of our Series D1 Shares, and certain holders of our ordinary shares entered into the Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Agreement, or the Shareholders’ Agreement, in April 2021 which provided that, among other things, certain holders of our Series A Shares, Series B Shares, Series C Shares, Series C1 Shares and Series D1 Shares (or the ordinary shares into which such shares are convertible) would benefit from registration rights in the event of an initial public offering. We have granted the following registration rights to such shareholders on a pro rata basis, subject to customary terms and conditions:

Demand Registration — following this offering, each holder shall be entitled to demand registration, by all holders who are party to the Shareholders’ Agreement. These demand registration rights may not be exercised more than twice.

Piggyback Registration — each holder shall be entitled to piggyback registration rights, subject, in the case of an underwritten offering, to customary reductions by the underwriter.
 
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Expenses — We will pay all registration expenses relating to the exercise of the registration rights above, including the reasonable fees and expenses of one professional firm appointed to act on behalf of the participating holders up to a maximum of $60,000 in the aggregate.
In connection with the concurrent private placement, we have granted to the Gates Foundation registration rights that are substantially the same as the rights we granted to certain holders of our preferred shares under the Shareholders Agreement.
Preemptive Rights
The laws of England and Wales generally provide shareholders with preemptive rights when new shares are issued for cash; however, it is possible for the articles of association, or shareholders at a general meeting representing at least 75% of our ordinary shares present (in person or by proxy) and voting at that general meeting, to disapply these preemptive rights. Such a disapplication of preemptive rights may be for a maximum period of up to five years from the date of adoption of the articles of association, if the disapplication is contained in the articles of association, or from the date of the shareholder resolution, if the disapplication is by shareholder resolution. In either case, this disapplication would need to be renewed by our shareholders upon its expiration (i.e., at least every five years) to be effective.
We intend to obtain authority from our shareholders to disapply preemptive rights for the allotment of ordinary shares, including in connection with this offering. This disapplication will be effective for five years from the date the resolution is passed.
Articles of Association
Our articles of association will be effective subject to and conditional upon completion of this offering and listing of ADSs representing our ordinary shares on the Nasdaq. A summary of the terms of the articles of association is set out below. The summary below is not a complete copy of the terms of the articles of association.
The articles of association contain, among other things, provisions to the following effect:
Objects
The objects of the Company are unrestricted.
Share Rights
Subject to the Companies Act and any rights attaching to shares already in issue, our shares may be issued with or have attached to them any rights and restrictions as we may by ordinary resolution of the shareholders determine or, in the absence of any such determination, as our board of directors may determine.
Voting Rights
Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any shares from time to time, the general voting rights attaching to shares are as follows:

any resolution put to the vote of a general meeting must be decided exclusively on a poll; on a poll, every shareholder who is present in person or by proxy or corporate representative shall have one vote for each share of which they are the holder. A shareholder entitled to more than one vote need not, if they vote, use all their votes or cast all the votes in the same way; and

if two or more persons are joint holders of a share, then in voting on any question the vote of the senior who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders. For this purpose, seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names of the holders stand in the share register.
 
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Restrictions on Voting
No shareholder shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting or at any separate class meeting in respect of any share held by him unless all calls or other sums payable by him in respect of that share have been paid.
The board may from time to time make calls upon the shareholders in respect of any money unpaid on their shares and each shareholder shall (subject to at least 14 clear days’ notice specifying the time or times and place of payment) pay at the time or times so specified the amount called on their shares.
Dividends
We may, subject to the provisions of the Companies Act and the articles of association, by ordinary resolution of shareholders declare dividends out of profits available for distribution in accordance with the respective rights of shareholders, but no such dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the board of directors.
The board of directors may from time to time pay shareholders such interim dividends as appears to the board to be justified by the profits available for distribution (including any dividends at a fixed rate). If the share capital is divided into different classes, the board of directors may pay interim dividends on shares which confer deferred or non-preferred rights with regard to dividend as well as on shares which confer preferential rights with regard to dividend, but no interim dividend shall be paid on shares carrying deferred or non-preferred rights if, at the time of payment, any preferential dividend is in arrears.
The board of directors may deduct from any dividend or other money payable to any person on or in respect of a share all such sums as may be due from such shareholder to the Company on account of calls or otherwise in relation to the shares of the Company. Sums so deducted can be used to pay amounts owing to the Company in respect of the shares.
Subject to any special rights attaching to or the terms of issue of any share, no dividend or other moneys payable by us on or in respect of any share shall bear interest against us. Any dividend unclaimed after a period of 12 years from the date such dividend became due for payment shall be forfeited and shall revert to us.
Dividends may be declared or paid in any currency and the board may decide the rate of exchange for any currency conversions that may be required, and how any costs involved are to be met.
The board of directors may, by ordinary resolution of the Company, direct (or in the case of an interim dividend may without the authority of an ordinary resolution direct) that payment of any dividend declared may be satisfied wholly or partly by the distribution of assets, and in particular of paid up shares or debentures of any other company, or in any one or more of such ways.
Change of Control
There is no specific provision in our articles of association that would have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control.
Distributions on Winding Up
On a winding up, the liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution of shareholders and any other sanction required by law, divide among the shareholders in specie the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and may, for that purpose, value any assets and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the shareholders or different classes of shareholders. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the whole or any part of the assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the shareholders as he may with the like sanction determine, but no shareholder shall be compelled to accept any assets upon which there is a liability.
 
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Variation of Rights
All or any of the rights and restrictions attached to any class of shares issued may be varied or abrogated with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than three-fourths in nominal value of the issued shares of that class (excluding any shares held as treasury shares) or by special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of such shares, subject to the Companies Act and the terms of their issue. The Companies Act provides a right to object to the variation of the share capital by the shareholders who did not vote in favour of the variation. Should an aggregate of not less than 15% of the shareholders of the issued shares in question apply to the court to have the variation cancelled, the variation shall have no effect unless and until it is confirmed by the court.
Alteration to Share Capital
We may, by ordinary resolution of shareholders, consolidate all or any of our share capital into shares of larger amount than our existing shares, or sub-divide our shares or any of them into shares of a smaller amount. We may, by special resolution of shareholders, confirmed by the court, reduce our share capital or any capital redemption reserve or any share premium account in any manner authorised by the Companies Act. We may redeem or purchase all or any of our shares as described in “— Other English Law Considerations — Purchase of Own Shares”.
Allotment of Shares and Preemption Rights
Subject to the Companies Act and to any rights attached to existing shares, any share may be issued with or have attached to it such rights and restrictions as we may by ordinary resolution determine, or if no ordinary resolution has been passed or so far as the resolution does not make specific provision, as our board of directors may determine (including shares which are to be redeemed, or are liable to be redeemed at our option or the holder of such shares).
In accordance with section 551 of the Companies Act, the board of directors may be generally and unconditionally authorised to exercise for each prescribed period of up to five years all the powers of the Company to allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to the amount stated in the relevant ordinary resolution authorizing such allotment.
We intend to obtain authority from our shareholders for our board of directors to allot ordinary shares, including in connection with this offering. If approved, this authority would be effective until 2026.
In certain circumstances, our shareholders may have statutory preemptive rights under the Companies Act in respect of the allotment of new shares as described in “— Preemptive Rights” and “— Differences in Corporate Law — Preemptive Rights” in this prospectus.
Transfer of Shares
Any shareholder holding shares in certificated form may transfer all or any of his shares by an instrument of transfer in any usual or common form or in any other manner which is permitted by the Companies Act and approved by the board. Any written instrument of transfer shall be signed by or on behalf of the transferor and (in the case of a share which is not fully paid up) the transferee.
All transfers of uncertificated shares shall be made in accordance with and subject to the provisions of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 and the facilities and requirements of its relevant system. The Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 permit shares to be issued and held in uncertificated form and transferred by means of a computer-based system.
The board of directors may, in its absolute discretion, decline to register any transfer of any share in certificated form unless:

it is for a share which is fully paid up;

it is for a share upon which the Company has no lien;
 
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it is only for one class of share;

it is in favour of a single transferee or no more than four joint transferees;

it is duly stamped or is duly certificated or otherwise shown to the satisfaction of the board to be exempt from stamp duty (if this is required); and

it is delivered for registration to our registered office (or such other place as the board may determine), accompanied (except in the case of a transfer by a person to whom the Company is not required by law to issue a certificate and to whom a certificate has not been issued or in the case of a renunciation) by the certificate for the shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the board may reasonably require to prove the title of the transferor (or person renouncing) and the due execution of the transfer or renunciation by him or, if the transfer or renunciation is executed by some other person on his behalf, the authority of that person to do so.
The board of directors may decline to register a transfer of uncertificated shares in any circumstances that are allowed or required by the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 and the requirements of its relevant system.
If the board of directors declines to register a transfer it shall, as soon as practicable and in any event within two months after the date on which the transfer is lodged, send to the transferee notice of the refusal, together with reasons for the refusal or, in the case of uncertified shares, notify such persons as may be required by the Uncertified Securities Regulations 2001 and the requirements of the relevant system concerned.
Our board of directors shall not refuse to register any transfer of partly paid shares in respect of which ADSs are admitted to Nasdaq on the grounds that they are partly paid shares in circumstances where such refusal would prevent dealings in such shares from taking place on an open and proper basis.
Annual General Meetings
In accordance with the Companies Act, we are required in each year to hold an annual general meeting in addition to any other general meetings in that year and to specify the meeting as such in the notice convening it. The annual general meeting shall be convened whenever and wherever the board sees fit, subject to the requirements of the Companies Act, as described in “— Differences in Corporate Law — Annual General Meeting” and “— Differences in Corporate Law — Notice of General Meetings” in this prospectus.
Notice of General Meetings
The arrangements for the calling of general meetings are described in “— Differences in Corporate Law — Notice of General Meetings” in this prospectus.
Quorum of General Meetings
No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum is present. At least two shareholders present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall be a quorum for all purposes.
Class Meetings
The provisions in our articles of association relating to general meetings apply to every separate general meeting of the holders of a class of shares except that:

the quorum for such class meeting shall be two holders in person or by proxy representing not less than one-third in nominal value of the issued shares of the class (excluding any shares held in treasury); and

if at any adjourned meeting of such holders a quorum is not present at the meeting, one holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy at an adjourned meeting constitutes a quorum.
 
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Number of Directors
We may not have less than two directors or more than fifteen directors on the board of directors. We may, by ordinary resolution of the shareholders, vary the minimum and/or maximum number of directors from time to time.
Appointment of Directors, Classification and Reappointment of Directors
Subject to our articles of association and the Companies Act, the company may by ordinary resolution appoint a person who is willing to act as a director and the board of directors shall have power at any time to appoint any person who is willing to act as a director, in both cases either to fill a vacancy or as an addition to the existing board of directors, provided the total number of directors shall not exceed the maximum number of fifteen.
Our articles of association provide that our board of directors will be divided into three classes, each of which will consist, as nearly as possible, of one-third of the total number of directors constituting our entire board and which will serve staggered three-year terms. At each annual general meeting, the successors to directors whose terms then expire will be elected to serve from the time of election and qualification until the third annual general meeting following election. Directors of the class retiring at the annual general meeting shall be eligible for re-appointment by ordinary resolution at such annual general meeting.
At every subsequent annual general meeting, any director who has been appointed by the board of directors since the last annual general meeting, must retire from office and may offer themselves for reappointment by the shareholders by ordinary resolution.
Directors’ Interests
The directors may authorise, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any matter or situation proposed to them which would otherwise result in a director infringing his duty to avoid a situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with our interests. A director shall not, save as otherwise agreed by him, be accountable to us for any remuneration, profit or other benefit which he derives from any matter authorised by the directors or by the shareholders in general meeting and no contract shall be liable to be avoided on any such grounds.
Subject to the requirements under sections 175, 177 and 182 of the Companies Act, a director who is any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a proposed or existing transaction or arrangement with us shall declare the nature of his interest at a meeting of the directors.
A director shall not vote in respect of any transactions or, arrangement with the Company in which he has an interest, and which may reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest. A director shall not be counted in the quorum at a meeting in relation to any resolution on which he is debarred from voting.
A director shall be entitled to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of any resolution concerning any of the following matters:

the giving of any guarantee, security or indemnity in respect of money lent or obligations incurred by him or by any other person at the request of or for the benefit of our company or any of our subsidiary undertakings;

the giving of any guarantee, security or indemnity in respect of a debt or obligation of our company or any of our subsidiary undertakings for which he himself has assumed responsibility in whole or in part under a guarantee or indemnity or by the giving of security;

any proposal or contract relating to an offer of securities of or by our company or any of our subsidiary undertakings in which offer he is or may be entitled to participate as a holder of securities or in the underwriting or sub-underwriting of which he is to participate;
 
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any arrangement involving any other company if the director (together with any person connected with him) has an interest of any kind in that company (including an interest by holding any position in that company or by being a member of that company), unless he is to his knowledge (either directly or indirectly) the holder of or beneficially interested in one per cent or more of any class of the equity share capital of that company (calculated exclusive of any shares of that class in that company held as treasury shares) or of the voting rights available to members of that company;

any arrangement for the benefit of employees of our company or any of our subsidiary undertakings which only gives him benefits which are also generally given to employees to whom the arrangement relates;

any contract relating to insurance which our company is to buy or renew for the benefit of the directors or a group of people which includes directors; and

a contract relating to a pension, superannuation or similar scheme or a retirement, death, disability benefits scheme or employees’ share scheme which gives the director benefits which are also generally given to the employees to whom the scheme relates. If a question arises at a meeting of the board or of a committee of the board as to the right of a director to vote or be counted in the quorum, and such question is not resolved by his voluntarily agreeing to abstain from voting or not to be counted in the quorum, the question shall be determined by the Chairman and his ruling in relation to any director other than himself shall be final and conclusive except in a case where the nature or extent of the interest of the director concerned has not been fairly disclosed. If the question arises about the Chairman, the question must be directed to the directors. The Chairman cannot vote on the question but can be counted in the quorum. The directors’ resolution about the chairman is final and conclusive, unless the nature and extent of the Chairman’s interests have not been fairly disclosed to the directors.
Directors’ Fees and Remuneration
Each of the directors shall be paid a fee at such rate as may from time to time be determined by the board (or for the avoidance of doubt any duly authorised committee of the board) provided that the aggregate of all such fees so paid to directors shall not exceed £          per annum, or such higher amount as may from time to time be determined by ordinary resolution of the shareholders.
Each director may be paid his reasonable travelling, hotel and other expenses of attending and returning from meetings of the board or committees of the board or general meetings or separate meetings of the holders of any class of shares or of debentures and shall be paid all expenses properly incurred by him in the conduct of the Company’s business.
Any director who is appointed to any executive office or who serves on any committee or who devotes special attention to the business of our company, or who otherwise performs services which in the opinion of the directors are outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a director, may be paid such extra remuneration by way of salary, commissions, participation in profits or otherwise as the directors may determine.
Borrowing Powers
Subject to our articles of association and the Companies Act, the board of directors may exercise all the powers to borrow money, provide any indemnity or guarantee and to mortgage or charge our undertaking, property and assets (present or future) and uncalled capital or any part thereof, to create and issue debentures and other securities and to give security, whether outright or as collateral security for any debt, liability or obligation of us or of any third party.
Indemnity
Every director or other office of our group may be indemnified against all costs, charges, expenses, losses and liabilities sustained or incurred by them in connection with that director’s or officer’s duties
 
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or powers in relation to the Company or other members of our group. See also “Indemnification of directors and officers” in Part II below.
Other Relevant English Law Considerations
Mandatory Bid
We believe that, at the date of this prospectus, our place of central management and control is not, and is not expected to be, in the United Kingdom (or the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man) for the purposes of the jurisdictional criteria of the Takeover Code. Accordingly, we believe that upon re-registration as a public company we will not be subject to the Takeover Code and, as a result, our shareholders will not be entitled to benefit from certain takeover offer protections provided under the Takeover Code, including the rules regarding mandatory takeover bids (a summary of which is set out below). In the event that this changes, or if the interpretation or application of the Takeover Code by the Takeover Panel changes (including changes to the way in which the Takeover Panel assesses the application of the Takeover Code to English companies whose shares are listed outside the United Kingdom), the Takeover Code may apply to us in the future.
Under the Takeover Code, where:

any person, together with persons acting in concert with him, acquires, whether by a series of transactions over a period of time or not, an interest in shares which (taken together with shares in which he is already interested, and in which persons acting in concert with him are interested) carry 30% or more of the voting rights of a company; or

any person who, together with persons acting in concert with him, is interested in shares which in the aggregate carry not less than 30% of the voting rights of a company but does not hold shares carrying more than 50% of such voting rights and such person, or any person acting in concert with him, acquires an interest in any other shares which increases the percentage of shares carrying voting rights in which he is interested,
such person shall, except in limited circumstances, be obliged to extend offers, on the basis set out in Rules 9.3, 9.4 and 9.5 of the Takeover Code, to the holders of any class of equity share capital, whether voting or non-voting, and also to the holders of any other class of transferable securities carrying voting rights. Offers for different classes of equity share capital must be comparable; the Takeover Panel should be consulted in advance in such cases.
An offer under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code must be in cash and at the highest price paid for any interest in the shares by the person required to make an offer or any person acting in concert with him during the 12 months prior to the announcement of the offer.
Under the Takeover Code, a “concert party” arises where persons acting together pursuant to an agreement or understanding (whether formal or informal and whether or not in writing) actively cooperate, through the acquisition by them of an interest in shares in a company, to obtain or consolidate control of the company. “Control” means holding, or aggregate holdings, of an interest in shares carrying 30% or more of the voting rights of the company, irrespective of whether the holding or holdings give de facto control.
Mandatory Purchases and Acquisitions
Pursuant to Sections 979 to 991 of the Companies Act, where a takeover offer has been made for us and the offeror has acquired or unconditionally contracted to acquire not less than 90% in value of the shares to which the offer relates and not less than 90% of the voting rights carried by those shares, the offeror may give notice to the holder of any shares to which the offer relates which the offeror has not acquired or unconditionally contracted to acquire that he wishes to acquire, and is entitled to so acquire, those shares on the same terms as the general offer. The offeror would do so by sending a notice to the outstanding minority shareholders telling them that it will compulsorily acquire their shares.
Such notice must be sent within three months of the last day on which the offer can be accepted in the prescribed manner or if earlier, and the offer is not one to which section 943(1) of the Companies
 
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Act applies, within the period of six months beginning with the date of the offer. The squeeze out of the minority shareholders can be completed at the end of six weeks from the date the notice has been given, subject to the minority shareholders failing to successfully lodge an application to the court to prevent such squeeze out any time prior to the end of those six weeks following which the offeror can execute a transfer of the outstanding shares in its favour and pay the consideration to us, which would hold the consideration on trust for the outstanding minority shareholders. The consideration offered to the outstanding minority shareholders whose shares are compulsorily acquired under the Companies Act must, in general, be the same as the consideration that was available under the takeover offer.
Sell Out
The Companies Act also gives our minority shareholders a right to be bought out in certain circumstances by an offeror who has made a takeover offer for all of our shares. The holder of shares to which the offer relates, and who has not otherwise accepted the offer, may require the offeror to acquire his shares if, prior to the expiry of the acceptance period for such offer, (1) the offeror has acquired or unconditionally agreed to acquire not less than 90% in value of the voting shares and (2) not less than 90% of the voting rights carried by those shares. The offeror may impose a time limit on the rights of minority shareholders to be bought out that is not less than three months after the end of the acceptance period. If a shareholder exercises his rights to be bought out, the offeror is required to acquire those shares on the terms of this offer or on such other terms as may be agreed.
Disclosure of Interest in Shares
Pursuant to Part 22 of the Companies Act and our articles of association, we are empowered by notice in writing to any person whom we know or have reasonable cause to believe to be interested in our shares, or at any time during the three years immediately preceding the date on which the notice is issued has been so interested, within a reasonable time to disclose to us particulars of that person’s interest and (so far as is within his knowledge) particulars of any other interest that subsists or subsisted in those shares.
Under our articles of association, if a person defaults in supplying us with the required particulars in relation to the shares in question, or default shares, within the prescribed period, the directors may by notice direct that:

in respect of the default shares, the relevant shareholder shall not be entitled to vote (either in person or by representative or proxy) at any general meeting or to exercise any other right conferred by a shareholding in relation to general meetings; and

where the default shares represent at least 0.25% in nominal value of the issued shares of their class, (a) any dividend or other money payable in respect of the default shares shall be retained by us without liability to pay interest and/or (b) no transfers by the relevant shareholder of any default shares may be registered (unless the shareholder himself is not in default and the shareholder provides a certificate, in a form satisfactory to the directors, to the effect that after due and careful enquiry the shareholder is satisfied that none of the shares to be transferred are default shares).
Purchase of Own Shares
Under the laws of England and Wales, a public limited company may only purchase its own shares out of the distributable profits of the Company or the proceeds of a fresh issue of shares made for the purpose of financing the purchase, subject to complying with procedural requirements under the Companies Act and provided that they are not restricted from doing so by their articles of association. A public limited company may not purchase its own shares if, as a result of the purchase, there would no longer be any issued shares of the Company other than redeemable shares or shares held as treasury shares. Shares must be fully paid to be repurchased.
Any such purchase will be either a “market purchase” or “off market purchase”, each as defined in the Companies Act. A “market purchase” is a purchase made on a “recognised investment exchange” (other than an overseas exchange) as defined in the U.K. Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as
 
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amended, or FSMA. An “off market purchase” is a purchase that is not made on a “recognised investment exchange”. Both “market purchases” and “off market purchases” require prior shareholder approval by way of an ordinary resolution. In the case of an “off market purchase”, a company’s shareholders, other than the shareholders from whom the company is purchasing shares, must approve the terms of the contract to purchase shares and in the case of a “market purchase”, the shareholders must approve the maximum number of shares that can be purchased and the maximum and minimum prices to be paid by the company. Both resolutions authorizing “market purchases” and “off-market purchases” must specify a date, not later than five years after the passing of the resolution, on which the authority to purchase is to expire.
A share buy-back by a company of its shares will give rise to U.K. stamp duty reserve tax and stamp duty at the rate of 0.5% of the amount or value of the consideration payable by the company (rounded up to the next £5.00), and such stamp duty reserve tax or stamp duty will be paid by the company. The charge to U.K. stamp duty reserve tax will be cancelled or, if already paid, repaid (generally with interest), where a transfer instrument for U.K. stamp duty purposes has been duly stamped within six years of the charge arising (either by paying the U.K. stamp duty or by claiming an appropriate relief) or if the instrument is otherwise exempt from U.K. stamp duty.
Nasdaq is an “overseas exchange” for the purposes of the Companies Act and does not fall within the definition of a “recognised investment exchange” for the purposes of FSMA and any purchase made by us would need to comply with the procedural requirements under the Companies Act that regulate “off market purchases”.
Prior to completion of this offering, our shareholders will approve the form of a share repurchase contract in respect of a proposed “off market purchase” by us of certain shares in our share capital held by the Gates Foundation, with such contract to be entered into by us and the Gates Foundation on a future date. This is to enable us to comply with our obligations in the event we are required to repurchase for cash all of the Gates Foundation's shares pursuant to our global access agreement with the Gates Foundation.
Our articles of association do not have conditions governing changes to our capital which are more stringent than those required by law.
Distributions and Dividends
Under the Companies Act, before a company can lawfully make a distribution or dividend, it must ensure that it has sufficient distributable reserves (on a non-consolidated basis). The basic rule is that a company’s profits available for the purpose of making a distribution are its accumulated, realised profits, so far as not previously utilised by distribution or capitalisation, less its accumulated, realised losses, so far as not previously written off in a reduction or reorganisation of capital duly made. The requirement to have sufficient distributable reserves before a distribution or dividend can be paid applies to us and to each of our subsidiaries that has been incorporated under the laws of England and Wales.
It is not sufficient that we, as a public limited company, have made a distributable profit for the purpose of making a distribution. An additional capital maintenance requirement is imposed on us to ensure that the net worth of the Company is at least equal to the amount of its capital. A public limited company can only make a distribution:

if, at the time that the distribution is made, the amount of its net assets (that is, the total excess of assets over liabilities) is not less than the total of its called-up share capital and undistributable reserves; and

if, and to the extent that, the distribution itself, at the time that it is made, does not reduce the amount of the net assets to less than that total.
Shareholder Rights
Certain rights granted under the Companies Act, including the right to requisition a general meeting or require a resolution to be put to shareholders at the annual general meeting, are only
 
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available to our shareholders. For English law purposes, our shareholders are the persons who are registered as the owners of the legal title to the shares and whose names are recorded in our share register. If a person who holds their ADSs in DTC wishes to exercise certain of the rights granted under the Companies Act, they may be required to first take steps to withdraw their ADSs from the settlement system operated by DTC and become the registered holder of the shares in our share register. A withdrawal of shares from DTC may have tax implications.
Exchange Controls
There are no governmental laws, decrees, regulations or other legislation in the United Kingdom that may affect the import or export of capital, including the availability of cash and cash equivalents for use by us, or that may affect the remittance of dividends, interest or other payments by us to non-resident holders of our ordinary shares or ADSs representing our ordinary shares, other than withholding tax requirements. There is no limitation imposed by the laws of England and Wales or in the articles of association on the right of non-residents to hold or vote shares.
Differences in Corporate Law
The applicable provisions of the Companies Act differ from laws applicable to U.S. corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of certain differences between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware relating to shareholders’ rights and protections. This summary is not intended to be a complete discussion of the respective rights and it is qualified in its entirety by reference to Delaware law and the laws of England and Wales.
England and Wales
Delaware
Number of Directors Under the Companies Act, a public limited company must have at least two directors and the number of directors may be fixed by or in the manner provided in a company’s articles of association. Under Delaware law, a corporation must have at least one director and the number of directors shall be fixed by or in the manner provided in the bylaws.
Removal of Directors Under the Companies Act, shareholders may remove a director without cause by an ordinary resolution (which is passed by a simple majority of those voting in person or by proxy at a general meeting) irrespective of any provisions of any service contract the director has with the Company, provided 28 clear days’ notice of the resolution has been given to the Company and its shareholders. On receipt of notice of an intended resolution to remove a director, the Company must forthwith send a copy of the notice to the director concerned. Certain other procedural requirements under the. Companies Act must also be followed such as allowing the Under Delaware law, any director or the entire board of directors may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors, except (a) unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise, in the case of a corporation whose board of directors is classified, shareholders may effect such removal only for cause or (b) in the case of a corporation having cumulative voting, if less than the entire board of directors is to be removed, no director may be removed without cause if the votes cast against his removal would be sufficient to elect him if then cumulatively voted at an election of the entire board of
 
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England and Wales
Delaware
director to make representations against his or her removal either at the meeting or in writing. directors, or, if there are classes of directors, at an election of the class of directors of which he is a part.
Vacancies on the Board of Directors Under the laws of England and Wales, the procedure by which directors, other than a company’s initial directors, are appointed is generally set out in a company’s articles of association, provided that where two or more persons are appointed as directors of a public limited company by resolution of the shareholders, resolutions appointing each director must be voted on individually unless a resolution has first been unanimously passed confirming that a single resolution appointing two or more directors may be tabled at that meeting. Under Delaware law, vacancies and newly created directorships may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office (even though less than a quorum) or by a sole remaining director unless (a) otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the corporation or (b) the certificate of incorporation directs that a particular class of stock is to elect such director, in which case a majority of the other directors elected by such class, or a sole remaining director elected by such class, will fill such vacancy.
Annual General Meeting Under the Companies Act, a public limited company must hold an annual general meeting in each six-month period following its annual accounting reference date. Under Delaware law, the annual meeting of stockholders shall be held at such place, on such date and at such time as may be designated from time to time by the board of directors or as provided in the certificate of incorporation or by the bylaws.
General Meeting
Under the Companies Act, a general meeting of the shareholders of a public limited company may be called by the directors.
Shareholders holding at least 5% of the paid-up capital of the Company carrying voting rights at general meetings (excluding any paid up capital held as treasury shares) can require the directors to call a general meeting and, if the directors fail to do so within a certain period, may themselves (or any of them representing more than one half of the total voting rights of all of them) convene a general meeting.
Under Delaware law, special meetings of the stockholders may be called by the board of directors or by such person or persons as may be authorised by the certificate of incorporation or by the bylaws.
 
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England and Wales
Delaware
Notice of General Meetings Subject to a company’s articles of association providing for a longer period, under the Companies Act, 21 clear days’ notice must be given for an annual general meeting and any resolutions to be proposed at the meeting. Subject to a company’s articles of association providing for a longer period, at least 14 clear days’ notice is required for any other general meeting. In addition, certain matters, such as the removal of directors or auditors, require special notice, which is 28 clear days’ notice. The shareholders of a company (that is not a “traded company”, as such term is defined in Part 13 of the Companies Act) may in all cases consent to a shorter notice period, the proportion of shareholders’ consent required being 100% of those entitled to attend and vote in the case of an annual general meeting and, in the case of any other general meeting, a majority in number of the members having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, being a majority who together hold not less than 95% in nominal value of the shares giving a right to attend and vote at the meeting. Under Delaware law, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws, written notice of any meeting of the stockholders must be given to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting not less than 10 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting and shall specify the place, date, hour and purpose or purposes of the meeting.
Quorum Subject to the provisions of a company’s articles of association, the Companies Act provides that two shareholders present at a meeting (in person, by proxy or authorised representative under the Companies Act) shall constitute a quorum for companies with more than one shareholder.
The certificate of incorporation or bylaws may specify the number of shares, the holders of which shall be present or represented by proxy at any meeting to constitute a quorum, but in no event shall a quorum consist of less than one third of the shares entitled to vote at the meeting. In the absence of such specification in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws, a majority of the shares entitled to vote, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of stockholders.
 
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England and Wales
Delaware
Proxy Under the Companies Act, at any meeting of shareholders, a shareholder may designate another person to attend, speak and vote at the meeting on their behalf by proxy. Under Delaware law, at any meeting of stockholders, a stockholder may designate another person to act for such stockholder by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A director of a Delaware corporation may not issue a proxy representing the director’s voting rights as a director.
Preemptive Rights Under the Companies Act, “equity securities”, being (1) shares in the Company other than shares that, with respect to dividends and capital, carry a right to participate only up to a specified amount in a distribution, referred to as “ordinary shares” or (2) rights to subscribe for, or to convert securities into, ordinary shares, proposed to be allotted for cash must be offered first to the existing equity shareholders in the Company in proportion to the respective nominal value of their holdings, unless an exception applies or a special resolution to the contrary has been passed by shareholders in a general meeting or the articles of association provide otherwise in each case in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act. Under Delaware law, shareholders have no preemptive rights to subscribe to additional issues of stock or to any security convertible into such stock unless, and except to the extent that, such rights are expressly provided for in the certificate of incorporation.
Authority to Allot Under the Companies Act, the directors of a company must not allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares unless an exception applies or an ordinary resolution to the contrary has been passed by shareholders in a general meeting or the articles of association provide otherwise in each case in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act. Under Delaware law, if the corporation’s charter or certificate of incorporation so provides, the board of directors has the power to authorise the issuance of stock. It may authorise capital stock to be issued for consideration consisting of cash, any tangible or intangible property or any benefit to the corporation or any combination thereof. It may determine the amount of such consideration by approving a formula. In the absence of
 
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actual fraud in the transaction, the judgement of the directors as to the value of such consideration is conclusive.
Liability of Directors and Officers
Under the Companies Act, any provision, whether contained in a company’s articles of association or any contract or otherwise, that purports to exempt a director of a company, to any extent, from any liability that would otherwise attach to him in connection with any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust in relation to the Company is void.
Any provision by which a company directly or indirectly provides an indemnity, to any extent, for a director of the Company or of an associated company against any liability attaching to him in connection with any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust in relation to the Company of which he is a director is also void except as permitted by the Companies Act, which provides exceptions for the Company to (a) purchase and maintain insurance against such liability; (b) provide a “qualifying third party indemnity” ​(being an indemnity against liability incurred by the director to a person other than the Company or an associated company or criminal proceedings in which he is convicted); and (c) provide a “qualifying pension scheme indemnity” ​(being an indemnity against liability incurred in connection with our activities as trustee of an occupational pension plan).
Under Delaware law, a corporation’s certificate of incorporation may include a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation and its stockholders for damages arising from a breach of fiduciary duty as a director. However, no provision can limit the liability of a director for:

any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders;

acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

intentional or negligent payment of unlawful dividends or stock purchases or redemptions; or

any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.
Voting Rights Under the laws of England and Wales, unless a poll is demanded by the shareholders of a company or is required by the chairman of the meeting or our articles of association, Delaware law provides that, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder.
 
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shareholders shall vote on all resolutions on a show of hands. Under the Companies Act, a poll may be demanded by (a) not fewer than five shareholders having the right to vote on the resolution; (b) any shareholder(s) representing not less than 10% of the total voting rights of all the shareholders having the right to vote on the resolution (excluding any voting rights attaching to treasury shares); or (c) any shareholder(s) holding shares in the Company conferring a right to vote on the resolution (excluding any voting rights attaching to treasury shares) being shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than 10% of the total sum paid up on all the shares conferring that right. A company’s articles of association may provide more extensive rights for shareholders to call a poll.
Under the laws of England and Wales, an ordinary resolution is passed on a show of hands if it is approved by a simple majority (more than 50%) of the votes cast by shareholders present (in person or by proxy) and entitled to vote. If a poll is demanded, an ordinary resolution is passed if it is approved by holders representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present, in person or by proxy, who, being entitled to vote, vote on the resolution. Special resolutions require the affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the votes cast by shareholders present, in person or by proxy, at the meeting. If a poll is demanded, a special resolution is passed if it is approved by holders representing not less than 75% of the total voting rights of
 
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shareholders in person or by proxy who, being entitled to vote, vote on the resolution.
Shareholder Vote on Certain Transactions
The Companies Act provides for schemes of arrangement, which are arrangements or compromises between a company and any class of shareholders or creditors and used in certain types of reconstructions, amalgamations, capital reorganisations or takeovers. These arrangements require:

the approval at a shareholders’ or creditors’ meeting convened by order of the court, of a majority in number of shareholders or creditors representing 75% in value of the capital held by, or debt owed to, the class of shareholders or creditors, or class thereof present and voting, either in person or by proxy; and

the approval of the court.
Generally, under Delaware law, unless the certificate of incorporation provides for the vote of a larger portion of the stock, completion of a merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of a corporation’s assets or dissolution requires:

the approval of the board of directors; and

approval by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding stock or, if the certificate of incorporation provides for more or less than one vote per share, a majority of the votes of the outstanding stock of a corporation entitled to vote on the matter.
Standard of Conduct for Directors
Under the laws of England and Wales, a director owes various statutory and fiduciary duties to the Company, including:

to act in the way he considers, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of its members as a whole;

to avoid a situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly conflicts, with the interests of the Company;

to act in accordance with our constitution and only exercise his powers for the purposes for which they are conferred;

to exercise independent judgement;
Delaware law does not contain specific provisions setting forth the standard of conduct of a director. The scope of the fiduciary duties of directors is generally determined by the courts of the State of Delaware. In general, directors have a duty to act without self-interest, on a well-informed basis and in a manner they reasonably believe to be in the best interest of the stockholders.
Directors of a Delaware corporation owe fiduciary duties of care and loyalty to the corporation and to its shareholders. The duty of care generally requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of
 
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to exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence;

not to accept benefits from a third party conferred by reason of his being a director or doing, or not doing, anything as a director; and

a duty to declare any interest that he has, whether directly or indirectly, in a proposed or existing transaction or arrangement with the Company.
all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He must not use his corporate position for personal gain or advantage. In general, but subject to certain exceptions, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Delaware courts have also imposed a heightened standard of conduct upon directors of a Delaware corporation who take any action designed to defeat a threatened change in control of the corporation.
In addition, under Delaware law, when the board of directors of a Delaware corporation approves the sale or break-up of a corporation, the board of directors may, in certain circumstances, have a duty to obtain the highest value reasonably available to the shareholders.
Stockholder Suits Under the laws of England and Wales, generally, the Company, rather than its shareholders, is the proper claimant in an action in respect of a wrong done to the Company or where there is an irregularity in the Company’s internal management. Notwithstanding this general position, the Companies Act provides that (1) a court may allow a shareholder to bring a derivative claim (that is, an action in respect of and on
Under Delaware law, a stockholder may initiate a derivative action to enforce a right of a corporation if the corporation fails to enforce the right itself. The complaint must:

state that the plaintiff was a stockholder at the time of the transaction of which the plaintiff complains or that the plaintiffs shares thereafter devolved on the plaintiff by operation of law; and
 
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behalf of the Company) in respect of a cause of action arising from a director’s negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust and (2) a shareholder may bring a claim for a court order where our affairs have been or are being conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to some of its shareholders.

allege with particularity the efforts made by the plaintiff to obtain the action the plaintiff desires from the directors and the reasons for the plaintiff’s failure to obtain the action; or

state the reasons for not making the effort.
Additionally, the plaintiff must remain a stockholder through the duration of the derivative suit. The action will not be dismissed or compromised without the approval of the Delaware Court of Chancery.
Securities Exchange Listing
We have applied to list our ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “EXAI”.
Registrar of Shares; Depositary for ADSs
Our register of members is maintained by Computershare Investor Services plc. The share register reflects only registered holders of our ordinary shares. Our ordinary shares are not listed for trading on any securities exchange and we do not plan to list our ordinary shares on any securities exchange.
Holders of ADSs representing our ordinary shares are not treated as our shareholders and their names will therefore not be entered in our share register. Citibank N.A. has agreed to act as the depositary for the ADSs representing our ordinary shares and the custodian for ordinary shares represented by ADSs will be Citibank, N.A., London Branch. Holders of ADSs representing our ordinary shares have a right to receive the ordinary shares underlying such ADSs. For discussion on ADSs representing our ordinary shares and rights of ADS holders, see the section titled “Description of American Depositary Shares”.
 
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DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES
American Depositary Shares
Citibank N.A., or Citibank, has agreed to act as the depositary for the ADSs representing our ordinary shares. Citibank’s depositary offices are located at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013. ADSs represent ownership interests in securities that are on deposit with the depositary. ADSs may be represented by certificates that are commonly known as American Depositary Receipts, or ADRs. The depositary typically appoints a custodian to safekeep the securities on deposit. In this case, the custodian is Citibank, N.A., London Branch, located at 25 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5LB, United Kingdom.
We have appointed Citibank as depositary pursuant to a deposit agreement. The form of the deposit agreement is on file with the SEC under cover of a registration statement on Form F-6. You may obtain a copy of the deposit agreement from the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). Please refer to registration number 333-           when retrieving such copy.
We are providing you with a summary description of the material terms of the ADSs and of your material rights as an owner of ADSs. Please remember that summaries by their nature lack the precision of the information summarised and that the rights and obligations of an owner of ADSs will be determined by reference to the terms of the deposit agreement and not by this summary. We urge you to review the deposit agreement in its entirety. The portions of this summary description that are italicized describe matters that may be relevant to the ownership of ADSs but that may not be contained in the deposit agreement.
Each ADS represents the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial ownership interests in,           ordinary shares that are on deposit with the depositary or custodian. An ADS also represents the right to receive, and to exercise the beneficial interests in, any other property received by the depositary or the custodian on behalf of the owner of the ADS but that has not been distributed to the owners of ADSs because of legal restrictions or practical considerations. We and the depositary may agree to change the ADS-to-share ratio by amending the deposit agreement. This amendment may give rise to, or change, the depositary fees payable by ADS owners. The custodian, the depositary and their respective nominees will hold all deposited property for the benefit of the holders and beneficial owners of ADSs. The deposited property does not constitute the proprietary assets of the depositary, the custodian or their nominees. Beneficial ownership in the deposited property will under the terms of the deposit agreement be vested in the beneficial owners of the ADSs. The depositary, the custodian and their respective nominees will be the record holders of the deposited property represented by the ADSs for the benefit of the holders and beneficial owners of the corresponding ADSs. A beneficial owner of ADSs may or may not be the holder of ADSs. Beneficial owners of ADSs will be able to receive, and to exercise beneficial ownership interests in, the deposited property only through the registered holders of the ADSs, the registered holders of the ADSs (on behalf of the applicable ADS owners) only through the depositary, and the depositary (on behalf of the owners of the corresponding ADSs) directly, or indirectly, through the custodian or their respective nominees, in each case upon the terms of the deposit agreement.
If you become an owner of ADSs, you will become a party to the deposit agreement and therefore will be bound to its terms and to the terms of any ADR that represents your ADSs. The deposit agreement and the ADR specify our rights and obligations as well as your rights and obligations as owner of ADSs and those of the depositary. As an ADS holder you appoint the depositary to act on your behalf in certain circumstances. The deposit agreement and the ADRs are governed by New York law. However, our obligations to the holders of ordinary shares will continue to be governed by the laws of England and Wales, which may be different from the laws in the United States.
In addition, applicable laws and regulations may require you to satisfy reporting requirements and obtain regulatory approvals in certain circumstances. You are solely responsible for complying with such reporting requirements and obtaining such approvals. None of the depositary, the custodian, us or any of their or our respective agents or affiliates shall be required to take any actions whatsoever on your behalf to satisfy such reporting requirements or obtain such regulatory approvals under applicable
 
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laws and regulations. You agree to comply with information requests from us pursuant to applicable laws, stock exchange rules and our articles of association. We may restrict transfers of ADSs and take other actions necessary to comply with any applicable ownership restrictions.
The manner in which you own the ADSs (e.g., in a brokerage account versus as a registered holder, or as a holder of certificated versus uncertificated ADSs) may affect your rights and obligations, and the manner in which, and extent to which, the depositary’s services are made available to you.
As an owner of ADSs, we will not treat you as one of our shareholders and you will not have direct shareholder rights. The depositary will hold on your behalf the shareholder rights attached to the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. As an owner of ADSs, you will be able to exercise the shareholders rights for the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs through the depositary only to the extent contemplated in the deposit agreement. To exercise any shareholder rights not contemplated in the deposit agreement you will, as an ADS owner, need to arrange for the cancellation of your ADSs and become a direct shareholder.
As an owner of ADSs, you may hold your ADSs either by means of an ADR registered in your name, through a brokerage or safekeeping account, or through an account established by the depositary in your name reflecting the registration of uncertificated ADSs directly on the books of the depositary (commonly referred to as the direct registration system or DRS). The direct registration system reflects the uncertificated (book-entry) registration of ownership of ADSs by the depositary. Under the direct registration system, ownership of ADSs is evidenced by periodic statements issued by the depositary to the holders of the ADSs. The direct registration system includes automated transfers between the depositary and The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, the central book-entry clearing and settlement system for equity securities in the United States. If you decide to hold your ADSs through your brokerage or safekeeping account, you must rely on the procedures of your broker or bank to assert your rights as ADS owner. Banks and brokers typically hold securities such as the ADSs through clearing and settlement systems such as DTC. The procedures of such clearing and settlement systems may limit your ability to exercise your rights as an owner of ADSs. Please consult with your broker or bank if you have any questions concerning these limitations and procedures. All ADSs held through DTC will be registered in the name of a nominee of DTC. This summary description assumes you have opted to own the ADSs directly by means of an ADS registered in your name and, as such, we will refer to you as the “holder”. When we refer to “you”, we assume the reader owns ADSs and will own ADSs at the relevant time.
The registration of the ordinary shares in the name of the depositary or the custodian shall, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, vest in the depositary or the custodian the record ownership in the applicable ordinary shares with the beneficial ownership rights and interests in such ordinary shares being at all times vested with the beneficial owners of the ADSs representing the ordinary shares. The depositary or the custodian shall at all times be entitled to exercise the beneficial ownership rights in all deposited property, in each case only on behalf of the holders and beneficial owners of the ADSs representing the deposited property.
Dividends and Other Distributions
As a holder of ADSs, you generally have the right to receive the distributions we make on the securities deposited with the custodian. Your receipt of these distributions may be limited, however, by practical considerations and legal limitations. Holders of ADSs will receive such distributions under the terms of the deposit agreement in proportion to the number of ADSs held as of the specified record date, after deduction the applicable fees, taxes and expenses.
Distributions of Cash
Whenever we make a cash distribution for the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will deposit the funds with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of the deposit of the requisite funds, the depositary will arrange for the funds received in a currency other than U.S. dollars to be converted into U.S. dollars and for the distribution of the U.S. dollars to the holders, subject to the laws and regulations of England and Wales. The conversion into U.S. dollars will take place only if practicable and if the
 
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U.S. dollars are transferable to the United States. The depositary will apply the same method for distributing the proceeds of the sale of any property (such as undistributed rights) held by the custodian in respect of securities on deposit.
The distribution of cash will be made net of the fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. The depositary will hold any cash amounts it is unable to distribute in a non-interest bearing account for the benefit of the applicable holders and beneficial owners of ADSs until the distribution can be effected or the funds that the depositary holds must be escheated as unclaimed property in accordance with the laws of the relevant states of the United States.
Distributions of Shares
Whenever we make a free distribution of ordinary shares for the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will deposit the applicable number of ordinary shares with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of such deposit, the depositary will either distribute to holders new ADSs representing the ordinary shares deposited or modify the ADS-to-ordinary shares ratio, in which case each ADS you hold will represent rights and interests in the additional ordinary shares so deposited. Only whole new ADSs will be distributed. Fractional entitlements will be sold, and the proceeds of such sale will be distributed as in the case of a cash distribution.
The distribution of new ADSs or the modification of the ADS-to-ordinary shares ratio upon a distribution of ordinary shares will be made net of the fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. To pay such taxes or governmental charges, the depositary may sell all or a portion of the new ordinary shares so distributed.
No such distribution of new ADSs will be made if it would violate a law (e.g., the U.S. securities laws) or if it is not operationally practicable. If the depositary does not distribute new ADSs as described above, it may sell the ordinary shares received upon the terms described in the deposit agreement and will distribute the proceeds of the sale as in the case of a distribution of cash.
Distributions of Rights
Whenever we intend to distribute rights to purchase additional ordinary shares, we will give prior notice to the depositary and we will assist the depositary in determining whether it is lawful and reasonably practicable to distribute rights to purchase additional ADSs to holders.
The depositary will establish procedures to distribute rights to purchase additional ADSs to holders and to enable such holders to exercise such rights if it is lawful and reasonably practicable to make the rights available to holders of ADSs, and if we provide all the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement (such as opinions to address the lawfulness of the transaction). You may have to pay fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges to subscribe for the new ADSs upon the exercise of your rights. The depositary is not obligated to establish procedures to facilitate the distribution and exercise by holders of rights to purchase new ordinary shares other than in the form of ADSs.
The depositary will not distribute the rights to you if:

we do not timely request that the rights be distributed to you or we request that the rights not be distributed to you; or

we fail to deliver satisfactory documents to the depositary; or

it is not reasonably practicable to distribute the rights.
The depositary will sell the rights that are not exercised or not distributed if such sale is lawful and reasonably practicable. The proceeds of such sale will be distributed to holders as in the case of a cash distribution. If the depositary is unable to sell the rights, it will allow the rights to lapse.
Elective Distributions
Whenever we intend to distribute a dividend payable at the election of shareholders either in cash or in additional shares, we will give prior notice thereof to the depositary and will indicate whether we
 
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wish the elective distribution to be made available to you. In such case, we will assist the depositary in determining whether such distribution is lawful and reasonably practicable.
The depositary will make the election available to you only if it is reasonably practicable and if we have provided all the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement. In such case, the depositary will establish procedures to enable you to elect to receive either cash or additional ADSs, in each case as described in the deposit agreement.
If the election is not made available to you, you will receive either cash or additional ADSs, depending on what a shareholder in England and Wales would receive upon failing to make an election, as more fully described in the deposit agreement.
Other Distributions
Whenever we intend to distribute property other than cash, ordinary shares or rights to purchase additional ordinary shares, we will notify the depositary in advance and will indicate whether we wish such distribution to be made to you. If so, we will assist the depositary in determining whether such distribution to holders is lawful and reasonably practicable.
If it is reasonably practicable to distribute such property to you and if we provide all the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement, the depositary will distribute the property to the holders in a manner it deems practicable.
The distribution will be made net of fees, expenses, taxes and governmental charges payable by holders under the terms of the deposit agreement. To pay such taxes and governmental charges, the depositary may sell all or a portion of the property received.
The depositary will not distribute the property to you and will sell the property if:

we do not request that the property be distributed to you or if we ask that the property not be distributed to you; or

we do not deliver satisfactory documents to the depositary; or

the depositary determines that all or a portion of the distribution to you is not reasonably practicable.
The proceeds of such a sale will be distributed to holders as in the case of a cash distribution.
Redemption
Whenever we decide to redeem any of the securities on deposit with the custodian, we will notify the depositary in advance. If it is practicable and if we provide all the documentation contemplated in the deposit agreement, the depositary will provide notice of the redemption to the holders.
The custodian will be instructed to surrender the shares being redeemed against payment of the applicable redemption price. The depositary will convert the redemption funds received in a currency other than U.S. dollars into U.S. dollars upon the terms of the deposit agreement and will establish procedures to enable holders to receive the net proceeds from the redemption upon surrender of their ADSs to the depositary. You may have to pay fees, expenses, taxes and other governmental charges upon the redemption of your ADSs. If less than all ADSs are being redeemed, the ADSs to be retired will be selected by lot or on a pro rata basis, as the depositary may determine.
Changes Affecting Ordinary Shares
The ordinary shares held on deposit for your ADSs may change from time to time. For example, there may be a change in nominal value, sub-division, cancellation, consolidation or any other reclassification of such ordinary shares or a recapitalisation, reorganisation, merger, consolidation or sale of assets of our company.
If any such change were to occur, your ADSs would, to the extent permitted by law and the deposit agreement, represent the right to receive the property received or exchanged in respect of the ordinary
 
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shares held on deposit. The depositary may in such circumstances deliver new ADSs to you, amend the deposit agreement, the ADRs and the applicable registration statement(s) on Form F-6, call for the exchange of your existing ADSs for new ADSs and take any other actions that are appropriate to reflect as to the ADSs the change affecting the ordinary shares. If the depositary may not lawfully distribute such property to you, the depositary may sell such property and distribute the net proceeds to you as in the case of a cash distribution.
Issuance of ADSs upon Deposit of Ordinary Shares
After the completion of the U.S. offering, the ordinary shares being offered pursuant to this prospectus will be deposited by us with the custodian. Upon receipt of confirmation of such deposit, the depositary will issue ADSs to the underwriters named in this prospectus
After the completion of this offering, the depositary may also create ADSs on your behalf if you or your broker deposit ordinary shares with the custodian. The depositary will deliver these ADSs to the person you indicate only after you pay any applicable issuance fees and any charges and taxes payable for the transfer of the ordinary shares to the custodian and provide such documentation as may be required pursuant to the deposit agreement. Your ability to deposit ordinary shares and receive ADSs may be limited by legal considerations under the laws of the United States and England and Wales applicable at the time of deposit.
The issuance of ADSs may be delayed until the depositary or the custodian receives confirmation that all required approvals have been given and that the ordinary shares have been duly transferred to the custodian. The depositary will only issue ADSs in whole numbers.
When you make a deposit of ordinary shares, you will be responsible for transferring good and valid title to the depositary. As such, you will be deemed to represent and warrant that:

the ordinary shares are duly authorised, validly allotted and issued, fully paid, and non-assessable and so not subject to any call for the payment of further capital and legally obtained;

all preemptive (and similar) rights, if any, with respect to such ordinary shares have been validly waived, disapplied or exercised;

you are duly authorised to deposit the ordinary shares;

the ordinary shares presented for deposit are free and clear of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, charge, mortgage or adverse claim, and are not, and the ADSs issuable upon such deposit will not be, “restricted securities” ​(as defined in the deposit agreement); and

the ordinary shares presented for deposit have not been stripped of any rights or entitlements.
If any of the representations or warranties are incorrect in any way, we and the depositary may, at your cost and expense, take any and all actions necessary to correct the consequences of the misrepresentations.
Transfer, Combination and Split Up of ADRs
As an ADR holder, you will be entitled to transfer, combine or split up your ADRs and the ADSs evidenced thereby. For transfers of ADRs, you will have to surrender the ADRs to be transferred to the depositary and also must:

ensure that the surrendered ADR is properly endorsed or otherwise in proper form for transfer;

provide such proof of identity and genuineness of signatures, and of such other matters contemplated in the deposit agreement, as the depositary deems appropriate;

comply with applicable laws and regulations, including regulations imposed by us and the depositary consistent with the deposit agreement, the ADR and applicable law;

provide any transfer stamps required by the State of New York or the United States; and
 
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pay all applicable fees, charges, expenses, taxes and other government charges payable by ADR holders pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, upon the transfer of ADRs.
To have your ADRs either combined or split up, you must surrender the ADRs in question to the depositary with your request to have them combined or split up, and you must pay all applicable fees, charges and expenses payable by ADR holders, pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, upon a combination or split up of ADRs.
Withdrawal of Ordinary Shares Upon Cancellation of ADSs
As a holder of ADSs, you will be entitled to present your ADSs to the depositary for cancellation and then receive the corresponding number of underlying ordinary shares at the custodian’s offices. Your ability to withdraw the ordinary shares held in respect of the ADSs may be limited by legal considerations under the laws of the United States and England and Wales applicable at the time of withdrawal. To withdraw the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs, you will be required to pay to the depositary the fees for cancellation of ADSs and any charges and taxes payable upon the transfer of the ordinary shares. You assume the risk for delivery of all funds and securities upon withdrawal. Once cancelled, the ADSs will not have any rights under the deposit agreement.
If you hold ADSs registered in your name, the depositary may ask you to provide proof of identity and genuineness of any signature and such other documents as the depositary may deem appropriate before it will cancel your ADSs. The withdrawal of the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs may be delayed until the depositary receives satisfactory evidence of compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Please keep in mind that the depositary will only accept ADSs for cancellation that represent a whole number of securities on deposit.
You will have the right to withdraw the securities represented by your ADSs at any time except as a result of:

temporary delays that may arise because (1) the transfer books for the ordinary shares or ADSs are closed, or (2) ordinary shares are immobilised on account of a shareholders’ meeting or a payment of dividends;

obligations to pay fees, taxes and similar charges; or

restrictions imposed because of laws or regulations applicable to ADSs or the withdrawal of securities on deposit.
The deposit agreement may not be modified to impair your right to withdraw the securities represented by your ADSs except to comply with mandatory provisions of law.
Voting Rights
As a holder, you generally have the right under the deposit agreement to instruct the depositary to exercise the voting rights for the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. The voting rights of holders of ordinary shares are described in the section titled “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association” in this prospectus.
At our request, the depositary will distribute to you any notice of shareholders’ meeting received from us together with information explaining how to instruct the depositary to exercise the voting rights of the securities represented by ADSs. In lieu of distributing such materials, the depositary may distribute to holders of ADSs instructions on how to retrieve such materials upon request.
If the depositary timely receives voting instructions from a holder of ADSs, it will endeavour to vote the securities (in person or by proxy) represented by the holder’s ADSs as follows:

In the event of voting by show of hands, the depositary will vote (or cause the custodian to vote) all ordinary shares held on deposit at that time in accordance with the voting instructions received from a majority of holders of ADSs who provide timely voting instructions.
 
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In the event of voting by poll, the depositary will vote (or cause the custodian to vote) the ordinary shares held on deposit in accordance with the voting instructions received from the holders of ADSs.
Note that our articles of association currently provide for all resolutions to be decided as a poll, not a show of hands. The depositary will not join in demanding a vote by poll.
Securities for which no voting instructions have been received will not be voted (except as otherwise contemplated in the deposit agreement). Please note that the ability of the depositary to carry out voting instructions may be limited by practical and legal limitations and the terms of the securities on deposit. We cannot assure you that you will receive voting materials in time to enable you to return voting instructions to the depositary in a timely manner.
Fees and Charges
As an ADS holder, you will be required to pay the following fees under the terms of the deposit agreement:
Service
Fees

Issuance of ADSs (e.g., an issuance of ADS upon a deposit of ordinary shares, upon a change in the ADS(s)-to-ordinary share(s) ratio, or for any other reason), excluding ADS issuances as a result of distributions of ordinary shares)
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS issued

Cancellation of ADSs (e.g., a cancellation of ADSs for delivery of deposited property, upon a change in the ADS(s)-to-ordinary share(s) ratio, or for any other reason)
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS cancelled

Distribution of cash dividends or other cash distributions (e.g., upon a sale of rights and other entitlements)
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held

Distribution of ADSs pursuant to (i) stock dividends or other free stock distributions, or (ii) exercise of rights to purchase additional ADSs
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held

Distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs (e.g., upon a spin-off)
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held

ADS Services
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held on the applicable record date(s) established by the depositary

Registration of ADS transfers (e.g., upon a registration of the transfer of registered ownership of ADSs, upon a transfer of ADSs into DTC and vice versa, or for any other reason)
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS (or fraction thereof) transferred

Conversion of ADSs of one series for ADSs of another series (e.g., upon conversion of Partial Entitlement ADSs for Full Entitlement ADSs, or upon conversion of Restricted ADSs (each as defined in the Deposit Agreement) into freely transferable ADSs, and vice versa).
Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS (or fraction thereof) converted
As an ADS holder you will also be responsible to pay certain charges such as:

taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) and other governmental charges;

the registration fees as may from time to time be in effect for the registration of ordinary shares on the share register and applicable to transfers of ordinary shares to or from the name of the custodian, the depositary or any nominees upon the making of deposits and withdrawals, respectively;

certain cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery expenses;
 
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the fees, expenses, spreads, taxes and other charges of the depositary and/or service providers (which may be a division, branch or affiliate of the depositary) in the conversion of foreign currency;

the reasonable and customary out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the depositary in connection with compliance with exchange control regulations and other regulatory requirements applicable to ordinary shares, ADSs and ADRs; and

the fees, charges, costs and expenses incurred by the depositary, the custodian, or any nominee in connection with the ADR program.
ADS fees and charges for (i) the issuance of ADSs, and (ii) the cancellation of ADSs are charged to the person for whom the ADSs are issued (in the case of ADS issuances) and to the person for whom ADSs are cancelled (in the case of ADS cancellations). In the case of ADSs issued by the depositary into DTC, the ADS issuance and cancellation fees and charges may be deducted from distributions made through DTC, and may be charged to the DTC participant(s) receiving the ADSs being issued or the DTC participant(s) holding the ADSs being cancelled, as the case may be, on behalf of the beneficial owner(s) and will be charged by the DTC participant(s) to the account of the applicable beneficial owner(s) in accordance with the procedures and practices of the DTC participants as in effect at the time. ADS fees and charges in respect of distributions and the ADS service fee are charged to the holders as of the applicable ADS record date. In the case of distributions of cash, the amount of the applicable ADS fees and charges is deducted from the funds being distributed. In the case of (i) distributions other than cash and (ii) the ADS service fee, holders as of the ADS record date will be invoiced for the amount of the ADS fees and charges and such ADS fees and charges may be deducted from distributions made to holders of ADSs. For ADSs held through DTC, the ADS fees and charges for distributions other than cash and the ADS service fee may be deducted from distributions made through DTC, and may be charged to the DTC participants in accordance with the procedures and practices prescribed by DTC and the DTC participants in turn charge the amount of such ADS fees and charges to the beneficial owners for whom they hold ADSs. In the case of (i) registration of ADS transfers, the ADS transfer fee will be payable by the ADS Holder whose ADSs are being transferred or by the person to whom the ADSs are transferred, and (ii) conversion of ADSs of one series for ADSs of another series, the ADS conversion fee will be payable by the Holder whose ADSs are converted or by the person to whom the converted ADSs are delivered.
In the event of refusal to pay the depositary fees, the depositary may, under the terms of the deposit agreement, refuse the requested service until payment is received or may set off the amount of the depositary fees from any distribution to be made to the ADS holder. Certain depositary fees and charges (such as the ADS services fee) may become payable shortly after the closing of the ADS offering. Note that the fees and charges you may be required to pay may vary over time and may be changed by us and by the depositary. You will receive prior notice of such changes. The depositary may reimburse us for certain expenses incurred by us in respect of the ADR program, by making available a portion of the ADS fees charged in respect of the ADR program or otherwise, upon such terms and conditions as we and the depositary agree from time to time.
Amendments and Termination
We may agree with the depositary to modify the deposit agreement at any time without your consent. We undertake to give holders of ADSs 30 days’ prior notice of any modifications that would materially prejudice any of their substantial rights under the deposit agreement. We will not consider to be materially prejudicial to your substantial rights any modifications or supplements that are reasonably necessary for the ADSs to be registered under the Securities Act or to be eligible for book-entry settlement, in each case without imposing or increasing the fees and charges you are required to pay. In addition, we may not be able to provide you with prior notice of any modifications or supplements that are required to accommodate compliance with applicable provisions of law.
You will be bound by the modifications to the deposit agreement if you continue to hold your ADSs after the modifications to the deposit agreement become effective. The deposit agreement cannot be amended to prevent you from withdrawing the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs (except as permitted by law).
 
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We have the right to direct the depositary to terminate the deposit agreement subject to certain conditions. Similarly, the depositary may in certain circumstances on its own initiative terminate the deposit agreement. In either case, the depositary must give notice to the holders at least 30 days before termination. Until termination, your rights under the deposit agreement will be unaffected.
After termination, the depositary will continue to collect distributions received (but will not distribute any such property until you request the cancellation of your ADSs) and may sell the securities held on deposit. After the sale, the depositary will hold the proceeds from such sale and any other funds then held for the holders of ADSs in a non-interest-bearing account. At that point, the depositary will have no further obligations to ADS holders other than to account for the funds then held for the holders of ADSs still outstanding (after deduction of applicable fees, taxes and expenses).
In connection with the termination of the deposit agreement, the depositary may, but shall not be obligated to, independently and without the need for any action by us, make available to holders of ADSs a means to withdraw the ordinary shares and other deposited securities represented by their ADSs and to direct the deposit of such ordinary shares and other deposited securities into an unsponsored American depositary shares programme established by the depositary, upon such terms and conditions as the depositary may deem reasonably appropriate, subject however, in each case, to satisfaction of the applicable registration requirements by the unsponsored American depositary shares programme under the Securities Act, and to receipt by the depositary of payment of the applicable fees and charges of, and reimbursement of the applicable expenses incurred by, the depositary.
Books of Depositary
The depositary maintains ADS holder records at its depositary office. You may inspect such records at such office during regular business hours but solely for the purpose of communicating with other holders in the interest of business matters relating to the ADSs and the deposit agreement.
The depositary maintains in New York facilities to record and process the issuance, cancellation, combination, split-up and transfer of ADSs. These facilities may be closed from time to time, to the extent not prohibited by law.
Limitations on Obligations and Liabilities
The deposit agreement limits our obligations and the depositary’s obligations to you. Please note the following:

We and the depositary are obligated only to take the actions specifically stated in the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith.

The depositary disclaims any liability for any failure to carry out voting instructions, for any manner in which a vote is cast or for the effect of any vote, provided it acts in good faith and in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement.

The depositary disclaims any liability for any failure to determine the lawfulness or practicality of any action, for the content of any document forwarded to you on our behalf or for the accuracy of any translation of such a document, for the investment risks associated with investing in ordinary shares, for the validity or worth of the ordinary shares, for any tax consequences that result from the ownership of ADSs, for the credit-worthiness of any third party, for allowing any rights to lapse under the terms of the deposit agreement, for the timeliness of any of our notices or for our failure to give notice.

We and the depositary will not be obligated to perform any act that is inconsistent with the terms of the deposit agreement.

We and the depositary disclaim any liability if we or the depositary are prevented or forbidden from or subject to any civil or criminal penalty or restraint on account of, or delayed in, doing or performing any act or thing required by the terms of the deposit agreement, by reason of any provision, present or future of any law or regulation, or by reason of present or future provision
 
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of any provision of our Articles of Association, or any provision of or governing the securities on deposit, or by reason of any act of God or war or other circumstances beyond our control.

We and the depositary disclaim any liability by reason of any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided for in the deposit agreement or in our Articles of Association or in any provisions of or governing the securities on deposit.

We and the depositary further disclaim any liability for any action or inaction in reliance on the advice or information received from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting Shares for deposit, any holder of ADSs or authorized representatives thereof, or any other person believed by either of us in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information.

We and the depositary also disclaim liability for the inability by a holder to benefit from any distribution, offering, right or other benefit that is made available to holders of ordinary shares but is not, under the terms of the deposit agreement, made available to you.

We and the depositary may rely without any liability upon any written notice, request or other document believed to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper parties.

We and the depositary also disclaim liability for any consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the deposit agreement.

No disclaimer of any Securities Act liability is intended by any provision of the deposit agreement.

Nothing in the deposit agreement gives rise to a partnership or joint venture, or establishes a fiduciary relationship, among us, the depositary and you as ADS holder.

Nothing in the deposit agreement precludes Citibank (or its affiliates) from engaging in transactions in which parties adverse to us or the ADS owners have interests, and nothing in the deposit agreement obligates Citibank to disclose those transactions, or any information obtained in the course of those transactions, to us or to the ADS owners, or to account for any payment received as part of those transactions.
As the above limitations relate to our obligations and the depositary’s obligations to you under the deposit agreement, we believe that, as a matter of construction of the clause, such limitations would likely to continue to apply to ADS holders who withdraw the ordinary shares from the ADS facility with respect to obligations or liabilities incurred under the deposit agreement before the cancellation of the ADSs and the withdrawal of the ordinary shares, and such limitations would most likely not apply to ADS holders who withdraw the ordinary shares from the ADS facility with respect to obligations or liabilities incurred after the cancellation of the ADSs and the withdrawal of the ordinary shares and not under the deposit agreement.
In any event, you will not be deemed, by agreeing to the terms of the deposit agreement, to have waived our or the depositary’s compliance with U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. In fact, you cannot waive our or the depositary’s compliance with U.S.  federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder
Taxes
As a Holder or Beneficial Owner of ADSs, you will be responsible for the taxes and other governmental charges payable on the ADSs and the securities represented by the ADSs as provided for in the deposit agreement. We, the depositary and the custodian may deduct from any distribution the taxes and governmental charges payable by Holders and Beneficial Owners (as defined in the deposit agreement) of ADSs and may sell any and all property on deposit to pay the taxes and governmental charges payable by ADS holders. As a Holder or Beneficial Owner of ADSs, you will be liable for any deficiency if the sale proceeds do not cover the taxes that are due. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we expect to bear the cost of stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax, if any, payable in respect of the issue of ordinary shares to the depositary in this offering.
The depositary may refuse to issue ADSs, to deliver, transfer, split and combine ADRs or to release securities on deposit until all taxes and charges are paid by the applicable Holder or Beneficial
 
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Owner (as defined in the deposit agreement) of ADSs. The depositary and the custodian may take reasonable administrative actions to obtain tax refunds and reduced tax withholding for any distributions on your behalf. However, you may be required to provide to the depositary and to the custodian proof of taxpayer status and residence and such other information as the depositary and the custodian may require to fulfil legal obligations. You are required to indemnify us, the depositary and the custodian for any claims with respect to taxes based on any tax benefit obtained for you.
Foreign Currency Conversion
The depositary will arrange for the conversion of all foreign currency received into U.S. dollars if such conversion is practical, and it will distribute the U.S. dollars in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement. You may have to pay fees and expenses incurred in converting foreign currency, such as fees and expenses incurred in complying with currency exchange controls and other governmental requirements.
If the conversion of foreign currency is not practical or lawful, or if any required approvals are denied or not obtainable at a reasonable cost or within a reasonable period, the depositary may take any of the following actions in its discretion:

Convert the foreign currency to the extent practical and lawful and distribute the U.S. dollars to the ADS holders for whom the conversion and distribution is lawful and practical.

Distribute the foreign currency to ADS holders for whom the distribution is lawful and practical.

Hold the foreign currency (without liability for interest) for the applicable ADS holders.
Governing Law / Waiver of Jury Trial
The deposit agreement and the ADRs and ADSs will be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The rights of holders of ordinary shares (including ordinary shares represented by ADSs) are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
AS A PARTY TO THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT, YOU IRREVOCABLY WAIVE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOUR RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT OR THE ADRs AGAINST US AND/OR THE DEPOSITARY.
The deposit agreement provides that, to the extent permitted by law, ADS holders waive the right to a jury trial of any claim they may have against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to our ordinary shares, the ADSs or the deposit agreement, including any claim under U.S. federal securities laws. If we or the depositary opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable in the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with applicable case law. However, you will not be deemed, by agreeing to the terms of the deposit agreement, to have waived our or the depositary’s compliance with U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
 
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ORDINARY SHARES AND ADS’S ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our ordinary shares or ADSs.
Future sales of ordinary shares and ADSs in the public market after this offering, and the availability of ordinary shares and ADSs for future sale, could adversely affect the market price of the ordinary shares and ADSs prevailing from time to time. As described below, a significant number of currently outstanding ordinary shares will not be available for sale shortly after this offering due to contractual restrictions on transfers. There may be sales of substantial amounts of our ADSs in the public market after such restrictions lapse. Sales of substantial amounts of ADSs, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect prevailing market prices for ordinary shares and ADSs and could impair our ability to raise equity capital in the future.
Based on the number of ordinary shares outstanding as of June 30, 2021, and assuming (i) no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional ADSs and (ii) no exercise of any of our outstanding options, we will have outstanding an aggregate of          ordinary shares, including ordinary shares represented by ADSs, following the completion of this offering and the concurrent private placement. All of the ADSs to be sold in this offering and any ADSs sold upon exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional ADSs, will be freely tradable in the U.S. public market without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, unless the ADSs are held by any of our “affiliates” as such term is defined in Rule 144 of the Securities Act. The remaining ordinary shares outstanding and the shares to be sold in the concurrent private placement are “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144. Restricted securities may be sold in the public market only if registered or if they qualify for an exemption from registration under Rule 144 or 701 of the Securities Act. After the expiration of the contractual lock-up period described below, to the extent applicable, these ordinary shares may be sold in the public market only if registered or pursuant to an exemption under Rule 144 or 701, each of which is summarized below.
Lock-up Agreements
In connection with this offering, all of our directors and executive officers and substantially all of our existing shareholders have agreed, subject to limited exceptions, with the underwriters not to offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of our ADSs, ordinary shares or such other securities for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, without the prior written consent of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, BofA Securities, Inc. and Barclays Capital Inc. See “Underwriting”. Following the lock-up periods set forth in the agreements described above, and assuming that the representatives of the underwriters do not release any parties from these agreements, all of the ADSs and ordinary shares that are held by these parties as of the date of this prospectus will be eligible for sale in the public market in compliance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
Rule 144
In general, persons who have beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares for at least six months, and any affiliate of the company who owns either restricted or unrestricted ordinary shares, are entitled to sell their securities without registration with the SEC under an exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
Non-Affiliates
Any person who is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale may sell an unlimited number of restricted securities under Rule 144 if:

the restricted securities have been held for at least six months, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates;
 
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we have been subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least 90 days before the sale; and

we are current in our Exchange Act reporting at the time of sale.
Any person who is not deemed to have been an affiliate of ours at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and has held the restricted securities for at least one year, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, will be entitled to sell an unlimited number of restricted securities without regard to the length of time we have been subject to Exchange Act periodic reporting or whether we are current in our Exchange Act reporting.
Affiliates
Persons seeking to sell restricted securities who are our affiliates at the time of, or any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to the restrictions described above. They are also subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be required to comply with the manner of sale and notice provisions of Rule 144 and would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only that number of securities that does not exceed the greater of either of the following:

1% of the number of ordinary shares then outstanding, being represented by ADSs or otherwise, which will equal approximately                 ordinary shares immediately after the closing of this offering based on the number of ordinary shares outstanding as of           , 2021; or

the average weekly trading volume of our ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Select Market during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.
Additionally, persons who are our affiliates at the time of, or any time during the three months preceding, a sale may sell unrestricted securities under the requirements of Rule 144 described above, without regard to the six-month holding period of Rule 144, which does not apply to sales of unrestricted securities.
Rule 701
Rule 701 under the Securities Act, as in effect on the date of this prospectus, permits resales of shares in reliance upon Rule 144 but without compliance with certain restrictions of Rule 144, including the holding period requirement. Most of our employees, executive officers or directors who purchased shares under a written compensatory plan or contract may be entitled to rely on the resale provisions of Rule 701, but all holders of Rule 701 shares are required to wait until 90 days after the date of this prospectus before selling their shares. However, substantially all Rule 701 shares are subject to lock-up agreements as described above and in the section of this prospectus titled “Underwriting” and will become eligible for sale upon the expiration of the restrictions set forth in those agreements.
The SEC has indicated that Rule 701 will apply to typical share options granted by an issuer before it becomes subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, along with the shares acquired upon exercise of such options, including exercises after the date of this prospectus.
Form S-8 Registration Statements
As soon as practicable after the closing of this offering, we intend to file with the SEC one or more registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register the ordinary shares subject to outstanding stock options or reserved for issuance under our equity incentive plans. These registration statements will become effective immediately upon filing. Shares covered by these registration statements will then be eligible for sale in the open market, subject to vesting restrictions, any applicable lock-up agreements described below and Rule 144 limitations applicable to affiliates.
Regulation S
Regulation S under the Securities Act, or Regulation S, provides that ordinary shares owned by any person may be sold without registration in the United States, provided that the sale is effected in an
 
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offshore transaction and no directed selling efforts are made in the United States (as these terms are defined in Regulation S), subject to certain other conditions. In general, this means that our ordinary shares may be sold outside the United States without registration in the United States being required.
In addition, Regulation S provides that any shares sold by us outside the United States pursuant thereto may be freely resold into the United States as long as we were a foreign private issuer at the time of the issuance, subject to limitations on affiliate resales and contractual lock-up agreements.
 
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MATERIAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders
The following is a description of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to the U.S. Holders described below of owning and disposing of our ordinary shares or ADSs. It is not a comprehensive description of all tax considerations that may be relevant to a particular person’s decision to acquire securities. This discussion applies only to a U.S. Holder that holds our ordinary shares or ADSs as a capital asset for tax purposes (generally, property held for investment). In addition, it does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant in light of a U.S. Holder’s particular circumstances, including state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences, estate and gift tax consequences, alternative minimum tax consequences, special accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the Code, the potential application of the Medicare contribution tax, and tax consequences applicable to U.S. Holders subject to special rules, such as:

banks, insurance companies and certain other financial institutions;

pension plans;

cooperatives;

U.S. expatriates and certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States;

dealers or traders in securities who use a mark-to-market method of tax accounting;

persons holding ordinary shares or ADSs as part of a hedging transaction, “straddle”, wash sale, conversion transaction or integrated transaction or persons entering into a constructive sale with respect to ordinary shares or ADSs;

persons whose “functional currency” for U.S. federal income tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar;

brokers, dealers or traders in securities, commodities or currencies;

tax-exempt entities (including private foundations) or government organisations;

S corporations, partnerships or other entities or arrangements classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes (and investors therein);

regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts;

persons who acquired our ordinary shares or ADSs pursuant to the exercise of any employee stock option or otherwise as compensation;

persons that own or are deemed to own ten percent or more of our shares (by vote or value); and

persons holding our ordinary shares or ADSs in connection with a trade or business, permanent establishment or fixed base outside the United States.
If an entity that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds ordinary shares or ADSs, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partnerships holding ordinary shares or ADSs and partners in such partnerships are encouraged to consult their tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences of holding and disposing of ordinary shares or ADSs.
The discussion is based on the Code, administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions, final, temporary and proposed Treasury Regulations and the income tax treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States, or the Treaty, all as of the date hereof, changes to any of which may affect the tax consequences described herein — possibly with retroactive effect.
A “U.S. Holder” is a holder who, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is a beneficial owner of ordinary shares or ADSs who is:
 
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(1)
an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
(2)
a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organised in or under the laws of the United States, any state therein or the District of Columbia;
(3)
an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or
(4)
a trust if (1) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) the trust has a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations.
U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult their tax advisors concerning the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of owning and disposing of ordinary shares or ADSs in their particular circumstances.
The discussion below assumes that the representations contained in the deposit agreement are true and that the obligations in the deposit agreement and any related agreement will be complied with in accordance with their terms. Generally, a holder of an ADS should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as holding the ordinary shares represented by the ADS. Accordingly, no gain or loss will generally be recognised upon an exchange of ADSs for ordinary shares.
Passive Foreign Investment Company rules
Under the Code, we will be a PFIC for any taxable year in which (1) 75% or more of our gross income consists of passive income or (2) 50% or more of the value of our assets (generally determined on the basis of a weighted quarterly average) consists of assets that produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. For purposes of these tests, passive income generally includes dividends, interest, certain gains from the sale or exchange of investment property and certain rents and royalties, and cash and cash-equivalents are generally passive assets for these purposes. In addition, for purposes of the above calculations, a non-U.S. corporation that directly or indirectly owns at least 25% by value of the shares of another corporation is treated as holding and receiving directly its proportionate share of assets and income, respectively, of such other corporation. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds our shares, the U.S. Holder may be subject to adverse tax consequences regardless of whether we continue to qualify as a PFIC, including ineligibility for any preferential tax rates on capital gains or on actual or deemed dividends, interest charges on certain taxes treated as deferred and additional reporting requirements.
Based on our analysis of our activities and current estimates (and not fully audited financials) of our income and assets, we believe that we were not a PFIC for our most recently completed taxable year. However, the determination of whether we are a PFIC is a fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis applying principles and methodologies that in some circumstances are unclear and subject to varying interpretation. For instance, for our current and future taxable years, the total value of our assets for PFIC testing purposes (including goodwill) may be determined in part by reference to the market price of our ordinary shares or ADSs from time to time, which may fluctuate considerably. If our market capitalisation declines while we hold a substantial amount of cash and cash-equivalents for any taxable year, we may be a PFIC for that taxable year. Furthermore, under the income test, our status as a PFIC depends on the composition of our income for the relevant taxable year, which will depend on the transactions we enter into in the future and our corporate structure. The composition of our income and assets is also affected by how we spend the cash we raise in any offering, including this offering. Even if we determine that we are not a PFIC for a taxable year, there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with our conclusion and that the IRS would not successfully challenge our position. Accordingly, we cannot provide any assurances that we will not be a PFIC for the current or any future taxable year, and our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status.
If we are classified as a PFIC in any taxable year with respect to which a U.S. Holder owns our ordinary shares or ADSs, we will continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to such U.S. Holder in
 
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all succeeding taxable years during which such U.S. Holder owns our ordinary shares or ADSs, regardless of whether we continue to meet the tests described above, unless we cease to be a PFIC and such U.S. Holder has made a “deemed sale” election under the PFIC rules. If such a deemed sale election is made, a U.S. Holder will be deemed to have sold the ordinary shares or ADSs the U.S. Holder holds at their fair market value and any gain from such deemed sale would be subject to the rules described below. After the deemed sale election, so long as we do not become a PFIC in a subsequent taxable year, the U.S. Holder’s ordinary shares or ADSs with respect to which such election was made will not be treated as shares in a PFIC and the U.S. Holder will not be subject to the rules described below with respect to any “excess distribution” the U.S. Holder receives from us or any gain from an actual sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors as to the possibility and consequences of making a deemed sale election if we are a PFIC and cease to be a PFIC and such election becomes available.
For each taxable year that we are treated as a PFIC with respect to U.S. Holders, U.S. Holders will be subject to special tax rules with respect to any “excess distribution” such U.S. Holder receives from us and any gain such U.S. Holder recognises from a sale or other disposition (including a pledge) of our ordinary shares or ADSs, unless (i) such U.S. Holder makes a “qualified electing fund” election, or QEF Election (as discussed below), with respect to all taxable years during such U.S. Holder’s holding period in which we are a PFIC or (ii) our ordinary shares or ADSs constitute “marketable stock” and such U.S. Holder makes a mark-to-market election (as discussed below). Distributions a U.S. Holder receives in a taxable year that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions a U.S. Holder received during the shorter of the three preceding taxable years or the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares or ADSs will be treated as an excess distribution. Under these special tax rules:

the excess distribution or gain will be allocated ratably over a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ordinary shares or ADSs;

the amount allocated to the current taxable year, and any taxable year prior to the first taxable year in which we became a PFIC, will be treated as ordinary income; and

the amount allocated to each other taxable year will be subject to the highest tax rate in effect for that year and the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed on the resulting tax attributable to each such year.
The tax liability for amounts allocated to taxable years prior to the taxable year of disposition or “excess distribution” cannot be offset by any net operating losses for such years, and gains (but not losses) realised on the sale of the ordinary shares or ADSs cannot be treated as capital gains, even if a U.S. Holder holds the ordinary shares or ADSs as capital assets.
If we are a PFIC, a U.S. Holder will generally be subject to similar rules with respect to distributions we receive from, and our dispositions of the stock of, any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries or any other entities in which we hold equity interests that also are PFICs (“lower-tier PFICs”), as if such distributions were indirectly received by, and/or dispositions were indirectly carried out by, such U.S. Holder. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to lower-tier PFICs.
We do not currently expect to provide information that would allow a U.S. Holder to make a “QEF” election in the event that we or any of our subsidiaries are classified as a PFIC and, therefore, U.S. Holders should assume such election will not be available if we or any of our subsidiaries are a PFIC.
U.S. Holders can avoid the interest charge on excess distributions or gain relating to the ordinary shares or ADSs by making a mark-to-market election with respect to the ordinary shares or ADSs, provided that the ordinary shares or ADSs are “marketable stock”. Ordinary shares or ADSs will be marketable stock if they are “regularly traded” on certain U.S. stock exchanges or on a non-U.S. stock exchange that meets certain conditions. For these purposes, the ordinary shares or ADSs will be considered regularly traded during any calendar year during which they are traded, other than in de minimis quantities, on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter. Any trades that have as one of their principal purposes meeting this requirement will be disregarded. Our ADSs (but not ordinary shares) will be listed on the Nasdaq, which is a qualified exchange for these purposes. Consequently, if our ADSs remain listed on the Nasdaq and are regularly traded, we expect the mark-to-market election would be
 
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available to U.S. Holders of our ADSs if we are a PFIC. Each U.S. Holder should consult its tax advisor as to whether a mark-to-market election is available or advisable with respect to our ordinary shares or ADSs.
A U.S. Holder that makes a mark-to-market election must include in ordinary income for each year an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the ordinary shares or ADSs at the close of the taxable year over the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the ordinary shares or ADSs. An electing U.S. Holder may also claim an ordinary loss deduction for the excess, if any, of the U.S. Holder’s adjusted basis in the ordinary shares or ADSs over the fair market value of the ordinary shares or ADSs at the close of the taxable year, but this deduction is allowable only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains for prior years. Gains from an actual sale or other disposition of the ordinary shares or ADSs in any year in which we are a PFIC will be treated as ordinary income, and any losses incurred on a sale or other disposition of the ordinary shares or ADSs will be treated as an ordinary loss to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains for prior years. Once made, the election cannot be revoked without the consent of the IRS unless the ordinary shares or ADSs cease to be marketable stock.
However, a mark-to-market election generally cannot be made for equity interests in any lower-tier PFICs that we own, unless shares of such lower-tier PFIC are themselves “marketable stock”. As a result, even if a U.S. Holder validly makes a mark-to-market election with respect to our ordinary shares or ADSs, the U.S. Holder may continue to be subject to the PFIC rules (described above) with respect to its indirect interest in any of our investments that are treated as an equity interest in a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors as to the availability and desirability of a mark-to-market election, as well as the impact of such election on interests in any lower-tier PFICs.
Unless otherwise provided by the U.S. Treasury, each U.S. shareholder of a PFIC is required to file an annual report containing such information as the U.S. Treasury may require. A U.S. Holder’s failure to file the annual report may result in substantial penalties and extend the statute of limitations with respect to the U.S. Holder’s federal income tax return. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the requirements of filing such information returns under these rules.
WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE IMPACT OF OUR PFIC STATUS ON YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE ORDINARY SHARES OR ADSs AS WELL AS THE APPLICATION OF THE PFIC RULES TO YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE ORDINARY SHARES OR ADSs.
Taxation of distributions
Subject to the discussion above under “Passive Foreign Investment Company rules”, distributions paid on ordinary shares or ADSs, other than certain distributions of ordinary shares or ADSs, will generally be treated as dividends to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Because we may not calculate our earnings and profits under U.S. federal income tax principles, we expect that distributions generally will be reported to U.S. Holders as dividends. Subject to applicable limitations, including conditions relating to holding period and the absence of certain risk reduction transactions, dividends paid to certain non-corporate U.S. Holders may be taxable at preferential rates applicable to “qualified dividend income” received from a “qualified foreign corporation”. A non-U.S. corporation will generally be considered a qualified foreign corporation (i) if it is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States which the Secretary of Treasury of the United States determines is satisfactory for purposes of these rules and which includes an exchange of information provision (which includes the Treaty) or (ii) with respect to any dividend it pays on ordinary shares or ADSs which are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. However, the qualified dividend income treatment will not apply if we are treated as a PFIC with respect to the U.S. Holder for our taxable year of the distribution or the preceding taxable year. The amount of the dividend will be treated as foreign-source dividend income to U.S. Holders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally available to U.S. corporations under the Code. Dividends will generally be included in a U.S. Holder’s income on the date of the U.S. Holder’s actual or constructive receipt of the dividend. The amount of any dividend income paid in foreign currency will be the U.S. dollar amount calculated by reference to the exchange rate in
 
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effect on the date of actual or constructive receipt, regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted into U.S. dollars. If the dividend is converted into U.S. dollars on the date of receipt, a U.S. Holder should not be required to recognise foreign currency gain or loss in respect of the dividend income. A U.S. Holder may have foreign currency gain or loss if the dividend is converted into U.S. dollars after the date of receipt. Such gain or loss would generally be treated as U.S.-source ordinary income or loss. The amount of any distribution of property other than cash (and other than certain pro rata distributions of ordinary shares or ADSs or rights to acquire ordinary shares or ADSs) will be the fair market value of such property on the date of distribution. For foreign tax credit purposes, our dividends will generally be treated as passive category income.
Sale or other taxable disposition of ordinary shares and ADSs
Subject to the discussion above under “Passive Foreign Investment Company rules”, gain or loss realised on the sale or other taxable disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder held the ordinary shares or ADSs for more than one year. The amount of the gain or loss will equal the difference between the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the ordinary shares or ADSs disposed of and the amount realised on the disposition, in each case as determined in U.S. dollars. This gain or loss will generally be U.S.-source gain or loss for foreign tax credit purposes. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
If the consideration received by a U.S. Holder is not paid in U.S. dollars, the amount realised will be the U.S. dollar value of the payment received determined by reference to the spot rate of exchange on the date of the sale or other disposition. However, if the ordinary shares or ADSs are treated as traded on an “established securities market” and the U.S. Holder is either a cash basis taxpayer or an accrual basis taxpayer that has made a special election (which must be applied consistently from year to year and cannot be changed without the consent of the IRS), the U.S. Holder will determine the U.S. dollar value of the amount realised in a non-U.S. dollar currency by translating the amount received at the spot rate of exchange on the settlement date of the sale. If the U.S. Holder is an accrual basis taxpayer that is not eligible to or does not elect to determine the amount realised using the spot rate on the settlement date, the U.S. Holder will recognise foreign currency gain or loss to the extent of any difference between the U.S. dollar amount realised on the date of sale or disposition and the U.S. dollar value of the currency received at the spot rate on the settlement date.
Information reporting and backup withholding
Payments of dividends and sales proceeds that are made within the United States or through certain U.S.-related financial intermediaries generally are subject to information reporting, and may be subject to backup withholding, unless (i) the U.S. Holder is a corporation or other exempt recipient or (ii) in the case of backup withholding, the U.S. Holder provides a correct taxpayer identification number and certifies that it is not subject to backup withholding.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to a U.S. Holder will be allowed as a credit against the U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle it to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Information with respect to foreign financial assets
Certain U.S. Holders who are individuals and certain closely-held entities may be required to report information relating to our ordinary shares or ADSs, subject to certain exceptions (including an exception for ordinary shares or ADSs held in accounts maintained by financial institutions, in which case the accounts themselves may have to be reported if maintained by non-U.S. financial institutions). Such U.S. Holders who fail to timely furnish the required information may be subject to a penalty. Additionally, if such U.S. Holder does not file the required information, the statute of limitations with respect to tax returns of such U.S. Holder to which the information relates may not close until three years after such information is fled. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their reporting obligations with respect to their ownership and disposition of the ordinary shares or ADSs.
 
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U.K. Taxation
The following is intended as a general guide to current U.K. tax law and HM Revenue & Customs, or HMRC, practice applying as at the date of this prospectus (both of which are subject to change at any time, possibly with retrospective effect) relating to the holding and disposing of ADSs. It does not constitute legal or tax advice and does not purport to be a complete analysis of all U.K. tax considerations relating to the holding or disposing of ADSs, or all of the circumstances in which holders of ADSs may benefit from an exemption or relief from U.K. taxation. It is written on the basis that the company does not (and will not) directly or indirectly derive 75% or more of its qualifying asset value from U.K. land, and that the company is and remains solely resident in the United Kingdom for tax purposes and will therefore be subject to the U.K. tax regime and not the U.S. tax regime save as set out above under “U.S. Federal Income Taxation”.
Except to the extent that the position of non-U.K. resident persons is expressly referred to, this guide relates only to persons who are resident (and, in the case of individuals, domiciled or deemed domiciled and to whom split year treatment does not apply) for tax purposes solely in the United Kingdom and do not have a permanent establishment, branch, agency (or equivalent) or fixed base in any other jurisdiction with which the holding of the ADSs is connected, or U.K. Holders, who are absolute beneficial owners of the ADSs (where the ADSs are not held through an Individual Savings Account or a Self-Invested Personal Pension) and who hold the ADSs as investments.
This guide may not relate to certain classes of U.K. Holders, such as (but not limited to):

persons who are connected with the company;

financial institutions;

insurance companies;

charities or tax-exempt organisations;

collective investment schemes;

pension schemes;

market makers, intermediaries, brokers or dealers in securities;

persons who have (or are deemed to have) acquired their ADSs by virtue of an office or employment or who are or have been officers or employees of the company or any of its affiliates; and

individuals who are subject to U.K. taxation on a remittance basis.
The decision of the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) in HSBC Holdings PLC and The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation v HMRC (2012) cast some doubt on whether a holder of a depositary receipt is the beneficial owner of the underlying shares. However, based on published HMRC guidance we would expect that HMRC will regard a holder of ADSs as holding the beneficial interest in the underlying shares and therefore these paragraphs assume that a holder of ADSs is the beneficial owner of the underlying ordinary shares and any dividends paid in respect of the underlying ordinary shares (where the dividends are regarded for U.K. purposes as that person’s own income) for U.K. direct tax purposes.
THESE PARAGRAPHS ARE A SUMMARY OF CERTAIN U.K. TAX CONSIDERATIONS AND ARE INTENDED AS A GENERAL GUIDE ONLY. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL HOLDERS OF ADSs OBTAIN ADVICE AS TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSAL OF THE ADSs IN THEIR OWN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES FROM THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS. IN PARTICULAR, NON-U.K. RESIDENT OR DOMICILED PERSONS ARE ADVISED TO CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF ANY RELEVANT DOUBLE TAXATION AGREEMENTS.
Dividends
Withholding Tax
Dividends paid by the company will not be subject to any withholding or deduction for or on account of U.K. tax.
 
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Income Tax
An individual U.K. Holder may, depending on his or her particular circumstances, be subject to U.K. tax on dividends received from the company. An individual holder of ADSs who is not resident for tax purposes in the United Kingdom should not be chargeable to U.K. income tax on dividends received from the company unless he or she carries on (whether solely or in partnership) a trade, profession or vocation in the United Kingdom through a branch or agency to which the ADSs are attributable. There are certain exceptions for trading in the UK through independent agents, such as some brokers and investment managers.
All dividends received by an individual U.K. Holder from us or from other sources will form part of that U.K. Holder’s total income for income tax purposes and will constitute the top slice of that income. A nil rate of income tax will apply to the first £2,000 of taxable dividend income received by the individual U.K. Holder in a tax year. Income within the nil rate band will be taken into account in determining whether income in excess of the £2,000 tax-free allowance falls within the basic rate, higher rate or additional rate tax bands. Dividend income in excess of the tax-free allowance will (subject to the availability of any income tax personal allowance) be taxed at 7.5% to the extent that the excess amount falls within the basic rate tax band, 32.5% to the extent that the excess amount falls within the higher rate tax band and 38.1% to the extent that the excess amount falls within the additional rate tax band.
It has been announced that the current tax rates of 7.5%, 32.5% and 38.1% referred to above will respectively be increased to 8.75%, 33.75% and 39.35% with effect from April 6, 2022.
Corporation Tax
A corporate holder of ADSs who is not resident for tax purposes in the United Kingdom should not be chargeable to U.K. corporation tax on dividends received from the company unless it carries on (whether solely or in partnership) a trade in the United Kingdom through a permanent establishment to which the ADSs are attributable.
Corporate U.K. Holders should not be subject to U.K. corporation tax on any dividend received from the company so long as the dividends qualify for exemption, which should be the case, although certain conditions must be met. If the conditions for the exemption are not satisfied, or such U.K. Holder elects for an otherwise exempt dividend to be taxable, U.K. corporation tax will be chargeable on the amount of any dividends (at the current rate of 19%, but with the main rate announced to increase to 25% with effect from April 1, 2023).
Chargeable Gains
A disposal or deemed disposal of ADSs by a U.K. Holder may, depending on the U.K. Holder’s circumstances and subject to any available exemptions or reliefs (such as the annual exemption), give rise to a chargeable gain or an allowable loss for the purposes of U.K. capital gains tax and corporation tax on chargeable gains.
If an individual U.K. Holder who is subject to U.K. income tax at either the higher or the additional rate is liable to U.K. capital gains tax on the disposal of ADSs, the current applicable rate will be 20%. For an individual U.K. Holder who is subject to U.K. income tax at the basic rate and liable to U.K. capital gains tax on such disposal, the current applicable rate would be 10%, save to the extent that any capital gains when aggregated with the U.K. Holder’s other taxable income and gains in the relevant tax year exceed the unused basic rate tax band. In that case, the rate currently applicable to the excess would be 20%.
If a corporate U.K. Holder becomes liable to U.K. corporation tax on the disposal (or deemed disposal) of ADSs, the main rate of U.K. corporation tax (currently 19%, but announced to increase to 25% with effect from April 1, 2023) would apply.
A holder of ADSs which is not resident for tax purposes in the United Kingdom should not normally be liable to U.K. capital gains tax or corporation tax on chargeable gains on a disposal (or deemed disposal) of ADSs unless the person is carrying on (whether solely or in partnership) a trade, profession or vocation in the United Kingdom through a branch or agency (or, in the case of a corporate holder of
 
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ADSs, through a permanent establishment) to which the ADSs are attributable. However, an individual holder of ADSs who has ceased to be resident for tax purposes in the United Kingdom for a period of less than five years and who disposes of ADSs during that period may be liable on his or her return to the United Kingdom to U.K. tax on any capital gain realised (subject to any available exemption or relief).
Stamp Duty and Stamp Duty Reserve Tax
The discussion below relates to the holders of our ordinary shares or ADSs wherever resident; however, it should be noted that special rules may apply to certain persons such as market makers, brokers, dealers or intermediaries.
Issue of Shares
No U.K. stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax, or SDRT, is generally payable on the issue of the underlying ordinary shares in the company.
Transfers of Shares
An unconditional agreement to transfer ordinary shares in certificated form will normally give rise to a charge to SDRT at the rate of 0.5% of the amount or value of the consideration payable for the transfer. The purchaser of the shares is liable for the SDRT. Transfers of ordinary shares in certificated form are generally also subject to stamp duty at the rate of 0.5% of the amount or value of the consideration given for the transfer (rounded up to the next £5.00). Stamp duty is normally paid by the purchaser. The charge to SDRT will be cancelled or, if already paid, repaid (generally with interest), where a transfer instrument has been duly stamped within six years of the charge arising (either by paying the stamp duty or by claiming an appropriate relief) or if the instrument is otherwise exempt from stamp duty.
An unconditional agreement to transfer ordinary shares to, or to a nominee or agent for, a person whose business is or includes the issue of depositary receipts or the provision of clearance services will generally be subject to SDRT (or, where the transfer is effected by a written instrument, stamp duty) at a higher rate of 1.5% of the amount or value of the consideration given for the transfer unless the clearance service has made and maintained an election under section 97A of the U.K. Finance Act 1986, or a section 97A election. It is understood that HMRC regards the facilities of DTC as a clearance service for these purposes and we are not aware of any section 97A election having been made by DTC. However, no SDRT is generally payable where the transfer of ordinary shares to a clearance service or depositary receipt system is an integral part of an issue of share capital.
Any stamp duty or SDRT payable on a transfer of ordinary shares to a depositary receipt system or clearance service will in practice generally be paid by the transferors or participants in the clearance service or depositary receipt system.
Issue of ADSs
No U.K. stamp duty or SDRT is payable on the issue of ADSs in the company.
Transfers of ADSs
No SDRT should be required to be paid on a paperless transfer of ADSs through the clearance service facilities of DTC, provided that no section 97A election has been made by DTC, and such ADSs are held through DTC at the time of any agreement for their transfer.
No U.K. stamp duty will in practice be payable on a written instrument transferring an ADS provided that the instrument of transfer is executed and remains at all times outside the United Kingdom. Where these conditions are not met, the transfer of, or agreement to transfer, an ADS could, depending on the circumstances, attract a charge to U.K. stamp duty at the rate of 0.5% of the amount or value of the consideration. If it is necessary to pay stamp duty, it may also be necessary to pay interest and penalties.
 
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UNDERWRITING
We and the underwriters named below have entered into an underwriting agreement with respect to the ADSs being offered. Subject to certain conditions, each underwriter has severally agreed to purchase the number of ADSs indicated in the following table. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, BofA Securities, Inc. and Barclays Capital Inc. are the representatives of the underwriters.
Underwriters
Number of ADSs
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
                     
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
BofA Securities, Inc.
Barclays Capital Inc.
Total
The underwriters are committed to take and pay for all of the ADSs being offered, if any are taken, other than the ADSs covered by the option described below unless and until this option is exercised.
The underwriters have an option to buy up to an additional         ADSs from us to cover sales by the underwriters of a greater number of ADSs than the total number set forth in the table above. They may exercise that option for 30 days. If any ADSs are purchased pursuant to this option, the underwriters will severally purchase ADSs in approximately the same proportion as set forth in the table above.
The following table shows the per ADS and total underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid to the underwriters by us. Such amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase           additional ADSs. We will not pay any underwriting discounts or commissions for the ordinary shares sold in the concurrent private placement.
Paid by Us.
No Exercise
Full Exercise
Per ADS
$      $     
Total
$ $
ADSs sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any ADSs sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $      per ADS from the initial public offering price. After the initial offering of the ADSs, the representatives may change the offering price and the other selling terms. The offering of the ADSs by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters’ right to reject any order in whole or in part.
We and our officers, directors and holders of substantially all of our ordinary shares have agreed, and the investor in the concurrent private placement will agree, with the underwriters, during the period from the date of this prospectus continuing through the date 180 days after the date of this prospectus, except with the prior written consent of the representatives, not to:

offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, lend or otherwise dispose of any ordinary shares or ADSs (including such securities of Exscientia AI Limited), or any options or warrants to purchase any ordinary shares or ADSs, or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive ordinary shares or ADSs, including without limitation any such ordinary shares, ADSs, options, warrants or other securities now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned;

engage in any hedging or other transaction or arrangement (including, without limitation, any short sale or the purchase or sale of, or entry into, any put or call option, or combination thereof, forward, swap or any other derivative transaction or instrument, however described or
 
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defined) which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale, loan, pledge or other disposition (whether by the undersigned or someone other than the undersigned) or transfer of any of the economic consequences of ownership, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, of any ordinary shares, ADSs, options, warrants or other securities, whether any such transaction or arrangement (or instrument provided for thereunder) would be settled by delivery of ordinary shares, ADSs or other securities, in cash or otherwise; or

otherwise publicly announce any intention to engage in or cause any action or activity described in clause (i) above or transaction or arrangement described in clause (ii) above.
In addition, we and each such holder of our ordinary shares agrees, and the investor in the concurrent private placement will agree, that, without the prior written consent of the representatives, we or such other holder will not, during the period from the date of this prospectus continuing through the date 180 days after the date of this prospectus, make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any ordinary shares or ADSs or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares or ADSs.
The restrictions described in the preceding paragraphs do not apply to certain transfers, dispositions or transactions, including:

as a bona fide gift or gifts or charitable contribution, provided that the donee or donees thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein;

to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that the trustee of the trust agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value;

with the prior written consent of the representatives on behalf of the underwriters;

by will or intestacy, provided that the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value;

to any corporation, partnership limited liability company or other business entity, all of the beneficial ownership interests of which, in each such case, are held by the undersigned or any member of the undersigned’s immediate family, provided that the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value;

by operation of law, including pursuant to a domestic order or negotiated divorce settlement, provided that the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value;

(A) the exercise of options or other similar awards or the vesting or settlement of awards granted pursuant to our equity incentive plans as described in the prospectus (including the delivery and receipt of ordinary shares or ADSs (including such securities of Exscientia AI Limited), other awards or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares or ADSs in connection with such exercise, vesting or settlement) or (B) the transfer or disposition of ordinary shares or ADSs or any securities convertible into ordinary shares or ADSs by the undersigned to us (or the purchase and cancellation of same by us) upon a vesting or settlement event of our securities or upon the exercise of options to purchase our securities on a “cashless” or “net exercise” basis to the extent permitted by the instruments representing such options pursuant to our share option plan, equity incentive plan, share purchase plan or other equity incentive arrangement as described in the prospectus, provided that the ordinary shares or ADSs received upon exercise or settlement of the option are subject to these restrictions;

by surrender or forfeiture to us to satisfy (A) tax withholding obligations upon exercise or vesting or (B) the exercise price upon a cashless net exercise, in each case, of share options,
 
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restricted shares, other equity awards, warrants or other rights to acquire ordinary shares or ADSs that have been described in the prospectus relating to this offering;

to us pursuant to any contractual arrangement in effect on this date and described in the prospectus that provides for the repurchase of the undersigned’s ordinary shares or ADSs by us in connection with the termination of the undersigned’s employment or other service relationship with us or the undersigned’s failure to meet certain conditions set out upon receipt of such ordinary shares or ADSs;

in connection with the corporate reorganisation, pursuant to which (1) Exscientia Holdco was incorporated under the laws of England and Wales and acquired all of the issued shares of Exscientia Scotland in a share for share exchange, or the Share Exchange, (2) following which, Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited, a new wholly-owned subsidiary of Exscientia Holdco, incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, acquired all the issued shares of Exscientia Scotland from Exscientia Holdco in consideration for the issue of an additional share in Exscientia (UK) Holdings Limited to Exscientia Holdco and (3) following which, Exscientia Holdco will re-register as a public company and change its name from Exscientia Limited to Exscientia plc, and consummated before, or at the same time as, the closing of this offering;

acquired in this offering or in the concurrent private placement, or in open market transactions following this offering, unless the undersigned is an officer or director;

as part of a distribution, transfer or disposition without consideration by the undersigned to its limited or general partners, members, stockholders, subsidiaries or affiliates (as defined under Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act), provided that the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by these restrictions and that there shall be no further transfer of such ordinary shares or ADSs except in accordance with these restrictions, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value;

in connection with the establishment or amendment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, provided that (A) no public filing or report regarding the establishment of such plan during the period from the date of this prospectus continuing through the date 180 days after the date of this prospectus shall be required or shall be made voluntarily by or on behalf of any party and (B) no sale or other transfer of ordinary shares or ADSs pursuant to such plan may occur during the period from the date of this prospectus continuing through the date 180 days after the date of this prospectus;

pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, takeover offer, consolidation, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction approved by our board of directors and made with or offered to all holders of the our ordinary shares or ADSs resulting in a change in the ownership of 90% of our voting capital stock that is made or offered after this offering, or a Change of Control, provided that, in the event that such Change of Control is not completed, the undersigned’s ordinary shares or ADSs shall remain subject to the restrictions contained herein and title to the undersigned’s ordinary shares or ADSs shall remain with the undersigned; and

through the deposit of ordinary shares with our ADS depositary in exchange for the issuance of ADSs, or the cancellation of ADSs and withdrawal of underlying ordinary shares; provided that such ordinary shares or ADSs held by the undersigned shall remain subject to these restrictions.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the ADSs. The initial public offering price has been negotiated among us and the representatives. Among the factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price of the ADSs, in addition to prevailing market conditions, will be our historical performance, estimates of our business potential and earnings prospects, an assessment of our management and the consideration of the above factors in relation to market valuation of companies in related businesses.
We have applied to list our ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “EXAI”.
 
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In connection with this offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell ADSs in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of ADSs than they are required to purchase in this offering, and a short position represents the amount of such sales that have not been covered by subsequent purchases. A “covered short position” is a short position that is not greater than the amount of additional ADSs for which the underwriters’ option described above may be exercised. The underwriters may cover any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional ADSs or purchasing ADSs in the open market.      In determining the source of ADSs to cover the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of ADSs available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase additional ADSs pursuant to the option described above. “Naked” short sales are any short sales that create a short position greater than the amount of additional ADSs for which the option described above may be exercised. The underwriters must cover any such naked short position by purchasing ADSs in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the ADSs in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of ADSs made by the underwriters in the open market prior to the completion of this offering.
The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representatives have repurchased ADSs sold by or for the account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.
Purchases to cover a short position and stabilizing transactions, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our ADSs, and together with the imposition of the penalty bid, may stabilise, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the ADSs. As a result, the price of the ADSs may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on the Nasdaq Global Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
We estimate that our share of the total expenses of this offering, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $      .
We have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.
The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, a variety of these services to the issuer and to persons and entities with relationships with the issuer, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates, officers, directors and employees may purchase, sell or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps and other financial instruments for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and trading activities may involve or relate to assets, securities and/or instruments of the issuer (directly, as collateral securing other obligations or otherwise) and/or persons and entities with relationships with the issuer. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market colour or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such assets, securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they should acquire, long and/or short positions in such assets, securities and instruments.
 
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The address of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282-2198, the address of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, the address of BofA Securities, Inc. is One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036 and the address of Barclays Capital Inc. is 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019.
European Economic Area
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each a Relevant State), no securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to this offering to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the Securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation), except that offers of Securities may be made to the public in that Relevant State at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation:
(a)
to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under the Prospectus Regulation;
(b)
to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or
(c)
in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,
provided that no such offer of Securities shall require us or any representative to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any Securities in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any Securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any Securities, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
United Kingdom
No securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to this offering to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority, except that the securities may be offered to the public in the United Kingdom at any time:
(a)
to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation;
(b)
to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or
(c)
in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the FSMA,
provided that no such offer of the securities shall require us or any representative to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation. For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the securities in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any securities and the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
In addition, in the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer subsequently made may only be directed at persons who are “qualified investors” ​(as
 
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defined in the UK Prospectus Regulation) (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended, or the “Order”, and/or (ii) who are high net worth companies (or persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated) falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). In the United Kingdom, any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is only available to, and will be engaged in with, relevant persons. Any person in the UK who is not a relevant person must not act on or rely upon this document or any of its contents.
Canada
The securities may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions, and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption form, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this offering memorandum (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
Hong Kong
The securities may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance) or which do not constitute an invitation to the public within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (Securities and Futures Ordinance), (ii) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made thereunder or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the securities may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” in Hong Kong as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made thereunder.
Singapore
This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the securities may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the securities be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined under Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (SFA)) under Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions
 
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specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to conditions set forth in the SFA.
Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor, the securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation shall not be transferable for 6 months after that corporation has acquired the securities under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer in that corporation’s securities pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA or (6) as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore (Regulation 32).
Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an accredited investor, the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferable for 6 months after that trust has acquired the securities under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer that is made on terms that such rights or interest are acquired at a consideration of not less than S$200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction (whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets), (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA or (6) as specified in Regulation 32.
Japan
The securities have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948, as amended), or the FIEA. The securities may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of any resident of Japan (including any person resident in Japan or any corporation or other entity organised under the laws of Japan) or to others for reoffering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of any resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the FIEA and otherwise in compliance with any relevant laws and regulations of Japan.
 
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CONCURRENT PRIVATE PLACEMENT
On September 1, 2021, we entered into a subscription agreement, or the Subscription Agreement, with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, or the Gates Foundation, which requires the Gates Foundation to purchase from us, concurrently with this offering in a private placement, $35.0 million of our ADSs at a price per ADS equal to the price per ADS in this offering. Based on the assumed initial public offering price of $          per ADS, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, the Gates Foundation will purchase           ADSs. The concurrent private placement is contingent upon the completion of this offering and is subject to certain other customary closing conditions set forth in the Subscription Agreement. The sale of these ADSs will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and these ADSs will be subject to a 180-day lock-up agreement with the underwriters for this offering. Upon expiration of the lock-up, the Gates Foundation will be able to sell our ADSs in one or more unregistered secondary sale transactions. We will receive the full proceeds from the concurrent private placement and will not pay any underwriting discounts or commissions with respect to the ADSs that are sold in the transaction. The closing of this offering is not conditioned on the closing of the concurrent private placement.
In connection with the concurrent private placement, we entered into a Global Access Commitments Agreement, or the Global Access Agreement, with the Gates Foundation to expand our pandemic preparedness programme. This first initiative under the agreement has a term of four years and a goal to deliver five small-molecule drug candidates. Our efforts will initially focus on developing broad-spectrum coronavirus agents (e.g. SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, MERS), including accelerating our lead programme, which targets the main protease, or Mpro, of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Subsequently, the collaboration will widen focus to develop therapeutics for influenza and paramyxoviridae (e.g., Nipah).
We own all of the intellectual property developed under the Global Access Agreement and we have sole commercial rights to any product candidates developed under the agreement. The Gates Foundation has the option, exercisable upon our bankruptcy, dissolution and certain other defaults by us under the Global Access Agreement, to an exclusive (except as to us), non-terminable, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free, fully paid up licence to the intellectual property developed under the Global Access Agreement, to develop, manufacture, sell, and otherwise commercialise product candidates developed under the agreement, in certain specified developing countries for the purpose of benefiting people living in those countries.
We are required under the Global Access Agreement to take certain actions to support the Gates Foundation’s mission, including using the proceeds from the concurrent private placement to advance our pandemic preparedness programme. In the event that we are in breach of certain provisions of the Global Access Agreement, following a cure period, we may be required to repurchase for cash all, or to facilitate the purchase by a third party of all, of our ADSs acquired by the Gates Foundation in the concurrent private placement. In the event of a change of control of our company, or the sale, exclusive licence or other transfer of our technology platform or the intellectual property developed in connection with the pandemic preparedness programme, the obligations to support the Gates Foundation’s mission will survive and be assumed in full by the purchaser or licensee in such transaction.
All of our obligations under the Global Access Agreement are contingent upon the Gates Foundation fulfilling its commitment under the Subscription Agreement to purchase our ADSs in the concurrent private placement.
 
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EXPENSES OF THIS OFFERING
Set forth below is an itemization of the total expenses, excluding the underwriting discounts and commissions, which are expected to be incurred in connection with the sale of ADSs in this offering. With the exception of the registration fee payable to the SEC, the Nasdaq listing fee and the filing fee payable to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, all amounts are estimates.
Expense
Amount
SEC registration fee
$ 10,910
Nasdaq initial listing fee
25,000
FINRA filing fee
15,500
Printing expenses
*
Legal fees and expenses
*
Accounting fees and expenses
*
Miscellaneous fees and expenses
*
Total
*
*
To be completed by amendment.
 
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LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the ADSs being offered by this prospectus and certain other matters of English law will be passed upon for us by Cooley (UK) LLP and certain other matters of U.S. federal law will be passed upon for us by Cooley LLP. Certain legal matters related to this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Goodwin Procter LLP, with respect to U.S. federal law, and Goodwin Procter (UK) LLP with respect to English law.
EXPERTS
The financial statements as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020 included in this Prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. The current address of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is 3 Forbury Place, 23 Forbury Road, Reading RG1 3JH, United Kingdom.
 
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SERVICE OF PROCESS AND ENFORCEMENT OF LIABILITIES
At the time of this offering, we expect to be incorporated and existing under the laws of England and Wales. In addition, certain of our directors and officers currently do and will continue to reside outside of the United States and most of the assets of our non-U.S. subsidiaries are and will be located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process on us or those persons in the United States or to enforce in the United States judgements obtained in U.S. courts against us or those persons based on the civil liability or other provisions of the U.S. securities laws or other laws.
In addition, uncertainty exists as to whether the courts of England and Wales would:

recognise or enforce judgements of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liabilities provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; or

entertain original actions brought in England and Wales against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
We have been advised by Cooley (UK) LLP and Cooley LLP that there is currently no treaty between (i) the United States and (ii) England and Wales providing for reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgements of U.S. courts in civil and commercial matters (although the United States and the United Kingdom are both parties to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards) and that a final judgement for the payment of money rendered by any general or state court in the United States based on civil liability, whether or not predicated solely upon the United States securities laws, would not be automatically enforceable in England and Wales. We have also been advised by Cooley (UK) LLP and Cooley LLP that any final and conclusive monetary judgement for a definite sum obtained against us in United States courts would be treated by the courts of England and Wales as a cause of action in itself and sued upon as a debt at common law so that no retrial of the issues would be necessary, provided that:

the relevant U.S. court had jurisdiction over the original proceedings according to English conflicts of laws principles at the time when proceedings were initiated;

England and Wales courts had jurisdiction over the matter on enforcement and we either submitted to such jurisdiction or were resident or carrying on business within such jurisdiction and were duly served with process;

the U.S. judgement was final and conclusive on the merits in the sense of being final and unalterable in the court that pronounced it and being for a definite sum of money;

the judgement given by the courts was not in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations (or otherwise based on a U.S. law that an English court considers to relate to a penal, revenue or other public law);

the judgement was not procured by fraud;

the judgement was not obtained following a breach of a jurisdictional or arbitrational clause, unless with the agreement of the defendant as the defendant’s subsequent submission to the jurisdiction of the court;

recognition or enforcement of the judgement in England and Wales would not be contrary to public policy or the Human Rights Act 1998;

the proceedings pursuant to which judgement was obtained were not contrary to natural justice;

the U.S. judgement was not arrived at by doubling, trebling or otherwise multiplying a sum assessed as compensation for the loss or damages sustained and not being otherwise in breach of Section 5 of the U.K. Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980, or is a judgement based on measures designated by the Secretary of State under Section 1 of that Act;
 
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there is not a prior decision of an English court or the court of another jurisdiction on the issues in question between the same parties; and

the English enforcement proceedings were commenced within the limitation period.
Whether these requirements are met in respect of a judgement based upon the civil liability provisions of the United States securities laws, including whether the award of monetary damages under such laws would constitute a penalty, is an issue for the court making such decision.
Subject to the foregoing, investors may be able to enforce in England and Wales judgements in civil and commercial matters that have been obtained from U.S. federal or state courts. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you that those judgements will be recognised or enforceable in England and Wales.
If an English court gives judgement for the sum payable under a U.S. judgement, the English judgement will be enforceable by methods generally available for this purpose. These methods generally permit the English court discretion to prescribe the manner of enforcement. In addition, it may not be possible to obtain an English judgement or to enforce that judgement if the judgement debtor is or becomes subject to any insolvency or similar proceedings, or if the judgement debtor has any set-off or counterclaim against the judgement creditor. Also note that, in any enforcement proceedings, the judgement debtor may raise any counterclaim that could have been brought if the action had been originally brought in England unless the subject of the counterclaim was in issue and denied in the U.S. proceedings.
 
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement (including amendments and exhibits to the registration statement) on Form F-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the ADSs offered in this prospectus. A related registration statement on Form F-6 will be filed with the SEC to register the ADSs. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. For further information with respect to us and the ADSs offered hereby, reference is made to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this prospectus regarding the contents of any contract or any other document that is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement are not necessarily complete, and each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the full text of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The address is www.sec.gov. We currently make available to the public our annual and interim reports, as well as certain information regarding our corporate governance and other matters, on the Investors page of our website, www.exscientia.ai. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on or available through our website, and you should not consider it to be a part of this prospectus.
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information reporting requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to foreign private issuers. Accordingly, we will be required to file reports and other information with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 20-F and current reports on Form 6-K. Those reports may be inspected without charge at the locations described above. As a foreign private issuer, we will be exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act related to the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our officers, directors and principal shareholders will be exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we will not be required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.
We will send the depositary a copy of all notices of shareholders meetings and other reports, communications and information that are made generally available to shareholders. The depositary will, if we so request, mail to all registered holders of ADSs a notice containing the information (or a summary of the information) contained in any notice of a meeting of our shareholders received by the depositary from us or will make available to all registered holders of ADSs such notices and all such other reports and communications received by the depositary from us.
 
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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
page
Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and
2019
F-2
F-3
F-4
F-5
F-6
F-7
Unaudited Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
F-42
F-43
F-44
F-45
F-46
 
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Exscientia Limited
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated statement of financial position of Exscientia Limited and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive loss and other comprehensive loss, changes in equity and cashflows for the years then-ended, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits of these consolidated financial statements in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Reading, UK
June 21, 2021
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2019.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Consolidated Statement of Loss and Other Comprehensive Loss
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
Note
December 31,
2020
December 31,
2019
£’000
£’000
Revenue
5
9,672 9,107
Cost of Sales
(14,226) (5,634)
Gross (loss)/profit
(4,554) 3,473
Research and development expenses
(10,917) (6,671)
General administrative expenses
(8,923) (5,512)
Other income
6
1,205 534
Operating loss
7
(23,189) (8,176)
Finance income
8
110 272
Finance expenses
9
(89) (50)
Share of loss of joint venture
16
(1,211) (90)
Loss before taxation
(24,379) (8,044)
Income tax benefit
12
2,096 1,727
Loss for the year
(22,283) (6,317)
Other comprehensive loss:
Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss
Foreign currency loss on translation of foreign operations
(103) (8)
Total other comprehensive loss for the year, net tax
(103) (8)
Total comprehensive loss for the year
(22,386) (6,325)
Basic and diluted loss per share
13
(0.22) (0.64)
The accompanying accounting policies and notes form an integral part of these financial statements.
The notes on pages F-7 to F-40 form part of these financial statements
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Exscientia Limited
Registered number: SC428761
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
as at December 31, 2020 and 2019
Note
December 31,
2020
December 31,
2019
£’000
£’000
ASSETS
Non-current assets
Goodwill
14
173 173
Intangible assets
14
139 159
Property, plant and equipment, net
15
4,619 2,247
Investment in joint venture
16
123 360
Right-of-use assets
17
3,735 929
Total non-current assets 8,789 3,868
Current assets
Trade receivables 446 1,995
Other receivables and contract assets
18
2,718 856
Current tax assets
3,187 3,296
Cash and cash equivalents
19
62,584 31,454
Total current assets
68,935 37,601
Total assets
77,724 41,469
EQUITY AND LIABILITIES
Capital and reserves
Share capital
24
Share premium
26
89,099 32,318
Foreign exchange reserve
26
(111) (8)
Share-based payment reserve
28
3,589 1,884
Accumulated losses
26
(34,054) (12,140)
Total equity attributable to owners of the parent
58,523 22,054
LIABILITIES
Non-current liabilities
Contract liabilities
20
1,265 2,507
Lease liabilities
17
2,761 885
Provisions
22
535
Total non-current liabilities
4,561 3,392
Current liabilities
Trade payables
3,333 2,214
Other payables
21
1,589 1,002
Contract liabilities
20
9,041 12,580
Lease liabilities
17
677 227
Total current liabilities
14,640 16,023
Total liabilities
19,201 19,415
Total equity and liabilities
77,724 41,469
The accompanying accounting policies and notes form an integral part of these financial statements.
The notes on pages F-7 to F-40 form part of these financial statements
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Exscientia Limited
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
Share
capital
Share
premium
Foreign
exchange
reserve
Share-based
payment
reserve
Accumulated
losses
Total
equity
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
As at January 1, 2019
32,303 1,680 (6,330) 27,653
Loss for the year
(6,317) (6,317)
Foreign exchange loss on translation of subsidiaries
(8) (8)
Total comprehensive loss for the year
(8) (6,317) (6,325)
Share-based payment charge
711 711
Issue of share capital
15 15
Exercise of share options
(507) 507
As at December 31, 2019
32,318 (8) 1,884 (12,140) 22,054
Loss for the year
(22,283) (22,283)
Foreign exchange loss on translation of subsidiaries
(103) (103)
Total comprehensive loss for the year
(103) (22,283) (22,386)
Share-based payment charge
2,074 2,074
Issue of share capital, net of transaction costs
56,770 56,770
Exercise of share options
11 (369) 369 11
As at December 31, 2020
89,099 (111) 3,589 (34,054) 58,523
The notes on pages F-7 to F-40 form part of these financial statements
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Exscientia Limited
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
Note
December 31,
2020
December 31,
2019
£’000
£’000
Operating activities
Loss before tax
(24,379) (8,044)
Adjustments to reconcile loss before tax to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
17
439 185
Depreciation of other tangible fixed assets
15
603 370
Amortisation of intangible assets
14
23 19
Sales for non-cash consideration
(140)
Loss recognised from joint venture
16
1,211 90
Finance income
8
(110) (272)
Finance expenses
9
89 50
R&D tax credits
(1,008) (534)
Share-based compensation expenses
2,074 711
Foreign currency movement
(6)
Changes in working capital:
Decrease/ (Increase) in trade receivables
1,549 (1,983)
(Increase)/ Decrease in other receivables and contract
assets
(1,862) 962
(Decrease)/Increase in contract liabilities
(4,781) 15,087
Increase / (Decrease) in trade payables
1,056 (47)
Increase in other payables
345 185
Interest received
110 272
Interest paid
Income taxes received
3,214 114
Net cash flows (used in)/from operating activities
(21,433) 7,025
Investing activities
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
(2,364) (1,527)
Purchase of intangible assets
14
(3) (172)
Additional investment in joint venture
16, 21
(1,378)
Net cash flows (used in) investing activities
(3,745) (1,699)
Financing activities
Proceeds from issue of share capital, net of transactions costs
56,781 16
Payments of obligations under lease liabilities
(470) (162)
Net cash flows from/(used in) financing activities
56,311 (146)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
31,133 5,180
Exchange loss on cash and cash equivalents
(3) (4)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
31,454 26,278
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
19
62,584 31,454
Supplemental Non-Cash Investing Information
Capital expenditures recorded within trade payables
63 1
Capital expenditures recorded within other payables
548
The notes on pages F-7 to F-40 form part of these financial statements
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
1.
General information
These financial statements reflect the financial performance and position of Exscientia Limited (the “Company”) and its subsidiaries (collectively the “Group” or “Exscientia”) for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Exscientia Limited is a private company incorporated in Scotland and has the following wholly-owned subsidiaries, Exscientia Inc, Exscientia Ventures I, Inc, Exscientia KK and Kinetic Discover Limited as well as a 50% owned joint venture, RE Ventures I, LLC.
The principal activity of the Group is that of the application of artificial intelligence (“AI”) and machine learning (“ML”) to the discovery and development of novel therapeutic compounds. Exscientia’s technology platform combines the best of human and computational capabilities to accelerate the process of designing novel, safe and efficacious compounds for clinical testing in humans.
2.
Accounting policies
a)
Statement of compliance
The Group financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”).
The preparation of financial statements in compliance with IFRS requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise judgement in applying the Group’s accounting policies (see note 3).
b)
Basis of preparation
The accounting policies adopted in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the financial years presented, unless otherwise stated.
The Group financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. The Group has historically prepared the financial statements in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the European Union, however the Group could have asserted it was in compliance with IFRS as adopted by the IASB for the previous period. There is no material difference noted on adoption and therefore, the Group is not considered a first-time adopter.
Unless otherwise stated the acquisition method of accounting has been applied. Under this method, subsidiaries are included from the date of acquisition. Subsidiaries disposed of are included in the consolidation up to the date that control passes to a third party.
The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis.
The financial statements have been presented in Pounds Sterling (“Sterling”). This is the functional currency of the Company, being the currency of the primary economic environment in which the Company operates, and the presentational currency of the group. All values are rounded to the nearest thousand pound (‘£’000’) except where otherwise indicated.
These consolidated financial statements were authorised by the Board of Directors on June 16, 2021.
c)
Basis of consolidation
The Group financial statements consolidate the financial statements of Exscientia Limited and all its subsidiary undertakings made up to December 31, 2020. Subsidiaries are those entities over which the Company exercises control. The results of subsidiaries acquired or sold are consolidated for the periods
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)
from or to the date on which control passed. Acquisitions are accounted for under the acquisition method with goodwill representing any excess of the fair value of the consideration given over the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities acquired.
d)
Going concern
Significant research and development expenses have been incurred from the start of the Group’s activities, generating negative cash flows from operating activities since formation. Cash outflows related to operating activities amounted to £21,433,000 for the financial year ended December 31, 2020, with cash inflows relating to operating activities of £7,025,000 for the financial year ended December 31, 2019. The Group has never had recourse to bank loans. As a result, the Group is not exposed to liquidity risk through requests for early repayment of loans. As at December 31, 2020, the Group’s cash and cash equivalents amounted to £62,584,000, with total unrestricted cash amounting to £60,349,000.
Post year end 2020, the Group raised £21,451,000 from new equity in March 2021 and a further £162,020,000 in April 2021. Based upon the year-end cash position and the additional equity funding raised in 2021 to date the Board of Directors believes that the Group has sufficient financial resources to cover its planned cash outflows for the foreseeable future, being a period of at least twelve months from the date of issuance of these financial statements. As the Group has concluded that there is no substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the issuance of these financial statements, the Group has prepared these financial statements under the going concern assumption.
In performing the above assessment, the Board has further noted that concurrent with the April 2021 fundraising the Group entered into an Equity Facility Agreement with SVF II Excel (DE) LLC (“SoftBank”) on April 27, 2021. Pursuant to this agreement, subject to certain subscription conditions, SoftBank has agreed to subscribe up to an additional £216,174,000 in Series D Preference shares at the Group’s request. The Equity Facility Agreement will continue for a term of 1 year or, if shorter, the consummation of an IPO or a Share Sale as defined in the Company’s Articles.
e)
Application of new and revised International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs)
In the year ended December 31, 2020, the Group has applied the below amendments to IFRS and interpretations issues by the Board that are effective for the annual period that begins on or after January 1, 2020. Their adoption has not had any material impact on the disclosure or on the amounts reported in these financial statements.
Amendments to IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements and IAS 8 Accounting policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors: Definition of material.
The Group has adopted the amendments of IAS 1 and IAS 8 for the first time in the year ended December 31, 2020. The amendments make the definition of material in IAS 1 easier to understand and are not intended to alter the underlying concept of materiality in IFRS standards.
Definition of a Business- Amendments to IFRS3
The amended definition of a business requires an acquisition to include an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. The definition of the term ‘outputs’ is amended to focus on goods and services provided to customers, generating investment income and other income, and it excludes returns in the form of lower costs and other economic benefits.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)
f)
Standards, amendments and interpretations in issue but not yet effective:
The adoption of the following mentioned standards, amendments and interpretations in future years are not expected to have a material impact on the Group’s financial statements:
Effective date
periods beginning
on or after
IFRS 9 Financial Instruments, IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement and IFRS 7 Financial Instruments: Disclosures (Amendments): Interest Rate Benchmark Reform Phase 2
January 1, 2021
IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment: Amendments in relation to proceeds before intended use
January 1, 2022
IAS 37 Provision Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets: Amendments in relation to the costs of fulfilling a contract when assessing onerous contracts
January 1, 2022
IFRS 3: Business Combinations: Amendments to update references to Conceptual Framework
January 1, 2022
Annual Improvements to IFRSs (2018 – 2020 cycle)
January 1, 2022
IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements: Amendments in relation to the classification of liabilities as current or non-current
January 1, 2023
The Group has not elected to early adopt any of the above standards, amendments and interpretations in the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
g)
Revenue from contracts with customers
The Group’s primary revenue is generated broadly from two streams that relate to its principal activities:

“Service fees” relate to drug discovery collaboration agreements where the Group is utilising its proprietary technology to develop novel Intellectual Property (“IP”) on behalf of the collaboration partner. Typically, the Group does not have any rights to future milestone and royalties as part of these agreements; and

“Licensing fees” relate to drug discovery agreements where the Group develops IP on behalf of a collaboration partner. These agreements either assign all collaboration IP to the partner from inception or grant an exclusive option to the partner to acquire rights to the future development and commercialisation. As part of these agreements, the Group may receive future milestone and royalty payments on achievement of clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones.
The Group has four types of payments included within the two streams of revenue:

“Upfront payments” are generally payable on execution of the collaboration agreement or on initiation of a project;

“Research funding” is generally payable throughout the collaboration at defined intervals as set out in the agreement (e.g., quarterly or at the beginning of a specific phase of work) and is intended to fund research (internal and external) which is undertaken to develop the collaboration drug compound;

“Milestone payments” are linked to the achievement of an event, as defined in the collaboration agreement e.g. initiation of Phase 1 clinical trial milestones and constitute variable consideration in accordance with IFRS15; and
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)

“Opt-in payments” are similar in principal to milestone payments, however, are payable when the customer exercises its option to take ownership of the collaboration IP. These payments only exist where the Group initially retained ownership of the IP, until the option is exercised by the customer, and constitute variable consideration in accordance with IFRS15.
Under these collaboration agreements the Group may also receive commercialisation milestones upon the first commercial sale of a product, the amount of which is based on the territory the sale occurs in, and royalties based on worldwide net sales. These amounts have not been included within the transaction price for any contract as of December 31, 2020 or 2019 and these amounts will be recognised when the underlying sales transactions to which they relate are achieved.
In accordance with IFRS 15, the Group recognises revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the Group expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that the Group determines are within the scope of IFRS 15, the Group performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognise revenue when or as the Group satisfies a performance obligation.
At contract inception, the Group assesses the goods or services promised within each contract that falls under the scope of IFRS 15 to identify distinct performance obligations. The Group then recognises as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when or as the performance obligation is satisfied. Revenue is measured at the contract price excluding value added tax and other sales taxes.
The Group includes the unconstrained amount of estimated variable consideration in the transaction price. The amount included in the transaction price is constrained to the amount for which it is highly probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognised will not occur. At contract inception, unconstrained revenue will typically include the upfront payments and in some instances, research funding.
At the inception of each arrangement that includes research, development, or regulatory milestone payments, the Group evaluates whether the milestones (i) relate to the one or distinct performance obligations under the agreement; and (ii) are considered probable of being reached and estimate the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. If it is highly probable that a significant revenue reversal would not occur, the associated milestone value is included in the transaction price. Milestone payments that are not within our control or that of the licensee, such as regulatory approvals, are not considered probable of being achieved until those approvals are received.
At the end of each subsequent reporting period, the Group re-evaluates the estimated variable consideration included in the transaction price and any related constraint and, if necessary, adjusts its estimate of the overall transaction price. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis, which may affect licence, fees and other revenues and earnings in the period of adjustment.
The transaction price is then allocated to each performance obligation on a relative stand-alone selling price basis, for which the Group recognises revenue as or when the performance obligations under the contract are satisfied.
When determining whether performance obligations have been satisfied, progress is measured using the input method utilising either external costs or labour hours incurred depending on the nature of the collaboration arrangement to establish and estimate the progress of completion. Management has
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)
determined the input method represents a faithful depiction of the Group’s progress towards completion of performance obligations because the time and costs incurred depict the progress of development of the underlying IP which may be transferred to the customer. At the end of each reporting period, the Group re-evaluates costs/hours incurred compared with total expected costs/hours to recognise revenue for each performance obligation. For obligations in which revenue is recognised at a point in time, that point in time is the date at which the title of the goods is transferred to the customer.
Contract liabilities consists of billings or payments received in advance of revenue recognition. Contract assets consists of revenue recognised in advance of billings or payments.
h)
Grants
The Group receives grants from both the European Union (“EU”) and from charitable foundations. These grants compensate the Group for research activities undertaken and are recognised in profit or loss as other income on a systematic basis in the periods in which the expenses are recognised, unless the conditions for receiving the grant are met after the related expenses have been recognised. In this case, the grant is recognised when it becomes receivable.
i)
Foreign currencies
At each period end foreign currency monetary items are translated using the closing rate. Non-monetary items measured at historical cost are translated using the exchange rate at the date of the transaction and non-monetary items measured at fair value are measured using the exchange rate when fair value was determined.
Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of transactions and from the translation at period-end exchange rates of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are recognised in profit and loss.
On consolidation, the results of overseas operations are translated into Pound Sterling at rates approximating to those ruling when the transactions took place. All assets and liabilities of overseas operations are translated at the rate ruling at the reporting date. Exchange differences arising on translating overseas operations are recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated in a separate reserve within equity. The cumulative amount is reclassified to profit or loss when the net investment is disposed of.
j)
Intangible assets
Goodwill
Goodwill is recognised in a business combination when the consideration transferred by the acquirer exceeds the net identifiable assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortised but is reviewed for impairment at least annually.
Other intangible assets other than goodwill
Intangible assets acquired separately are measured on initial recognition at cost. Following initial recognition, intangible assets are carried at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.
Intangible assets with finite lives are amortised over their useful economic lives and assessed for impairment whenever there is an indication that the intangible asset may be impaired. The amortisation period and the amortisation method for an intangible asset with a finite useful life is reviewed at least at
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)
the end of each reporting period. Changes in the expected useful life or the expected pattern of consumption of future economic benefits embodied in the asset is accounted for by changing the amortisation period or method, as appropriate, and are treated as changes in accounting estimates. The amortisation expense on intangible assets with finite lives is recognised in profit or loss in the expense category consistent with the function of the intangible assets.
Computer software  —    4 years on a straight line basis
Patents  —    Over the term of the patent on a straight line basis
Amortisation of intangible assets is included under the ‘Research and development expenses’ and ‘General and administrative expenses’ classifications in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.
k)
Business combination
Acquisitions of subsidiaries and businesses are accounted for using the purchase method of accounting. The cost of the business combination is measured at the aggregate of the fair values (at the date of exchange) of assets given, liabilities incurred or assumed, and equity instruments issued by the Group in exchange for control of the acquiree.
Any excess of the cost of the business combination over the acquirer’s interest in the net fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities are recognised as goodwill.
l)
Cost of Sales
Costs of sales relates to costs from third-party contract research organisations as well as internal labour and absorbed overheads incurred in relation to collaboration arrangements which have been designated as contracts with customers in accordance with the revenue standard.
m)
Property, plant and equipment
Assets under construction, plant and equipment, fixtures and fittings, computer equipment and leasehold improvements are initially recognised at acquisition cost, including any costs directly attributable to bringing the assets to the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by the Group’s management. These assets are subsequently measured using the cost model, less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.
Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of assets, less their estimated residual value on a straight line basis, over their expected lives:
Assets under construction Not depreciated
Plant and equipment 4 years
Fixture and fittings 5 years
Leasehold improvements Over the term of the lease or to the first-break clause, whichever is earlier
Computer equipment 4 years
n)
Impairment of assets
Individual assets are tested for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
An asset is impaired when its carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is measured as the higher of fair value less cost of disposal and value in use. The value in use is calculated as being net projected cash flows based on financial forecasts discounted back to present value.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)
After individual assets are tested for impairment an impairment test is performed at the cash generating unit (“CGU”) level which is the lowest level for which independent cash inflows can be identified. If it is deemed that an impairment is necessary the impairment loss is allocated to reduce the carrying amount of the asset, first against the carrying amount of any goodwill allocated to the cash-generating unit, and then to the other assets of the unit pro-rata on the basis of the carrying amount of each asset in the unit. With the exception of goodwill, all assets are subsequently reassessed for indications that an impairment loss previously recognised may no longer exist. An impairment loss is reversed if the asset’s or cash-generating unit’s recoverable amount exceeds its carrying amount.
o)
Valuation of Investments in subsidiaries and joint ventures
Investments in joint ventures are accounted for using the equity method in the Groups’ financial statements. Under the equity method, the investment is recognised initially at cost and the carrying amount of the investment is adjusted to recognise changes in the Group’s share of net assets.
The Group also undertakes various joint operations with third parties. Where a collaboration is deemed to be a joint operation the Group recognises:

its assets, including its share of any assets held jointly;

its liabilities, including its share of any liabilities incurred jointly; and

its expenses, including its share of any expenses incurred jointly.
Investments in subsidiaries and joint ventures are tested for impairment annually, and an impairment loss is recognised where it is indicated that the carrying amount of the investment may not be recoverable. The recoverable amount is measured as the higher of fair value less cost of disposal and value in use. The value in use is calculated as being net projected cash flows based on financial forecasts discounted back to present value.
p)
Leases
Leases are recognised as a right-of-use asset and a corresponding liability at the date at which the leased asset is available for use by the Group, and each lease payment is allocated between the liability and finance cost. The finance cost is charged to profit or loss over the lease period so as to produce a constant rate of interest on the remaining balance for the liability for each period. The right-of-use asset is depreciated over the shorter of the asset’s useful life and the lease term on a straight-line basis
Assets and liabilities arising from a lease are initially measured on a present value basis. Lease liabilities include the present value of the following lease payments:

Fixed payments, less any lease incentive receivable;

Variable lease payments that are based on an index or a rate;

The exercise price of a purchase option if the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise that option; and

Payments of penalties for terminating the lease, if the lease term reflects the lessee exercising that option.
The lease payments are discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease. If this rate cannot be determined, the Group’s incremental borrowing rate (i.e. the rate that the Group would have to pay to borrow the funds necessary to obtain an asset of similar value in a similar economic environment with similar terms and conditions) is used.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)
The right-of-use assets are measured at cost which comprise the following:

The initial measurement of lease liability;

Lease payments made at or before the commencement date (less lease incentives received);

Initial direct costs; and

Restoration costs.
Extension and termination options
The Group determines the lease term as the non-cancellable term of the lease, together with any periods covered by an option to extend the lease if it is reasonably certain to be exercised, or any periods covered by an option to terminate the lease, if it is reasonably certain not to be exercised.
The Group applies IAS 36 to determine whether a right-of-use asset is impaired and accounts for any identified impairment loss.
The Company does not recognise right-of-use assets for short-term and low value leases.
q)
Provisions
Provisions are recognised when the Group has a present obligation (legal or constructive) as a result of a past event, it is probable that the Group will be required to settle that obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.
The amount recognised as a provision is the best estimation of the considerations required to settle the present obligation at the reporting date, considering the risks and uncertainties surrounding the obligation.
Provisions for the cost to restore leased property to their original condition, as required by the terms and conditions of the lease, are recognised when the obligation is incurred, either at the commencement date or as a consequence of having used or made alterations to the underlying asset during a particular period of the lease, at the Directors’ best estimate of the expenditure that would be required to restore the assets. Estimates are regularly reviewed and adjusted as appropriate for new circumstances.
r)
Pension costs
The Group operates a defined contribution pension scheme for employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the Group. The annual contributions payable are charged to the Group profit or loss on an accruals basis.
s)
Financial instruments
Financial assets
All financial assets are classified as financial instruments measured at amortised cost; these comprise trade and other receivables and cash and cash equivalents.
Financial assets measured at amortised cost are recognised when the Group becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument and are derecognised when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the financial asset expire or when the financial asset and all substantial risks and reward are transferred.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)
Financial assets are also derecognised (written-off) when the Group has no reasonable expectation of recovering the financial asset. Indicators of where there is no reasonable expectation of recovery include indicators of a customer’s inability to pay or losses arising in relation to contract disputes.
Financial assets are measured at amortised cost when both of the following criteria are met:

The financial asset is held within a business model whose objective is to hold financial assets in order to collect contractual cash flows; and

The contractual terms of the financial asset give rise on specified dates to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest on the principal amounts outstanding.
Subsequent to initial recognition, financial assets are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method. At each reporting date the Group recognises a loss allowance for expected credit losses on financial assets measured at amortised cost. In establishing the appropriate amount of loss allowance to be recognised, the Group applies either the general approach or the simplified approach, depending on the nature of the underlying group of financial assets. Further details are set out in Note 23.
Classification as debt or equity
Debt and equity instruments are classified as either financial liabilities or as equity in accordance with the substance of the contractual arrangements and the definitions of a financial liability and an equity instrument.
Equity instruments
Equity instruments is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of an entity after deducting all of its liabilities. Equity instruments such as preference shares issued by the Group are recognised at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs. All preference shares in issue throughout either period are convertible into ordinary shares under certain conditions and bear no fixed or cumulative dividend. As such these shares have been deemed to be equity in nature.
Financial liabilities
Financial liabilities comprise trade and other payables. Financial liabilities are obligations to pay cash or other financial assets and are recognised in the statement of financial position when, and only when, the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial liabilities are initially recognised at fair value adjusted for any directly attributable transaction costs. After initial recognition, financial liabilities are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method, with interest-related charges recognised as an expense in finance costs.
A financial liability is derecognised only when the contractual obligation is extinguished, that is, when the obligation is discharged, cancelled or expires.
t)
Share-based payments
The Group operates equity-settled, share-based compensation plans whereby certain employees of the Group are granted equity awards in the Company. The grant date fair value of these employee share plan awards are calculated using a Black Scholes valuation model.
Where share options are awarded to employees, the fair value of the options at the date of grant is recognised in profit or loss over the vesting period. The only vesting condition in relation to all types of
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)
options awarded is continued employment within the group throughout the vesting period. This condition is taken into account by adjusting the number of equity instruments expected to vest at each statement of financial position date so that, ultimately, the cumulative amount recognised over the vesting period is based on the number of options that eventually vest.
Where the terms and conditions of options are modified before they vest, the increase in the fair value of the options, measured immediately before and after the modification, is also recognised in profit or loss over the remaining vesting period. There were no modifications to the terms and conditions of options during the current or previous financial period.
u)
Tax
Tax on the loss for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the profit and loss account except to the extent that it relates to items recognised directly in equity, in which case it is recognised directly in equity.
Current tax
Current tax is provided at the amounts expected to be paid applying tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. Current tax includes tax credits, which are accrued for the period based on calculations that conform to the UK Research and Development Tax Credit Scheme that is applicable to small and medium sized companies. Research and development costs which are not eligible for reimbursement under this scheme, such as expenditure incurred on research projects for which we receive income, may be reimbursed under the U.K. R&D expenditure credit (“RDEC”) scheme. Amounts receivable under the RDEC scheme are presented within other income.
Deferred tax
Deferred taxes are calculated using the liability method on temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases.
A deferred tax asset is recognised for all deductible temporary differences to the extent that it is probable that taxable profit will be available against which the deductible temporary difference can be utilised, unless the deferred tax asset arises from the initial recognition of an asset or liability in a transaction that is not a business combination and at the time of the transaction, affects neither accounting profit nor taxable profit (tax loss).
However, for deductible temporary differences associated with investments in subsidiaries a deferred tax asset is recognised when the temporary difference will reverse in the foreseeable future and taxable profit will be available against which the temporary difference can be utilised.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply to the period when the asset is realised or the liability is settled, based on tax rates and tax laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are set off only where the Group has a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and the Group intends either to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
v)
Research and development costs
Research costs are expensed as incurred. Development expenditures, on an individual project, are recognised as an intangible asset when the Group can demonstrate:
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)

the technical feasibility of completing the intangible asset so that it will be available for use or sale;

its intention to complete and its ability to use or sell the asset;

how the asset will generate future economic benefits;

the availability of resources to complete the asset; and

the ability to measure reliably the expenditure during development.
Following initial recognition of the development expenditure as an asset, the cost model is applied requiring the asset to be carried at cost less any accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses. Amortisation of the asset begins when development is complete, and the asset is available for use. It is amortised over the period of expected future benefit. Amortisation is recorded in cost of sales. During the period of development, the asset is tested for impairment annually.
No development costs were capitalised during the current or prior financial periods.
3.
Critical accounting estimates and judgements
In the application of the Group’s accounting policies the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
Critical accounting estimates
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. The critical estimates that the directors have made in the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are discussed below.
Share-based payments provision
The Group operates an approved share option plan. The fair value of share options granted is measured using the Black-Scholes model at each reporting date taking into account various assumptions detailed in note 28, the key assumption being the market value of shares at the grant date.
Change in %
Complete
Estimate
Effect on profit
before tax
£’000
Effect on
equity
£’000
Change in estimated market value of share options at grant date
+10% (187) (187)
-10% 185 185
Leases
In applying IFRS 16 ‘Leases’, management has made estimates in determining an appropriate asset-specific discount rate to apply as it was not possible to identify the interest rate implicit in the leases which the Group entered into.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
3.
Critical accounting estimates and judgements (Continued)
Recognition of revenue
Revenue is recognised upon the satisfaction of performance obligations, which occurs when control of the good or service transfers to the customer. Control transfers over time in relation to the research and design activities performed during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, and an input methods are utilised in order to estimate the extent to which the performance obligations have been satisfied at the end of the reporting period based upon costs incurred, which can be internal or third party in nature.
The table below illustrates the sensitivity analysis of the Group’s reported profit to a 10% increase or decrease in the estimated % satisfaction of the performance obligations relating to the Group’s most significant revenue contract during 2020.
Change in %
Satisfaction
Estimate
Effect on profit
before tax
£’000
Effect on
equity
£’000
Change in the estimated % satisfaction of performance obligations, based on costs incurred
+10% 2,142 2,142
-10% (2,142) (2,142)
As a result of current year events including the decision to increase spend in developing and testing multiple potential candidate compounds generated by our AI platform in order to further increase the probability of candidate selection by the collaboration partner, as well as an alteration of approach due to changes in the competitive landscape on one project, the total projected external costs to be incurred over the course of the collaboration increased substantially relative to the same estimate at the end of the prior year, being in total 71% higher as at December 31, 2020 than those estimated at December 31, 2019.
Accounting judgements
In the process of applying the Group’s accounting policies, management has made the following judgements which have the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements:
Recognition of revenue
Management judgement is required to determine the appropriate method in order to determine the performance obligations under each agreement and appropriately allocate revenue to the identified performance obligations in line with IFRS 15.
Further judgement is required to determine whether sources of variable consideration are constrained as at the end of the reporting period as a result of it not being highly probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognised would not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved.
Loss-making contracts
Management judgement is required in order to determine whether the unavoidable costs of meeting the obligations under each collaboration arrangement exceed the economic benefits expected to be received under it. Where such costs are in excess of the Group’s best estimate of future revenues to be generated from the arrangement a provision is recorded in accordance with IAS 37.
The company has assessed the value of the remaining transaction price relating to the outstanding performance obligations relative to the value of the remaining unavoidable costs of meeting the obligations
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
3.
Critical accounting estimates and judgements (Continued)
under the contract relating to the Group’s largest customer and determined that no provision for future operating losses is required as at December 31, 2020.
Leases
In applying IFRS 16 ‘Leases’, management has applied judgement in respect of the lease term in order to determine whether the Group is reasonably certain to exercise extension options or invoke break clauses included in the lease contracts.
Deferred tax recoverability
Management has made a judgement about the availability of future taxable profit against which deductible temporary differences and tax losses carried forward can be utilised. At December 31, 2020, the Group has decided not to recognise a deferred tax asset of £4,635,000 (2019: asset of £1,410,000) relating to losses, share-based payment charges and other timing differences due to the uncertainty involved in determining the future profitability of the Group.
4.
Operating segments
The Group manages its operations as a single segment for the purposes of assessing performance and making operating decisions. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is regularly evaluated by the Group’s chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Group has determined that its chief operating decision maker is its Chief Executive Officer. With the exception of the Group’s joint venture, RE Ventures I, LLC, substantially all of the Group’s assets are held in the United Kingdom.
Information on major customers:
Included in the revenue, £8,166,000 (2019: £6,304,000) arise from sales to the Group’s largest customer. In 2019 the Group received £2,244,000 from another large customer, but did not receive any revenue from them during the year. No other single customer contributed 10% or more to the Groups revenue in either fiscal year 2020 or 2019.
5.
Revenue
The Group’s revenue from contracts with customers during 2020 and 2019 are as follows:
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Service fees
786 141
Licensing fees
8,886 8,966
9,672 9,107
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
5.
Revenue (Continued)
By geographical market:
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
United Kingdom
Europe
427 2,597
United States of America
9,245 6,510
9,672 9,107
Timing of revenue recognition:
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Revenue related to obligations discharged over time
9,672 9,107
During fiscal year 2020, £nil was recognised in relation to performance obligations satisfied in previous periods (2019: £270,000).
The transaction price allocated to the remaining performance obligations (unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied) as at December 31, are as follows:
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Within one year
6,704 13,186
More than one year
747 2,973
7,451 16,159
Details of contract balances are set out in notes 18 and 20.
6.
Other income
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Grant income
197
R&D expenditure credit
1,008
534
1,205
534
The Group has two grants, a European governmental grant and a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These two grants provide reimbursement for certain personnel, consumables and overhead costs incurred in the performance of research and development activities. The maximum amounts receivable under the two grants are £1,191,000 and £3,098,000, respectively.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
7.
Operating Loss
Operating loss for the year has been arrived at after charging:
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Depreciation of owned fixed assets
603 370
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
439 185
Amortisation of intangible assets
23 19
Research and development costs
10,917 6,671
Foreign exchange loss
3,062 774
Share-based payment charge
2,074 711
Fees payable to the Group’s auditors for the audit of the Group & Company’s financial statements
198 33
Other audit services
3
8.
Finance income
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Bank interest receivable
110
272
110
272
9.
Finance expenses
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Interest expense on lease liabilities
  86   50
Unwinding of discount rate on provisions
3
89 50
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
10.
Staff numbers and employee benefit expenses
Employee benefit expenses (including the directors) comprise:
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Wages and salaries
6,077 3,722
Social security costs
818 512
Other pension costs
90 52
Share-based payment charge
2,074 711
Total employee benefit expenses
9,059 4,997
11.
Directors’ emoluments
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Directors’ emoluments
1,026  791
Contributions to defined contribution pension schemes
4 3
Compensation for loss of office
29
Total emoluments
1,059 794
Retirement benefits were accrued for 4 directors (2019: 3). Share options were granted to 4 directors during 2020 (2019: 2) and 1 director exercised options during 2020 (2019: 1).
In respect of the highest paid director:
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Short term employee benefits
 290  235
Contributions to defined contribution pension schemes
1 1
291 236
The highest paid director did not exercise any share options during the year.
The remuneration of key management personnel during the year were as follows:
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Short term employee benefits
 303  909
Share based payments
365 145
Contributions to defined contribution pension schemes
2 6
670 1,060
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
12.
Taxation
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Current tax
UK current tax on loss for the year
(2,074) (1,497)
Adjustments in respect of prior year
(22) (230)
(2,096) (1,727)
Deferred tax
Origination and reversal of timing differences
Effect of tax rate change on opening balance
Total deferred tax benefit
Tax on loss on ordinary activities
(2,096) (1,727)
Loss on ordinary activities before tax
(24,379) (8,044)
Normal applicable rate of tax
19% 19%
Loss on ordinary activities multiplied by normal rate
(4,632) (1,528)
Effects of:
Fixed asset differences
7
Expenses not deductible for tax purposes
510 138
Income not deductible for tax purposes
(1)
Additional deduction for R&D expenditure
(1,536) (1,116)
Surrender of tax losses for R&D tax credit refund
644 468
R&D expenditure credits
73
Adjustments to tax charge in respect of previous periods
(22) (230)
Adjustments for foreign tax
9
Adjust opening deferred tax to average rate of 19.00%
(93)
Deferred tax not recognised
2,868 618
Income tax benefit
(2,096) (1,727)
Factors that may affect future tax charges:
The Corporation Tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2020 was 19%. The Corporation Tax rate of 19% was enacted with effect from April 1, 2017 and the Finance Act 2016 legislated the UK Corporation Tax rate to decrease to 17% from April 1, 2020. However, on March 17, 2020, using the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968, the UK Government cancelled the proposed drop in Corporation Tax rate to 17%. In the spring budget 2021, the Government announced that from April 1, 2023 the corporation tax rate will increase to 25%. As the proposal to increase the rate to 25% had not been substantially enacted at the balance sheet date, its effects are not included in these financial statements. However, it is likely that the overall effect of the change, had it been substantially enacted by the balance sheet date, would be to increase the unrecognised deferred tax asset by £1,376,000.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
12.
Taxation (Continued)
Deferred tax:
A net deferred tax asset of £4,635,000 (2019: asset of £1,410,000) relating to losses of £4,560,000 (2019: asset of £1,489,000), share-based payment charges of £682,000 (2019: £289,000) and liability relating to fixed asset temporary differences of £607,000 (2019: £368,000) has not been recognised due to uncertainty around the future profitability of the Group.
13.
Earnings per share
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Basic and Diluted loss for the year
(22,283) (6,317)
December 31,
2020
2019
Number
Number
Weighted average number of ordinary shares
101,923 99,106
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Basic and diluted loss per share
(0.22) (0.64)
The Company issues share options to employees, upon the exercise of which ordinary shares are issued. The preference shares currently in issue are convertible to ordinary shares following certain events, see Note 23 for further details. Inclusion of the share options and preference shares would have an anti-dilutive effect due to the loss incurred in the year, therefore basic and dilutive loss per share are the same.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
14.
Intangible assets and Goodwill
Goodwill
Computer
Software
Patents
Total
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Cost
At December 31, 2018
173 60 233
Additions
22 150 172
At December 31, 2019
173 82 150 405
Additions
3 3
At December 31, 2020
173 85 150 408
Accumulated amortisation
At December 31, 2018
54 54
Amortisation charge- R&D expenses
15 15
Amortisation charge- G&A expenses
4 4
At December 31, 2019
58 15 73
Amortisation charge- R&D expenses
15 15
Amortisation charge- G&A expenses
8 8
At December 31, 2020
66 30 96
Carrying value
At December 31, 2020
173 19 120 312
At December 31, 2019
173 24 135 332
Impairment Review
Goodwill amounting to £173,000 arose on the acquisition of Kinetic Discovery Limited on November 23, 2018. The purpose of the acquisition was to provide the necessary resources to enable the Group to continue to successfully discover and develop novel therapeutics. The goodwill associated with the acquisition represents experienced staff and accumulated know-how, after the fair-value of other assets and liabilities of the acquired entity have been allocated.
Goodwill was tested in accordance with IAS 36 Impairment of Assets. The impairment review is performed by comparing the carrying amount of the CGU to which goodwill has been allocated to its recoverable amount. The Group has only one CGU, and as such the carrying amount of the group was assessed relative to its recoverable amount following which it was determined that no impairment is required.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
15.
Property, plant and equipment
Assets under
construction
Plant and
equipment
Fixtures
and fittings
Leasehold
improvements
Computer
equipment
Total
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Cost
At January 1, 2019
737 299 52 97 1,185
Additions
165 602 66 603 92 1,528
Disposal
(10) (25) (35)
Reclassification of assets under construction
(737) 180 20 537
At December 31, 2019
165 1,081 128 1,140 164 2,678
Additions
1,973 812 7 183 2,975
Reclassification of assets under construction
(165) 165
At December 31, 2020
1,973 2,058 135 1,140 347 5,653
Accumulated Depreciation
At January 1, 2019
38 20 38 96
Depreciation charge- R&D expenses
168 168
Depreciation charge- G&A expenses
21 149 32 202
Disposal
(10) (25) (35)
At December 31, 2019
206 31 149 45 431
Depreciation charge- R&D expenses
311 311
Depreciation charge- G&A expenses
25 213 54 292
At December 31, 2020
517 56 362 99 1,034
Carrying value
At December 31, 2020
1,973 1,541 79 778 248 4,619
At December 31, 2019
165 875 97 991 119 2,247
16.
Investments in joint ventures and joint operations
Investment in joint venture
Held by the Group and included in the Statement of Financial Position measured under the equity method:
Name
Class of
shares
Holding
Country of
incorporation
Principal Activity
Registered address
RE Ventures I, LLC (US) Ordinary 50% US
The JV was established to develop novel compounds for rare diseases
251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, Delaware 1980
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
16.
Investments in joint ventures and joint operations (Continued)
During 2019, the Group established a 50% interest in RE Ventures I, LLC with RallyBio IPB, LLC which is intended to combine the deep therapeutic-area expertise of an established Biotechnology company with Exscientia’s proprietary AI platform. During 2020, additional capital contributions totalling £1,070,000 were made by the Group.
Under the equity method the joint venture was recognised as follows:
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
As at January 1,
360
Equity acquired on establishment of joint venture
 450
Additional equity
1,070
Foreign exchange differences
(96)
Share of the losses
(1,211) (90)
As at December 31,
123 360
Commitments and contingent liabilities in respect of joint ventures
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Commitment to provide funding for joint venture’s capital commitments, if called
  —  800
The following table illustrates the summarised financial information of the joint venture entity, RE Ventures I, LLC. The Group acquired its interest in the joint venture entity at the point of incorporation and therefore, there were no financials prior to acquisition.
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Depreciation and amortisation
Operating expenses
(2,422) (180)
Interest income/(expense)
Income tax income/(expense)
Loss for the period
(2,422) (180)
Other comprehensive loss
Total comprehensive loss
(2,422) (180)
Current assets
521 930
Current liabilities
(66) (162)
Members surplus
455 768
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
16.
Investments in joint ventures and joint operations (Continued)
Joint Operations
Exscientia has a joint contractual arrangement with Evotec International GmbH (together with its affiliates, “Evotec”), which, as last amended subsequent to the end of the reporting period, entitles each party to a varying percentage of revenue from compounds developed under the collaboration. The joint operation is not structured through a separate legal entity, and it operates from Exscientia and Evotec’s respective principal places of business.
During the year, Exscientia entered into addition joint contractual arrangements as follows:
A joint contractual arrangement was entered into between Exscientia and SRI International (“SRI”) on May 5, 2020 which entitles each party to 50% ownership of novel compounds under the collaboration. The joint operation is not structured through a separate legal entity, and it operates from Exscientia and SRI’s respective principal places of business. This arrangement was terminated post year-end. No settlement amounts were paid as a result of the termination and no impairments of assets recorded.
A joint contractual arrangement was entered into between Exscientia and Huadong Medicine Co. Ltd (“Huadong”) on August 27, 2020. The purpose of the arrangement for Exscientia to design compounds for subsequent synthesis and testing by Huadong. Commercial exploitation of any successful candidate developed as part of the collaboration will be the exclusive right of Huadong in certain Asian geographic markets and Exscientia in all other markets.
A joint contractual arrangement was entered into between Exscientia Limited (“Exscientia”) and Blue Oak Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Blue Oak”) on September 25, 2020. The purpose of this arrangement was to collaborate on a project to design dual targeted (bispecific) small molecules for the treatment of neurodegenerative illnesses. Exscientia has the primary responsibility for drug design, and Blue Oak the primary responsibility for managing the experimental chemistry, ADMET studies and in vivo behavioural assays, including translational medicine studies. Any collaboration IP will then be jointly owned with percentage ownership dependent upon costs incurred.
No collaboration IP has been capitalised in relation to any of the above joint operations as at December 31, 2020 and 2019.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
17.
Leases
Right-of-use assets:
£’000
Cost
At January 1, 2019
957
Additions
157
At December 31, 2019
1,114
Additions
3,245
At December 31, 2020
4,359
Accumulated Depreciation
Depreciation charge
185
At December 31, 2019
185
Depreciation charge
439
At December 31, 2020
624
Carrying value
At December 31, 2020
3,735
At December 31, 2019
929
The right-of-use assets for the Group relate to two properties, both of which were leased under 10-year leases with 5-year break periods. During the year, the Group entered into an additional lease for space within one of the existing properties. This new arrangement is a 13-year lease with a break period in 2028. The Group has the right, but not the obligation, to exit the leases at the end of the respective break periods in each instance. Currently the assumed lease term extends to the break period only rather than the end of the lease for each of the properties. The depreciation charge relating to these properties is recorded within general administrative expenses.
In respect of the Group’s leasing activities the following amounts were recognised:
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Recognised within general administrative expenses
Depreciation charge for the right-of-use assets
 439  185
Expenses relating to short-term leases
11 68
Recognised within finance expenses
Interest expense on lease liabilities
86 50
The lease liability contractual maturity analysis is detailed within note 23.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
18.
Other receivables and contract assets
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
VAT recoverable
853  220
Prepayments
1,622 503
Contract assets
143 13
Other receivables
100 120
2,718 856
A reconciliation of the movement in contract assets for the Group is as follows:
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
At January 1,
13 700
Invoiced during the year
(110) (700)
Recognised as revenue during the year
240 13
At December 31,
143 13
19.
Cash and cash equivalents
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Cash at bank and in hand
60,349 31,454
Restricted cash
2,235
62,584 31,454
Restricted cash relates to amounts on deposit which have been granted to the Group to reimburse certain costs incurred on two specific grant projects as detailed in note 6.
20.
Contract Liabilities
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Within one year
9,041 12,580
More than one year
1,265 2,507
10,306 15,087
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
20.
Contract Liabilities (Continued)
A reconciliation of the movement in contract liabilities is as follows:
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
At January 1,
15,087
Additions
4,982 23,453
Recognised as revenue during the year
(9,566) (8,366)
Grant income
(197)
At December 31,
10,306 15,087
21.
Other payables
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Accruals
1,234 504
Other payables
98 5
Other taxation and social security
255 185
Unpaid share capital in RE Ventures I, LLC
308
Corporation tax
2
1,589 1,002
22.
Provisions
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
At January 1,
Provisions made during the year
532
Unwind of discount rate
3
At December 31,
535
A provision of £535,000 was made during 2020 in respect of the Group’s obligation to restore alterations made on lease space within one of the Group’s leasehold properties. The required work is expected to be completed in 2024 and 2028.
The key uncertainties surrounding the amount of the outflows relate to changes in restoration costs over the course of the lease term while the uncertainty surrounding timing relates to the fact that the period in which the costs will be incurred is based upon the current estimated lease term, whereas we may exit the building at a different point in time.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
23.
Financial instruments
The group holds the following financial instruments:
Financial Assets
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Held at amortised cost
Trade and other receivables (excluding prepayments and taxes)
689 2,128
Cash and cash equivalents
62,584 31,454
63,273 33,582
Financial Liabilities
December 31,
2020
2019
£’000
£’000
Held at amortised cost
Trade and other payables (excluding taxes and contract liabilities)
4,665 3,031
Provision
535
Lease liability
3,438 1,112
8,638 4,143
As disclosed throughout the financial statements, management consider fair value to be the same as the carrying amount.
Classification of financial assets and liabilities at amortised cost
The Group classifies its financial assets and liabilities as at amortised cost only if both of the following criteria are met:

The asset is held within a business model with the objective of collecting the contractual cash flows, and

the contractual terms give rise on a specified date to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest on the principal outstanding
Risk management objectives
Management identifies and evaluates financial risks on an on-going basis. The principal risks to which the Group is exposed are market risk (including interest rate risk, and cash flow risk), credit risk, and liquidity risk.
Market risk
Market risk is the risk that the fair value or future cash flows of financial instruments will fluctuate because of changes in market prices. For the Group, market risk comprise of two types of risks; interest rate risk and foreign currency risk.
Foreign currency risk
The Group is exposed to foreign currency exchange risks due to the Group holding foreign currency monetary assets and liabilities which are exposed to exchange rate fluctuations. This risk is assessed on
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
23.
Financial instruments (Continued)
an on-going basis. The Group does not use derivative financial instruments to manage currency exchange movements and, as such, no hedge accounting is applied.
The table below illustrates the sensitivity analysis of the Group’s reported profit to a 10% increase or decrease in the respective foreign exchange rates to which they are exposed. The sensitivity analysis is calculated on balances outstanding at the year end, with all other variables held constant.
Change in rate
Effect on profit
before tax
Effect on
equity
£’000
£’000
2020
Change in USD
+10% 2,471 2,471
-10% (2,471) (2,471)
Change in EUR
+10% 140 140
-10% (140) (140)
Change in YEN
+10% 10 10
-10% (10) (10)
2019
Change in USD
+10% (151) (151)
-10% 185 185
Change in EUR
+10% 12 12
-10% (15) (15)
Change in YEN
+10% 2 2
-10% (2) (2)
As demonstrated by this sensitivity analysis, the directors determine that exposure to foreign currency risk is low and consequently, have not implemented a hedging policy at this time.
Interest rate risk
The Group’s exposure to the risk of changes in market interest rates relate to the Group’s interest-bearing current accounts. The Group has four instant access accounts which are exposed to variable interest rates which total to £8,445,000 (2019: £19,114,000). A sensitivity analysis prepared with a 1% increase or decrease in interest rate would lease to an increase or decrease in profit and equity of £66,000 (2019: £191,000).
The sensitivity analysis has been determined based on the exposure to floating interest rate instruments at the end of the reporting year. The analysis is prepared assuming the amount of the consolidated balance at the end of the reporting year was the balance for the whole year.
The directors do not consider the Group to have significant exposure to interest rate risk as the Group does not have outstanding interest-bearing loan or debt obligations. As demonstrated by this sensitivity analysis, the directors determine that exposure to interest rate risk is low and consequently, have not implemented a hedging policy at this time.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
23.
Financial instruments (Continued)
Credit risk
Credit risk refers to the risk that a counterparty will default on its contractual obligations resulting in financial loss to the Group. Credit risk arises from cash balances (including bank deposits, cash and cash equivalents) and credit exposures to trade receivables.
The Group’s maximum exposure to credit risk is represented by the carrying value of cash and cash equivalents and trade and other receivables.
Credit risk is managed by monitoring clients and performing credit checks before accepting any customers and by placing funds only with banks with high credit-ratings assigned by international credit-rating agencies.
Impaired trade receivables
Individual receivables which are known to be uncollectable are written off by reducing the carrying amount directly. The other receivables are assessed collectively to determine whether there is objective evidence that an impairment has been incurred but not yet been identified. For these receivables the estimated impairment losses are recognised in a separate provision for impairment. The group considers that there is evidence of impairment if any of the following indicators are present:

significant financial difficulties of the debtor;

probability that the debtor will enter bankruptcy or financial reorganisation; and

default or delinquency in payments (more than 30 days overdue).
There have been no impairments during 2020 (2019: £nil).
Expected credit losses
At each reporting date, the Group recognises a loss allowance for expected credit losses on material balances by applying the simplified approach.
In applying the simplified approach, the Group uses a “probability of default” ​(“PD”) approach, to determine the lifetime expected credit losses. Under the PD approach, the expected credit losses are calculated using three main parameters:

a counterparty PD;

expected LGD (loss given default); and

EAD (expected exposure at default).
In calculating the expected credit loss, the following formula is applied:
Expected Credit Loss (ECL) = PD x LGD x EAD.
Based on the nature of the Group’s activities and trade receivables being current, management has determined that the expected credit loss on these balances is not material at the reporting date.
Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group may encounter difficulty in meeting its obligations associated with financial liabilities that are settled by delivering cash or other financial assets. The Group seeks to manage its liquidity risk by ensuring that sufficient liquidity is available to meet its foreseeable needs.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
23.
Financial instruments (Continued)
A summary table with maturity of financial assets and liabilities presented below is used by management to manage liquidity risks. The amounts disclosed in the following tables are the contractual undiscounted cash flows. Undiscounted cash flows in respect of balances due within 12 months generally equal their carrying amounts in the statement of financial position, as the impact of discounting is not material.
The maturity analysis of financial instruments at December 31, 2020 is as follows:
Carrying
amount
Demand and
less than
3 months
From 3 to
12 months
From
12 months to
2 years
From 2 to
5 years
More than
5 years
Total
contractual
cash flows
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
62,584 62,584 62,584
Trade and other receivables
689 689 689
Liabilities:
Trade and other
payables
(4,665) (4,638) (27) (4,665)
Provisions
(535) (161) (382) (543)
Lease liability
(3,438) (169) (508) (677) (1,632) (820) (3,806)
54,635 58,466 (535) (677) (1,793) (1,202) 54,259
The maturity analysis of financial instruments at December 31, 2019 is as follows:
Carrying
amount
Demand and
less than
3 months
From 3 to
12 months
From
12 months to
2 years
From 2 to
5 years
Total
contractual
cash flows
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
31,454 31,454 31,454
Trade and other receivables
2,128 2,027 101 2,128
Liabilities:
Trade and other payables
(3,031) (3,031) (3,031)
Lease liability
(1,112) (68) (204) (544) (417) (1,233)
29,439 30,382 (204) (443) (417) 29,318
Capital management
The Group manages its capital to ensure that it will be able to continue as a going concern. The capital structure of the Group consists of issued capital, the share premium account and accumulated losses.
The Group manages its capital structure and makes adjustments to it in light of changes in economic conditions. No changes were made in the objectives, policies or processes during the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The Group does not have any externally imposed capital requirements.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
23.
Financial instruments (Continued)
As part of the Group’s management of capital structure, consideration is given to the cost of capital.
24.
Share Capital
December 31,
2020
2019
£
£
Issued and fully paid share capital
97,324 (2019: 97,324) Ordinary A shares of £0.001 each
97 97
30,255 (2019: 30,255) Series A Preference shares of £0.001 each
30 30
29,408 (2019: 29,408) Series B Preference shares of £0.001 each
30 30
5,785 (2019: 3,413) Ordinary B Shares of £0.001 each
6 3
10,123 (2019: nil) Junior Series C Shares of £0.001 each
10
57,295 (2019: nil) Series C Preference shares of £0.001 each
57
230 160
Shares authorised and issued (number)
Class A
Ordinary
Shares
Series A
Preferred
Shares
Series B
Preferred
Shares
Class B
Ordinary
Shares
Junior C
Shares
Series C
Preferred
Shares
Total
At December 31, 2018
97,324 30,255 29,408 150 157,137
Issue of shares
3,263 3,263
At December 31, 2019
97,324 30,255 29,408 3,413 160,400
Issue of shares
2,372 10,123 57,295 69,790
As at December 31, 2020
97,324 30,255 29,408 5,785 10,123 57,295 230,190
In May 2020, the Group issued 57,295 Series C Preferred shares with a nominal value of £0.001. The shares were issued at £855.09 per share and generated proceeds of £48,993,000. In September 2020, the company issued 10,123 Junior Series C Preferred shares with a nominal value of £0.001. The shares were issued at £813.09 per share and generated proceeds of £8,231,000. Professional fees totalling £457,000 were incurred in relation to the Series C placement and have been capitalised within share premium during the period.
The Company also issued 2,372 Class B Ordinary shares with a nominal value of £0.001 during the year, of which 2,342 related to the exercise of share options (see note 27). The shares were issued at £4.88.
Subsequent to the end of the reporting period the Group raised further proceeds totalling £21,451,000 from the issue of 17,132 Series C1 Preferred shares as an extension to the Series C funding round completed in 2020, with the transaction completing on March 1, 2021. The Group raised a further £162,020,000 in April 2021 from the issue of 64,247 Series D1 Preferred shares.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
24.
Share Capital (Continued)
Rights of Share Classes
Holders of shares of Class A Ordinary, Series A Preferred, Series B Preferred, Series C Preferred, Junior Series C Preferred, Series C1 Preferred and Series D1 Preferred are entitled to one vote per share at a show of hands meeting of the company and one vote per share on a resolution on a poll taken at a meeting and on a written resolution. Class B Ordinary shares do not carry these voting rights.
All share classes participate pro-rata on a pari passu basis in any dividend or distribution of capital.
On a distribution of assets on a liquidation or a return of capital, or on a sale of the company where the shareholders do not own a majority of the shares following the transaction, the proceeds of the sale or surplus assets shall be applied first to the holders of Series D1 Preferred shares and then, provided there are sufficient proceeds or surplus assets, to the holders of Series C1 Preferred shares and then to holders of Series C Preferred shares and then to the holders of Series B Preferred shares and then to the holders of Series A Preferred shares, in an amount equal to the preference amount of each class. The balance of proceeds or surplus assets shall be distributed first to the Junior Series C preference shareholders and then among holders of all ordinary share classes on a pro-rata basis.
25.
Pension commitments
The Group operates a defined contribution retirement benefit schemes for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the Group in funds under the control of trustees. The total expense recognised for the period ended December 31, 2020 was £90,000 (2019: £52,000). Contributions outstanding at the period end were £4,000 (2019: £3,000).
26.
Reserves
Share capital
Share capital represents the nominal value of shares that have been issued.
Share premium
Share premium is the excess amount received by the Company over the par value of shares issued.
Foreign exchange reserve
Comprises translation differences arising from the translation of financial statements of the Groups foreign entities into GBP.
Share based payment reserve
Represents share options awarded by the Group and company.
Retained earnings/accumulated losses
Retained earnings represent accumulated profits and losses to date.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
27.
Related party transactions
During the year, the Group entered into the following transactions with related parties who are not members of the Group:
Evotec SE is a shareholder and related party of Exscientia Limited. The Group has three main arrangements with Evotec:

A joint operation setup for the development of novel compounds, with each party originally retaining a 50% ownership of the underlying IP. Evotec has invoiced the Group £678,000 during 2020 in relation to this joint operation, of which £nil is outstanding (2019: £1,824,000 invoiced and £158,000 outstanding).

As part of this joint operation, Aptuit (Verona) SRL (an affiliate of Evotec SE) was engaged to carry out the preclinical toxicology and manufacturing work for the lead compound. The costs of this arrangement are shared equally between Evotec and Exscientia Limited. The entity has invoiced the Group £146,000, of which £nil is outstanding (2019: £793,000 invoiced and £122,000 outstanding).

Exscientia Limited has a services arrangement with Evotec, pursuant to which it has engaged Evotec as a contract research organization to help deliver candidate compounds under its collaboration agreement with Celgene Corporation. The entity has invoiced £12,843,000, of which £878,000 is outstanding. (2019: £4,485,000 invoiced and £959,000 outstanding).
All amounts outstanding are under typical trading terms and conditions and will be settled in full by cash payment.
The Group has undertaken two transactions with RE Ventures I, LLC:

Additional capital contributions of £800,000 and £270,000, with no amounts outstanding as at December 31, 2020 (2019: £308,000). No shares were issued as a result of the capital contributions.

Research Services Agreement, where RE Ventures I, LLC has engaged Exscientia Limited to utilise its proprietary technology on the development of novel compounds. £776,000 was recognised in revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 (2019: £140,000).
Professor Andrew Hopkins is considered to be the controlling party of the Group by virtue of his shareholding in Exscientia Limited. Professor Hopkins is a Director of the Group and his emoluments have been included within note 11.
28.
Share based payments
Employee Share Option Scheme
The Company operates three share option schemes for employees of the Group, which are described below.
Enterprise Management Incentive (“EMI”) Scheme
The EMI is an Approved Option Scheme as defined in UK tax legislation. As a result, employees will not be subject to tax on these options until they are exercised and the underlying shares disposed of, at which point they will be subject to UK Capital Gains Tax at the prevailing rates. Options issued under this scheme are over Ordinary B shares and have an exercise price as agreed with HM Revenue and Customs prior to award. The company ceased to qualify under the EMI rules as of December 24, 2018 and therefore no longer issues options under this scheme.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
28.
Share based payments (Continued)
Company Share Ownership Plan (“CSOP”)
The CSOP scheme is an Approved option scheme as defined in UK tax legislation. As a result, employees will not be subject to tax on these options until they are exercised and the underlying shares disposed of, at which point they will be subject to UK Capital Gains Tax at the prevailing rates. Options issued under this scheme are over Ordinary A shares and have an exercise price as agreed with HM Revenue and Customs prior to award.
Unapproved Share Ownership Plan (“USOP”)
The USOP scheme is an Unapproved option scheme as defined in UK tax legislation. USOP options are granted to persons who do not qualify for EMI or CSOP options, such as non-UK employees, consultants or non-executive directors. As a result of the tax status of this scheme, option holders will be subject to tax on these options when they are exercised, at which point they will be subject to Income Tax and, in certain circumstances, National Insurance at the prevailing rates. Options issued under this scheme are over Ordinary B shares.
For all schemes, the vesting periods are staged over a total of 2-4 years from the date of grant of each option and options expire on the tenth anniversary of the grant date. The company does not include any performance related vesting conditions. Options are forfeited if the employee leaves the company before the options vest.
At the reporting period end dates, the Group had the following vested share options outstanding:
2020
2019
Vested outstanding share options
17,035 14,601
Weighted average exercise price
£ 3.45 £ 3.97
The share based remuneration expenses relating to employee share options amounted to £2,074,000 in fiscal year 2020 (2019: £711,000).
The following information is relevant to the determination of the fair value of the options issued during the periods. The Black-Scholes model has been used to calculate the fair value of options of the equity settled share based payments, with the following weighted average values:
2020
2019
Exercise price
£5.62
£5.73
Expected life
2.8 years
2.9 years
Expected volatility
86%
60%
Risk-free rate
-0.01%
0.48%
Expected dividend rate
Fair value
£507.96
£147.00
The fair value of the underlying ordinary shares is determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The volatility assumption is based on benchmarking similar companies. The risk-free rate is determined by reference to the Bank of England nominal spot curves. The time to exercise is based on data published by the University of Florida which shows the median age of technology companies at an initial public offering.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
28.
Share based payments (Continued)
Details of the share options are below:
2020
Number of
share
options
2020
Weighted
average
exercise price
2019
Number of
share
options
2019
Weighted
average
exercise price
Options held at the start of the year
19,734 £ 3.99 21,425 £ 3.98
Granted
9,282 £ 5.62 1,572 £ 5.73
Exercised
(2,342) 4.88) (3,263) 4.77)
Forfeited
(1,835) 5.84)
Expired
Options held at the end of the year
24,839 £ 4.38 19,734 £ 3.99
Share options outstanding as at December 31, 2020 had exercise prices in the range of £0.01 to £6.70 (2019: £2.53 to £6.70). Weighted average contractual lives for options outstanding as of December 31, 2020 were 7.3 years (2019: 7.5 years).
29.
Capital commitments
The Group has significant capital expenditure contracted for the end of the reporting period but not recognised as liabilities is as follows:
December 31,
2020
December 31,
2019
£’000
£’000
Assets under construction
83
Plant & Equipment
972
1,055
30.
Ultimate Parent and Controlling party
Exscientia Limited is the ultimate parent company of the Group.
Professor Andrew Hopkins is considered to be the controlling party of the Group by virtue of his shareholding in Exscientia Limited. Professor Hopkins is a Director of the group and his emoluments have been included within note 11.
31.
Events occurring after the reporting period
Subsequent to the end of the reporting period the Group raised further proceeds totalling £21,451,000 from the issue of 17,132 Series C1 Preferred shares as an extension to the Series C funding round completed in 2020, with the transaction completing on March 1, 2021.
The Group raised a further £162,020,000 in April 2021 from the issue of 64,247 Series D1 Preferred shares. Concurrent with the latter fundraising the Group entered into an Equity Facility Agreement with SoftBank on April 27, 2021. Pursuant to this agreement, subject to certain subscription conditions, SoftBank has agreed to subscribe up to an additional £216,174,000 in Series D Preferred shares at the Group’s request. The Equity Facility Agreement will continue for a term of 1 year or, if shorter, the consummation of an IPO or a Share Sale as defined in the Company’s Articles.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the financial statements (Continued)
for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
31.
Events occurring after the reporting period (Continued)
At the date of execution, the Subscription Price under the Equity Facility Agreement for Series D Preferred shares is set equal to the Series D1 price per share of £2,516. Should the Group choose to file a Subscription Request under the Equity Facility Agreement in future, the Subscription Price will be set in reference to completion of certain portfolio and collaboration milestones, whereby the Subscription Price will be increased for each milestone that has been achieved since the execution of the Equity Facility Agreement.
On June 2, 2021 the Company and Allcyte GmbH entered into a binding agreement under which the Company will acquire all outstanding shares of Allcyte GmbH, a precision medicine biotechnology company. The consideration for the transaction is approximately €50,000,000 and will be satisfied partially in cash and partially in shares. The transaction is still subject to regulatory approval by the Austrian Ministry for Digitalization and Economic Affairs.
 
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EXSCIENTIA LIMITED
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Loss and Other
Comprehensive Income
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
Note
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Revenue
4
5,575 4,753
Cost of Sales
(7,480) (6,909)
Gross loss
(1,905) (2,156)
Research and development expenses
(12,379) (4,323)
General administrative expenses
(10,803) (2,916)
Foreign exchange (losses)/gains
(2,899) 1,489
Other income
5
1,252 450
Operating loss
6
(26,734) (7,456)
Finance income
7
5 77
Finance expenses
8
(59) (26)
Share of loss of joint venture
13
(743) (449)
Gain on derivative financial instruments
20
1,362
Loss before taxation
(26,169) (7,854)
Income tax benefit
10
2,104 675
Loss for the period
(24,065) (7,179)
Other comprehensive income:
Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss
Foreign currency gain on translation of foreign operations
Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss
6 31
Change in fair value of financial assets at fair value through OCI
20
300
Total other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax
306 31
Total comprehensive loss for the period
(23,759) (7,148)
Basic and diluted loss per share
11
(0.25) (0.07)
The above condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income should be read in conjunction
with the accompanying notes.
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EXSCIENTIA LIMITED
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
as at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020
Note
June 30,
2021
December 31,
2020
£’000
£’000
ASSETS
Non-current assets
Goodwill
173 173
Intangible assets
140 139
Property, plant and equipment, net
12
5,759 4,619
Investment in joint venture
13
814 123
Right-of-use assets
3,423 3,735
Investments in financial assets
20
2,554
Total non-current assets
12,863 8,789
Current assets
Trade receivables
4
223 446
Other receivables and contract assets
14,15
3,300 2,718
Current tax assets
6,007 3,187
Derivative financial instrument
20
1,362
Investments in financial assets held for sale
20, 26
1,095
Cash and cash equivalents
16
245,593 62,584
Total current assets
257,580 68,935
Total assets
270,443 77,724
EQUITY AND LIABILITIES
Capital and reserves
Share capital
21
Share premium
21
272,223 89,099
Foreign exchange reserve
(105) (111)
Share-based payment reserve
6,330 3,589
Fair value reserve
300
Accumulated losses
(57,711) (34,054)
Total equity attributable to owners of the parent
221,037 58,523
LIABILITIES
Non-current liabilities
Contract liabilities
17
14,765 1,265
Lease liabilities
2,480 2,761
Provisions
19
536 535
Total non-current liabilities
17,781 4,561
Current liabilities
Trade payables
3,867 3,333
Other payables
18
5,745 1,589
Contract liabilities
17
21,336 9,041
Lease liabilities
677 677
Total current liabilities
31,625 14,640
Total liabilities
49,406 19,201
Total equity and liabilities
270,443 77,724
The above condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income should be read in conjunction
with the accompanying notes.
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EXSCIENTIA LIMITED
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
Share
capital
Share
premium
Foreign
exchange
reserve
Share-based
payment
reserve
Fair value
reserve
Accumulated
losses
Total
equity
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
As at January 1, 2020
32,318 (8) 1,884 (12,140) 22,054
Loss for the period
(7,179) (7,179)
Foreign exchange gain on
translation of
subsidiaries
31 31
Total comprehensive loss for the period
31 (7,179) (7,148)
Share-based payment charge
1,183 1,183
Issue of share capital, net of transaction costs
48,535 48,535
As at June 30, 2020
80,853 23 3,067 (19,319) 64,624
As at January 1, 2021
89,099 (111) 3,589 (34,054) 58,523
Loss for the period
(24,065) (24,065)
Foreign exchange gain on
translation of
subsidiaries
6 6
Change in fair value of
financial assets through
OCI
300 300
Total comprehensive loss for the period
6 300 (24,065) (23,759)
Share-based payment charge
3,149 3,149
Issue of share capital, net of transaction costs
183,124 183,124
Exercise of share options
(408) 408
As at June 30, 2021
272,223 (105) 6,330 300 (57,711) 221,037
The above condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income should be read in conjunction
with the accompanying notes.
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EXSCIENTIA LIMITED
Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash flows
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
Note
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Operating activities
Loss before tax
(26,169) (7,854)
Adjustments to reconcile loss before tax to net cash flows from operating activities:
Revenue settled with non-cash consideration
4
(3,349)
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
6
312 138
Depreciation of other tangible fixed assets
6
570 287
Amortisation of intangible assets
6
13 11
Loss recognised from joint venture
13
743 449
Finance income
7
(5) (77)
Finance expenses
8
59 26
R&D tax credits
5
(711) (450)
Share based compensation expenses
23
3,149 1,183
Gain recognised on derivative financial instruments
20
(1,362)
Foreign currency loss/(gain)
1 (2)
Changes in working capital:
Decrease in trade receivables
220 1,555
(Increase) in other receivables and contract assets
(581) (237)
Increase/(decrease) in contract liabilities
25,796 (3,464)
Increase in trade payables
1,112 314
Increase in other payables
3,920 71
Interest received
5 77
Interest paid
(1)
Income taxes received
1,358
Net cash flows from/(used in) operating activities
3,722 (6,615)
Investing activities
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
(2,055) (265)
Purchase of intangible assets
(13) (3)
Additional investment in joint venture
13
(1,424) (800)
Net cash flows (used in) investing activities
(3,492) (1,068)
Financing activities
Proceeds from issue of share capital, net of transactions costs
183,124 48,535
Payments of obligations under lease liabilities
(338) (136)
Net cash flows from financing activities
182,786 48,399
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
183,016 40,716
Exchange (loss)/gain on cash and cash equivalents
(7) 4
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
62,584 31,454
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period
16
245,593 72,174
Supplemental disclosure of operating inflow information
Cash inflows from collaborations
28,271 3,027
Amounts invoiced during the period
(28,445) (1,448)
Foreign exchange losses on trade receivables
394 (23)
Decrease in trade receivables
220 1,555
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing information
Capital expenditures recorded within trade payables
(581) 10
Capital expenditures recorded within other payables
242
The above condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income should be read in conjunction
with the accompanying notes.
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
1.
General information
These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the financial performance and position of Exscientia Limited (the ‘Company’) and its subsidiaries (collectively the ‘Group’ or ‘Exscientia’) for the six months ended June 30, 2021.
Exscientia Limited is a private company incorporated in Scotland and has the following wholly owned subsidiaries: Exscientia Inc., Exscientia Ventures I, Inc., Exscientia Ventures II, Inc., Exscientia KK and Kinetic Discover Limited as well as two 50% owned joint ventures, RE Ventures I, LLC (“RE Ventures”) and RE Ventures II, LLC. Exscientia Ventures II Inc. and RE Ventures II, LLC were incorporated in the period.
The principal activity of the Group is that of the application of artificial intelligence (“AI”) and machine learning (“ML”) to the discovery and design of novel therapeutic compounds. Exscientia’s technology platform combines the best of human and computational capabilities to accelerate the process of designing novel, safe and efficacious compounds for clinical testing in humans.
2.
Accounting policies
a)
Basis of preparation
These interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2021 have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34, “Interim Financial Reporting” (“IAS34”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. The accounting policies and methods of computation applied in the preparation of the interim financial statements are consistent with those applied in the Group’s annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 except for the estimation of income tax (see note 10).
The interim financial statements do not include all of the information required for the full financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the year ended December 31, 2020.
The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, with the exception of certain financial instruments which are measured at fair value.
The financial statements have been presented in Pounds Sterling (“Sterling”). This is the functional currency of the Company, being the currency of the primary economic environment in which the Company operates, and the presentational currency of the Group. All values are rounded to the nearest thousand pound (“£’000”) except where otherwise indicated.
These condensed consolidated interim financial statements were prepared at the request of the Group’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) to meet regulatory and contractual commitments and were approved by the Audit Committee of the Board on August 9, 2021 and signed on its behalf by Andrew Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of the Group.
b)
Basis of consolidation
These condensed consolidated Group financial statements consolidate the financial statements of Exscientia Limited and all its subsidiary undertakings made up to June 30, 2021. Subsidiaries are those entities over which the Company exercises control. The results of subsidiaries acquired or sold are consolidated for the periods from or to the date on which control passed. Acquisitions are accounted for under the acquisition method with goodwill representing any excess of the fair value of the consideration given over the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities acquired.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)
c)
Going concern
As at June 30, 2021, the Group’s net cash and cash equivalents amounted to £245,593,000, with total unrestricted cash amounting to £242,593,000. While the Group has incurred significant research and development expenses from the start of the Group’s activities, net cash inflows related to operating activities amounted to £3,722,000 for the six-month period ended June 30, 2021, with net cash outflows relating to operating activities of £6,615,000 for the six-month period ended June 30, 2020. During the six months to June 30, 2021 the Group also received net proceeds of £183,124,000 as a result of financing activities. The Group has never had recourse to bank loans. As a result, the Group is not exposed to liquidity risk through requests for early repayment of loans.
The Board believes that the Group has sufficient financial resources to cover its planned cash outflows for the foreseeable future, being a period of at least twelve months from the date of issuance of these financial statements. As the Group has concluded that there is no substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the issuance of these financial statements, the Group has prepared these financial statements under the going concern assumption.
d)
Application of new and revised International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs)
There have been no new or revised accounting standards that have had an impact on the condensed consolidated interim financial statements relative to those applied within the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the year ended December 31, 2020. Any new accounting standards implemented were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or did not have a material impact on the interim financial statements or processes.
e)
Significant accounting policies
The significant accounting policies are disclosed in the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the year ended December 31, 2020. There have been no changes to existing accounting policies for the six months ended June 30, 2021 except for the estimation of income tax (see note 10).
During the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Group applied the following accounting policies to new transactions present in the period:
Restricted Stock Unit Plan (“RSU”)
The Group operates a RSU scheme, whereby certain employees receive restricted stock units held over Ordinary B Shares in the Company. These units are non-transferable and subject to forfeiture for periods prescribed by the Company. These awards are valued at the market value of the underlying shares at the date of grant and are subsequently amortised over the periods during which the restrictions lapse, typically four years. The Company does not include any performance related vesting conditions, however vesting is contingent upon a liquidity event occurring. At each balance sheet date the Group estimates whether achievement of such an event is deemed probable within the life of the awards, and a charge is recognised where this is deemed to be the case.
Replacement share based payment awards
During the period, new equity instruments were granted to employees which were designated as replacement equity instruments for cancelled equity instruments. The Group accounts for these options in accordance with paragraph 27 of IFRS2, whereby the incremental fair value of the new awards, being the difference between the fair value of the replacement instruments and the net fair value of the cancelled
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
2.
Accounting policies (Continued)
equity instruments at the date the replacement instruments are granted, is recognised as a share based payment charge within profit and loss over the vesting period of the awards.
Financial assets held at fair value through profit and loss
The Group entered into an equity facility with SVF II Excel (DE) LLC (“SoftBank”) on April 27, 2021. Pursuant to this agreement, subject to certain subscription conditions, SoftBank has agreed to subscribe up to an additional £216,174,000 in Series D Preferred shares at the Group’s request. The Equity Facility Agreement will continue for a term of one year or, if shorter, until the consummation of an IPO or a Share Sale as defined in the Company’s Articles. At the date of execution, the Subscription Price under the Equity Facility Agreement for Series D Preferred shares is set equal to the Series D1 price per share of £2,516. Should the Group choose to file a Subscription Request (as defined in the Equity Facility Agreement) in future, the Subscription Price will be set in reference to completion of certain portfolio and collaboration milestones, whereby the Subscription Price will be increased for each milestone that has been achieved since the execution of the Equity Facility Agreement with a maximum per share if all milestones are achieved of £3,648.
The right to place shares at a pre-agreed price is classified as a derivative financial asset held at fair value through profit and loss (“FVPL”). The instrument also includes an embedded derivative relating to foreign exchange volatility between the Subscription Price, which is US Dollar denominated, and the currency of the underlying shares, which are denominated in Sterling.
The inception date fair value of the instrument has been deferred and recognised net of the financial asset in accordance with IFRS9 B5.1.2A(b) and is being amortised on a straight-line basis over 12 months, being the maximum term of the facility. Fair value gains and losses are recognised in full at the re-measurement date within profit and loss.
Financial assets held at fair value through other comprehensive income
Following the achievement of a development milestone relating to the Group’s revenue contract with GT Apeiron Therapeutics Inc. (“GT”) on March 31, 2021, the Group became entitled to receive a number of ordinary shares and preference shares in a private limited company as non-cash revenue consideration. These shares represent unlisted equity securities and the Group have taken the election provided within IFRS9 to recognise fair value gains and losses within Other Comprehensive Income (FVOCI).
On July 1, 2021 (post period-end) the rights to a portion of these shares were waived as part of an agreement to enter into a joint arrangement with the Group as further detailed in note 26. The transaction was deemed highly probable as at June 30, 2021 and as such these shares have been classified as assets held for sale within the balance sheet. The remaining shares held are classified in non-current assets as “Investments held in financial assets”.
3.
Critical accounting estimates and judgements
The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions. These judgments, estimates and assumptions affect the reported assets and liabilities as well as income and expenses in the financial period.
The estimates are based on information available when the consolidated financial statements are prepared, historical experience and various other factors which are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis of making judgements about the carrying values of
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
3.
Critical accounting estimates and judgements (Continued)
assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Judgements and assumptions are primarily made in relation to revenue recognition to determine whether promises contained within the collaboration agreements are distinct from the other promises in the contract, whether milestones or other variable consideration should be included in the transaction price, whether performance obligations are satisfied at a point in time or over time, and for performance obligations satisfied over time the appropriate method of measuring progress for the purposes of revenue recognition. Estimates and assumptions are also made in relation to the valuation of ordinary shares and the incremental borrowing rate for leases. Details of the estimates and judgements made are included in the accounting policies set out in the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the year ended December 31, 2020. Additional estimates and assumptions have been made in relation to the valuation of certain financial assets held at fair value. Further details regarding these assets are contained within note 20.
Existing circumstances and assumptions about future developments may change due to market changes or circumstances arising that are beyond the Group’s control. Hence, estimates may vary from the actual values.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or the period of revision and future periods if this revision affects both current and future periods. The significant judgements made by management in applying the Group’s accounting policies and the key sources of estimation uncertainty are the same as those applied in the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 except for those set out in note 20 in relation to the Group’s financial instruments.
4.
Revenue
Revenue recognized during the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 relates to collaboration agreements with Bristol Myers Squibb Company (“BMS”), Celgene Switzerland LLC (“Celgene”) (a company acquired by BMS subsequent to the inception of the collaboration), Bayer AG (“Bayer”), GT and the Group’s joint venture with RallyBio IPB, LLC (“RallyBio”), RE Ventures. Revenues related to the contract with Celgene constituted 18% of the Group’s revenue for the six-month period ended June 30, 2021 (2020: 83%), and revenues relating to the contract with GT constituted 64% of the Group’s revenue for the period ended June 30, 2021 (2020: 4%). Revenues relating to each of the other collaborations constituted less than 10% of Group revenues for the periods ended June 30, 2021 and 2020.
The Group’s revenue from contracts with customers during the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 are as follows:
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Service fees
333 376
Licensing fees
5,242 4,377
5,575 4,753
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
4.
Revenue (Continued)
By geographical market:
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
United Kingdom
Europe
413 234
United States of America
1,599 4,319
Rest of the World
3,563 200
5,575 4,753
Revenue is recognized upon the satisfaction of performance obligations, which occurs when control of the good or service transfers to the customer. Control transfers over time in relation to the research and design activities performed during the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, and input methods are utilised in order to estimate the extent to which the performance obligations have been satisfied at the end of the reporting period based upon costs incurred, which can be internal or third party in nature.
Timing of revenue recognition:
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Revenue related to obligations discharged over time
5,575 4,753
5,575 4,753
During the six months ended June 30, 2021, £3,349,000 was recognised in relation to a candidate selection milestone achieved in respect of the Group’s collaboration with GT (2020: £nil). The value of this milestone had been constrained in the prior period and as such was not included within the transaction price for the associated performance obligation during the year ended December 31, 2020.
During the six month period to June 30, 2021, the Group reassessed its estimate of total projected external costs to be incurred over the course of its collaboration with Celgene. As a result of changes in the competitive landscape during the period and additional estimated costs relating to the design and profiling of additional candidate compounds to further support the Group’s patent applications, the Group’s expectations of total project external costs at June 30, 2021 was 34% higher than at December 31, 2020. The Group has determined that no provision for future operating losses is required as at June 30, 2021, taking into account expected future cash inflows and the value of the remaining transaction price relating to the outstanding performance obligations relative to the remaining unavoidable costs of meeting the contract’s obligations.
The table below illustrates the sensitivity analysis of the Group’s reported profit to a 10% increase or decrease in the estimated percent satisfaction of the performance obligations relating to the Group’s contracts with BMS (including Celgene) during the six months ended June 30, 2021.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
4.
Revenue (Continued)
Change in %
Satisfaction
Estimate
Effect on loss
before tax
Effect on
equity
£’000
£’000
Change in the estimated % satisfaction of performance obligations, based on costs incurred
+10% 1,279 1,279
-10% (1,279) (1,279)
The transaction price allocated to the remaining performance obligations (unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied) as at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 are as follows:
June 30,
2021
December 31,
2020
£’000
£’000
Within one year
17,032 6,704
More than one year
9,820 747
26,852 7,451
The following tables present changes in the Group’s trade receivables, contract assets and contract liabilities during the six months ended June 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020.
January 1,
2021
Additions
Deductions
Foreign
exchange
June 30,
2021
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Trade receivables
Collaboration trade receivables
446 28,445 (28,271) (397) 223
Total receivables
446 28,445 (28,271) (397) 223
Contract assets
Collaboration contract assets
143 261 (241) 3 166
Total collaboration contract assets
143 261 (241) 3 166
Contract liabilities
Collaboration contract liabilities
7,970 27,096 (1,965) 33,101
Total collaboration contract liabilities
7,970 27,096 (1,965) 33,101
Additions to contract liabilities during the period includes £21,711,000 received from BMS relating to the new collaboration with that entity, and £5,298,000 received from EQRx Inc.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
4.
Revenue (Continued)
January 1,
2020
Additions
Deductions
Foreign
exchange
December 31,
2020
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Trade receivables
Collaboration trade receivables
1,994 5,027 (6,596) 21 446
Total receivables
1,994 5,027 (6,596) 21 446
Contract assets
Collaboration contract assets
13 (110) 240 143
Total contract assets
13 (110) 240 143
Contract liabilities
Collaboration contract liabilities
15,087 2,449 (9,566) 7,970
Total collaboration contract liabilities
15,087 2,449 (9,566) 7,970
5.
Other income
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Grant income
541
R&D expenditure credit
711 450
1,252 450
At December 31, 2020 the Group operated two grants, a European governmental grant and a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (the “Gates Foundation”). During the six months to June 30, 2021 the Group entered into an additional grant arrangement with the Gates Foundation and Gates Philanthropy Partners in relation to which £1,087,000 was received during the period. These three grants in operation provide reimbursement for certain personnel, consumables and overhead costs incurred in the performance of research and development activities. The maximum amounts receivable under the grants are £1,191,000, £3,098,000 and £1,087,000 respectively.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
6.
Operating Loss
Operating loss for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 has been arrived at after charging/(crediting):
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Depreciation of owned fixed assets
570 287
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
312 138
Amortisation of intangible assets
13 11
Research and development costs
12,379 4,323
Foreign exchange loss/(gain)
2,899 (1,489)
Share-based payment charge
3,149 1,183
7.
Finance income
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Bank interest receivable
5 77
5 77
8.
Finance expenses
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Bank interest payable
1
Interest expense on lease liabilities
57 24
Unwinding of discount rate on provisions
1 2
59 26
9.
Staff numbers and employee benefit expenses
Employee benefit expenses (including the directors) comprise:
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Wages and salaries
4,939 2,752
Social security costs
639 337
Other pension costs
185 40
Share-based payment charge
3,149 1,183
Total employee benefit expenses
8,912 4,312
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
9.
Staff numbers and employee benefit expenses (Continued)
The monthly average number of persons employed by the Group (including the directors) during the period, was as follows:
2021
2020
Number
Number
Research and development
107 54
Management and operations
18 11
125 65
10.
Taxation
The Group’s income tax credit is recognised at an amount determined by multiplying the loss before taxation for the interim reporting period by the Group’s best estimate of the weighted average annual income taxation rate expected for the full financial year, adjusted for the tax effect of certain items recognised in full in the interim period. As such, the effective tax rate in the interim financial statements may differ from the Group’s estimate of the effective tax rate for the annual financial statements.
The Group’s consolidated effective tax rate in respect of continuing operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was 8.04% (2020: 8.6%).
11.
Earnings per share
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Basic and Diluted loss for the period
(24,065) (7,179)
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
Number
Number
Weighted average number of ordinary shares
95,223 100,737
June 30,
2021
June 30,
2020
£’000
£’000
Basic and diluted loss per share
(0.25) (0.07)
The Group issues share options to employees, upon the exercise of which ordinary shares are issued. The preference shares currently in issue are convertible to the same number of ordinary shares following certain events, see Note 21 for further details. Inclusion of the share options and preference shares would have an anti-dilutive effect due to the loss incurred in the year, therefore basic and dilutive loss per share are the same.
12.
Property, plant and equipment and leases
During the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Group acquired assets at a cost of £1,716,000, of which £256,000 related to assets under construction, £138,000 were additions to computer equipment,
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
12.
Property, plant and equipment and leases (Continued)
£41,000 were additions to office furniture and equipment and £1,182,000 were additions to plant and equipment, primarily laboratory equipment.
No disposals of property, plant and equipment were made during either the six months ended June 30, 2021 or 2020.
13.
Investments in joint ventures and joint operations
During the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Group made additional capital contributions totalling £1,424,000 to its joint venture with RallyBio, RE Ventures (six months to June 30, 2020: £800,000).
The Group’s share of the loss incurred by the joint venture during the six months ended June 30, 2021 totalled £743,000 (six months to June 30, 2020: £449,000).
There were no transactions with the Group’s other joint venture with RallyBio, RE Ventures II, LLC, during the period.
The Group’s interests in joint operations are disclosed in the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020. On May 26, 2021 the Group entered into a joint operation arrangement with EQRx Inc., a Delaware corporation to identify, discover and develop innovative drug candidates for high value therapeutics. Exscientia has the primary responsibility for the discovery, initial profiling, pre-clinical toxicology and IND-enabling studies of the potential candidates for each target, with EQRx Inc. responsible for the development and commercialisation of the candidates. As part of this arrangement, the Group received an initial payment of £5,298,000, which is recorded within collaboration liabilities as at June 30, 2021.
14.
Other receivables
June 30,
2021
December 31,
2020
£’000
£’000
VAT recoverable
892 853
Prepayments
1,939 1,622
Contract assets (see note 15)
284 143
Other receivables
185 100
3,300 2,718
15.
Contract Assets
June 30,
2021
December 31,
2020
£’000
£’000
Accrued grant income
118
Collaboration contract assets
166 143
284 143
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
15.
Contract Assets (Continued)
A reconciliation of the movement in accrued income relating to the Group’s grants is as follows:
£’000
At January 1, 2021
Recognised as income during the period
118
At June 30, 2021
118
See note 4 for a reconciliation of contract asset amounts relating to the Group’s collaboration arrangements.
16.
Cash and cash equivalents
June 30,
2021
December 31,
2020
£’000
£’000
Cash at bank and in hand
242,593 60,349
Restricted cash
3,000 2,235
245,593 62,584
Restricted cash relates to amounts on deposit which have been granted to the Group to reimburse certain costs incurred on three specific grant projects as detailed in note 5.
17.
Contract liabilities
June 30,
2021
December 31,
2020
£’000
£’000
Within one year
21,336 9,041
More than one year
14,765 1,265
36,101 10,306
A reconciliation of the movement in contract liabilities is as follows:
January 1,
2021
Additions
Recognised
June 30,
2021
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Contract liabilities
Collaboration contract liabilities
7,970 27,096 (1,965) 33,101
Deferred income relating to grants
2,336 1,087 (423) 3,000
Total contract liabilities
10,306 28,183 (2,388) 36,101
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
17.
Contract liabilities (Continued)
January 1,
2020
Additions
Recognised
December 31,
2020
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Contract liabilities
Collaboration contract liabilities
15,087 2,449 (9,566) 7,970
Deferred income relating to grants
2,533 (197) 2,336
Total contract liabilities
15,087 4,982 (9,763) 10,306
18.
Other payables
June 30,
2021
December 31,
2020
£’000
£’000
Accruals
5,078 1,234
Other payables
317 98
Other taxation and social security
350 255
Corporation tax
2
5,745 1,589
19.
Provisions
A provision of £535,000 was made during the year ended December 31, 2020 in respect of the Group’s obligation to restore alterations made on lease space within one of the group’s leasehold properties. The required work is expected to be completed in 2024 and 2028. During the six months ended June 30, 2021 an additional finance charge of £1,000 was incurred in relation to the provision.
20.
Fair value measurement of financial instruments
This note provides an update on the judgements and estimates made by the Group in determining the fair values of financial instruments since the last annual financial report.
Nature of financial instruments recognised and measured at fair value
During the six months ended June 30, 2021 the Group entered into the following arrangements which led to the recognition of financial instruments recognised at fair value:

The Group entered into an equity facility with SoftBank on April 27, 2021. Pursuant to this agreement, subject to certain subscription conditions, SoftBank has agreed to subscribe up to an additional £216,174,000 in Series D Preferred shares at the Group’s request. The Equity Facility Agreement will continue for a term of one year or, if shorter, the consummation of an IPO or a Share Sale (as defined in the Company’s Articles). At the date of execution, the Subscription Price under the Equity Facility Agreement for Series D Preferred shares is set equal to the Series D1 price per share of £2,516. Should the Group choose to file a Subscription Request under the Equity Facility Agreement in future, the Subscription Price will be set in reference to completion of certain portfolio and collaboration milestones, whereby the Subscription Price will be increased for each milestone that has been achieved since the execution of the Equity Facility Agreement.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
20.
Fair value measurement of financial instruments (Continued)
The right to place shares at a pre-agreed price is classified as a derivative financial asset held at fair value through profit and loss (“FVPL”). The instrument also includes an embedded derivative relating to foreign exchange volatility between the Subscription price, which is US Dollar denominated, and the currency of the underlying shares, which are denominated in Sterling.
The inception date fair value of the instrument has been deferred and recognised net of the financial asset in accordance with IFRS9 B5.1.2A(b) and is being amortised on a straight-line basis over 12 months, being the maximum term of the facility. Fair value gains and losses are recognised in full at the re-measurement date within profit and loss. The Group has established the fair value of this instrument utilising an ‘at the money’ quanto put option model to which a number of discounts have been applied, namely a discount for the probability of an IPO or share sale event, a discount for counterparty credit risk and a discount to take into account the lack of marketability of the instrument. An ‘at-the-money’ assumption has been applied within the option pricing model as it is believed that the increase in the value of the shares subject to the option upon achievement of a milestone event is likely to be materially equivalent to the increase in the Subscription price set out in the Equity Facility Agreement. Foreign exchange volatility has been based on FX Option volatility data from Bloomberg.

Following the achievement of a development milestone on March 31, 2021, the Group became entitled to receive a number of ordinary shares and preference shares in GT. These shares represent unlisted equity securities and the Group has taken the election provided within IFRS9 to recognise fair value gains and losses within Other Comprehensive Income (FVOCI). The Group has established the fair value of this instrument using a discounted cashflow methodology.
On July 1, 2021 (post period-end) the rights to a portion of these shares were waived as part of an agreement to enter into a joint arrangement with the Group as further detailed in note 26. The transaction was deemed highly probable as at June 30, 2021 and as such these shares have been classified as assets held for sale within the balance sheet. The remaining shares held are classified in non-current assets as ‘Investments held in financial assets’.
Fair value hierarchy
To provide an indication about the reliability of the inputs used in determining fair value, the group classifies its financial instruments into the three levels prescribed under the accounting standards.
The following table presents the group’s financial assets and financial liabilities measured and recognised at fair value at June 30, 2021:
Level 3
Total
£’000
£’000
Financial assets
Financial assets at FVPL- Softbank equity facility
1,362 1,362
Financial assets at FVOCI-investments held in financial assets
Financial assets at FVOCI-assets held for sale

2,554
1,095

2,554
1,095
Total financial assets
5,011 5,011
The Group measures fair values using the following fair value hierarchy, which reflects the significance of the inputs used in making the measurements.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
20.
Fair value measurement of financial instruments (Continued)
Level 1:   The fair value of financial instruments traded in active markets (such as publicly traded derivatives and equity securities) is based on quoted market prices at the end of the reporting period. The quoted marked price used for financial assets held by the group is the current bid price. These instruments are included in level 1.
Level 2:   The fair value of financial instruments that are not traded in an active market (for example, over-the-counter derivatives) is determined using valuation techniques which maximise the use of observable market data and rely as little as possible on entity-specific estimates. If all significant inputs required to fair value an instrument are observable, the instrument is included in level 2.
Level 3:   If one or more of the significant inputs is not based on observable market data, the instrument is included in level 3. This is the case for unlisted equity securities.
The objective of valuation techniques is to arrive at a fair value measurement that reflects the price that would be received to sell the asset or paid to transfer the liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
Fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (level 3)
Unlisted
equity
securities
Derivatives
at FVPL
Total
£’000
£’000
£’000
Opening balance as at January 1, 2021
Acquisitions
3,349 3,349
Gains recognised in profit and loss
1,362 1,362
Gains recognised in other comprehensive income
300 300
Closing balance as at June 30, 2021
3,649 1,362 5,011
There have been no transfers between levels 2 and 3 and changes in valuation techniques during the period. The group did not measure any financial assets or financial liabilities at fair value on a non-recurring basis as at June 30, 2021.
The inception date fair value of the Group’s equity facility with Softbank was determined to be £11,870,000, recognition of which was deferred at inception. A reconciliation of the changes in the unrecognised inception fair value relating to the Softbank derivative during the period is as follows:
Deferred
fair value
£’000
Opening balance as at January 1, 2021
Additions
11,870
Amount recognised in profit and loss
(1,978)
Closing balance as at June 30, 2021
9,892
The amount recognised within profit and loss above is included within the gain of £1,362,000 recognised during the period.
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
20.
Fair value measurement of financial instruments (Continued)
The following table summarises the quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used in level 3 fair value measurements:
Fair value at
June 30, 2021
Unobservable inputs
Range of
inputs
Relationship of
unobservable inputs to
fair value
£’000
Unlisted equity securities
3,649
Discount rate
11% – 13%
A 1% decrease would increase the fair value of the equities by £2,471,000.
Unlisted equity securities
3,649
Profit margin on drug sales
44% – 45%
A 1% decrease in the operating profit margin achieved on sale of any commercialised drugs decreases the fair value of the equities by £947,000.
Derivatives at FVPL
1,362
Share price volatility
50%
A 10% increase in the volatility of the underlying share value increases the fair value of the instrument by £2,164,000
Discount for event probability
60%
A 10% increase in the likelihood of an exit event occurring decreases the fair value by £3,922,000.
Counterparty credit risk discount
1%
A 1% increase in counterparty credit risk decreases the fair value by £392,000.
Discount for lack of marketability
10.3% – 11.2%
A 1% increase in the discount for marketability of the underlying instrument decreases the fair value by £392,000.
There were no significant inter-relationships between unobservable inputs that materially affect fair values.
Valuation processes
The finance department of the Group performs the valuations of financial assets required for financial reporting purposes, engaging the assistance of third party specialists where necessary. The team reports
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
20.
Fair value measurement of financial instruments (Continued)
directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Discussions of valuation processes and results are held between the CFO, Audit Committee and the finance department at the end of each reporting period.
The main level 3 inputs used in measuring the fair value of financial instruments are derived and evaluated as follows:

Discount rate- these are determined using a capital asset pricing model to calculate a pre-tax rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risk specific to the asset.

Profit margin on drug sales- these are taken from literature specific to the types of drug developments the Company is involved with.

Share price volatility — these are estimated based on market information for similar types of companies.

Discount for event probability — this is estimated based on internal analysis of the likelihood of a specific transaction occurring within the event window.

Counterparty credit risk discount — based on 5-year credit default swap rates for the counterparty.

Discount for lack of marketability — calculated using the Finnerty Model, which calculates the implied discount for lack of marketability based on the price of an average strike look back put option.
Other financial instruments
The Group also has a number of financial instruments which are not measured at fair value in the balance sheet. For these instruments, the fair values are not materially different to their carrying amounts, since the interest receivable/payable is either close to current market rates or the instruments are short-term in nature.
21.
Share capital
June 30,
2021
December 31,
2020
£
£
Issued and fully paid share capital
77,700 (2020: 97,324) Ordinary A shares of £0.001 each
78 97
30,255 (2020: 30,255) Series A Preference shares of £0.001 each
30 30
29,408 (2020: 29,408) Series B Preference shares of £0.001 each
29 30
4,685 (2020: 5,785) Ordinary B Shares of £0.001 each
5 6
10,123 (2020: 10,123) Junior Series C Shares of £0.001 each
10 10
57,295 (2020: 57,295) Series C Preference shares of £0.001 each
57 57
17,132 (2020: nil) Series C1 Preference shares of £0.001 each
17
88,634 (2020: nil) Series D1 Preference shares of £0.001 each
89
315 230
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
21.
Share capital (Continued)
Shares authorised and issued (number)
December 31,
2020
Issue of
shares
Re-designation
of shares
June 30,
2021
Ordinary A shares
97,324 (19,624) 77,700
Series A Preference shares
30,255 30,255
Series B Preference shares
29,408 29,408
Ordinary B Shares
5,785 3,663 (4,763) 4,685
Junior Series C Shares
10,123 10,123
Series C Preference shares
57,295 57,295
Series C1 Preference shares
17,132 17,132
Series D1 Preference shares
64,247 24,387 88,634
230,190 85,042 315,232
The Group raised proceeds totalling £21,104,000 net of transaction costs of £347,000 from the issue of 17,132 Series C1 preference shares as an extension to the Series C funding round completed in 2020, with the transaction completing on March 1, 2021.
The Group raised a further £162,019,522 in April 2021 from the issue of 64,247 Series D1 preference shares. In conjunction with this transaction, the Group re-designated 19,624 Ordinary A shares and 4,763 Ordinary B shares as Series D1 Preference shares.
Rights of Share Classes
Holders of Ordinary A shares, Series A Preference shares, Series B Preference shares, Series C preference shares, Junior Series C shares, Series C1 Preference shares and Series D1 Preference shares are entitled to one vote per share at a show of hands meeting of the Company and one vote per share on a resolution on a poll taken at a meeting and on a written resolution. Ordinary B shares do not carry these voting rights.
All share classes participate pro-rata on a pari passu basis in any dividend or distribution of capital. On a distribution of assets on a liquidation or a return of capital, or on a sale of the Company where the shareholders do not own a majority of the shares following the transaction, the proceeds of the sale or surplus assets shall be applied first to the Preference D1 shareholders, then to the Preference C1 shareholders, then to the Preference C shareholders and then, provided there are sufficient proceeds or surplus assets, Preference B shareholders and then Preference A shareholders, in an amount equal to the preference amount of each class. The balance of proceeds or surplus assets shall be distributed first to the Junior Series C preference shareholders and then among holders of all ordinary share classes on a pro-rata basis. All preference shares in issue throughout the period are convertible into ordinary shares immediately on the occurrence on an IPO.
22.
Related party transactions
During the period, the Group entered into the following transactions with related parties who are not members of the Group:
Evotec AG is a shareholder of Exscientia Limited. The Group has three main arrangements with Evotec AG and its affiliates:
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
22.
Related party transactions (Continued)

A joint operation set up for the development of novel compounds, with each party originally retaining a 50% ownership of the underlying IP. Evotec AG has invoiced the Group £196,000 during the six months ended June 30, 2021 in relation to this joint operation, of which £182,000 was outstanding at the end of the period (year ended December 31, 2020: £678,000 invoiced and nil outstanding at the end of that period). The corresponding expenses related to these amounts are recognised within research and development expenses.

As part of this joint operation, Aptuit (Verona) SRL (an affiliate of Evotec AG) have been engaged to carry out the preclinical toxicology and manufacturing work for the lead compound. The costs of this arrangement are shared equally between Evotec AG and Exscientia Limited. The entity has invoiced the Group £577,000 during the six months ended June 30, 2021, of which £nil was outstanding at the end of the period (year ended December 31, 2020: £146,000, of which £nil was outstanding at the end of that period). As at June 30, 2021 the Group had recorded accruals totalling £227,000 relating to costs incurred with Aptuit that had yet to be invoiced (December 31, 2020 £nil). The corresponding expenses related to these amounts are recognised within research and development expenses.

Exscientia Limited has a services arrangement with Evotec, pursuant to which it has engaged Evotec as a contract research organisation to help deliver candidate compounds under its collaboration agreement with Celgene Corporation. The entity has invoiced £5,957,000, of which £992,000 was outstanding at the end of the period. (year ended December 31, 2020: £12,843,000, of which £878,000 was outstanding at the end of that period). The corresponding expenses related to these amounts are recognised within cost of sales.
All amounts outstanding are under typical trading terms and conditions and will be settled in full by cash payment.
The Group has undertaken two transactions with the Group’s joint venture with RallyBio, RE Ventures I, LLC:

Additional capital contributions of £1,424,000, with £nil outstanding as at June 30, 2021 (year ended December 31, 2020 contributions of £1,070,000 with £nil outstanding). No shares were issued as a result of the capital contributions. The Group equity accounts for the Group’s joint venture with RallyBio and as such capital contributions are recognised as an increase in the Group’s investment in joint venture, with the Group’s share of losses for the period recognised as a share of loss in joint venture and as a reduction in the investment.

Research Services Agreement, where RE Ventures I, LLC has engaged Exscientia Limited to utilise its proprietary technology on the development of novel compounds. £333,000 was recognised in revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2021 (year ended December 31, 2020: £776,000).
23.
Share based payments
Employee Share Option Scheme
The Group operates four share based compensation schemes for employees of the Group, which are described below.
Enterprise Management Incentive (“EMI”) Scheme
The EMI is an Approved Option Scheme as defined in UK tax legislation. As a result, employees will not be subject to tax on these options until they are exercised and the underlying shares disposed of, at
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
23.
Share based payments (Continued)
which point they will be subject to UK Capital Gains Tax at the prevailing rates. Options issued under this scheme are over Ordinary B shares and have an exercise price as agreed with HM Revenue and Customs prior to award. The Company ceased to qualify under the EMI rules as of December 24, 2018 and therefore no longer issues options under this scheme.
Company Share Ownership Plan (“CSOP”)
The CSOP scheme is an Approved Option Scheme as defined in UK tax legislation. As a result, employees will not be subject to tax on these options until they are exercised and the underlying shares disposed of, at which point they will be subject to UK Capital Gains Tax at the prevailing rates. Options issued under this scheme are over Ordinary A shares and have an exercise price as agreed with HM Revenue and Customs prior to award.
Unapproved Share Ownership Plan (“USOP”)
The USOP scheme is an Unapproved Option Scheme as defined in UK tax legislation. USOP options are granted to persons who do not qualify for EMI or CSOP options, such as non-UK employees, consultants or non-executive directors. As a result of the tax status of this scheme, option holders will be subject to tax on these options when they are exercised, at which point they will be subject to Income Tax and, in certain circumstances, National Insurance at the prevailing rates. Options issued under this scheme are over Ordinary B shares.
As at June 30, 2021 the Group had the following vested share options outstanding:
Vested outstanding share options
12,793
Weighted average exercise price
£ 3.72
The share based remuneration expenses relating to employee share options amounted to £2,985,000 during the six months ended June 30, 2021 (six months ending June 30, 2020: £1,183,000).
The following information is relevant to the determination of the fair value of the options issued during the period. The Black-Scholes model has been used to calculate the fair value of options of the equity settled share based payments, with the following weighted average values:
Exercise price
£9.92
Expected life
6.0 years
Expected volatility
93.7%
Risk-free rate
0.91%
Expected dividend rate
Fair value
£1,321.06
The fair value of the underlying ordinary shares is determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The volatility assumption is based on benchmarking similar companies. The risk-free rate is determined by reference to the Bank of England nominal spot curves. The time to exercise is based on data published by the University of Florida which shows the median age of Technology companies at an Initial Public Offering (‘IPO’).
Details of the share options are below:
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
23.
Share based payments (Continued)
Number of
share
options
Weighted
average
exercise price
Options held as at 01 January 2021
24,839 £ 4.38
Granted
9,665 £ 9.92
Exercised
(3,663) £ 3.66
Forfeited/Replaced
(2,150) £ 3.64
Options held as at June 30, 2021
28,691 £ 6.39
Share options outstanding as at June 30, 2021 had exercise prices in the range of £0.01 to £10.10 (December 31, 2020: £0.01 to £6.70). The weighted average contractual life for options outstanding as of June 30, 2021 was 8.1 years (December 31, 2020: 7.3 years).
Restricted Stock Unit Plan (“RSU”)
The Group operates a RSU scheme, whereby certain employees receive restricted stock units held over Ordinary B shares in the Company. These units are non-transferable and subject to forfeiture for periods prescribed by the Company. These awards are valued at the market value of the underlying shares at the date of grant and are subsequently amortised over the periods during which the restrictions lapse, typically four years. The Company does not include any performance related vesting conditions, however vesting is contingent upon a liquidity event occurring. At each balance sheet date the Company estimates whether achievement of such an event is deemed probable within the life of the awards, and a charge is recognised where this is deemed to be the case.
The awards expire on the earlier of a liquidity event deadline and the cessation of the participant’s employment with the Group.
Details of the RSUs in existence during the six months to June 30, 2021 are as follows:
Number of
RSUs
Awards held as at January 1, 2021
Granted
2,250
Awards held as at June 30, 2021
2,250
Of the RSUs granted during the six months to June 30, 2021, 2,000 were issued as replacement options for EMI options cancelled during the period, with the charge for the period representing the amount recognised in the period relating to the incremental fair value of the RSU awards over and above those of the EMI options as at the date of grant of the latter.
The weighted average grant date fair value per unit of the RSUs granted in the six months to June 30, 2021 was £2,264.75. The weighted average remaining contractual life of the awards granted during the period was 6.894 years as at June 30, 2021. No awards vested during the period.
The share based remuneration expenses relating to RSUs amounted to £164,000 during the six months ended June 30, 2021 (six months ending June 30, 2020: £nil).
 
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Exscientia Limited
Notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements (Continued)
for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020
24.
Capital commitments
The Group has significant capital expenditure contracted for but not recognised as liabilities as at June 30, 2021. The expenditure is as follows:
£’000
Assets under construction
239
Plant & Equipment
1,462
1,701
25.
Ultimate Parent and Controlling party
Exscientia Limited is the ultimate parent company of the Group.
26.
Events occurring after the reporting period
On July 1, 2021 the Group entered into a joint arrangement with GT in order to build a sustainable pipeline of high-value, best/first in class therapeutics. As part of this arrangement the pre-existing collaboration arrangement between the two parties was terminated, the Group made a payment of £1,449,000 and waived the rights to 30% of the shares in GT that became receivable following the achievement of a milestone on the pre-existing collaboration agreement as detailed in notes 4 and 20.
The Group entered into a 10 year lease relating to premises at Milton Park, Oxfordshire on July 13, 2021, with a five-year break period. The Group has the right, but not the obligation, to exit the lease at the end of the break period. A total commitment of £1,436,000 is payable over the period from the inception of the lease to the break clause date.
 
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American Depositary Shares
(Representing      Ordinary Shares)
[MISSING IMAGE: LG_EXSCIENTIA-4C.JPG]
PROSPECTUS
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Morgan Stanley
BofA Securities
Barclays
           , 2021
Through and including      , 2021, (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in the ADSs whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This delivery requirement is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.

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PART II
Information Not Required in Prospectus
Item 6.   Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Subject to the Companies Act 2006, or the Companies Act, members of the registrant’s board of directors and its officers have the benefit of the following indemnification provisions in the registrant’s articles of association:
Current and former members of the registrant’s board of directors or officers shall be indemnified for all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities sustained or incurred by them in connection with their duties or powers in relation to us, any associated company (as defined in the Companies Act) or any pension fund or employee share scheme of ours or an associated company and in relation to our (or an associated company’s) activities as trustee of an occupational pension scheme, including any liability incurred in defending any criminal or civil proceedings in which judgement is given is his or her favour or in which he or she is acquitted or the proceedings are otherwise disposed of without any finding or admission of any material breach of duty on his or her behalf or in connection with any application in which the court grants him or her relief from liability for negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust in relation to the registrant’s or its group’s affairs.
In the case of current or former members of the registrant’s board of directors, in compliance with the Companies Act, there shall be no entitlement to indemnification as referred to above for (i) any liability incurred to the registrant or any associated company, (ii) the payment of a fine imposed in any criminal proceeding or a penalty imposed by a regulatory authority for non-compliance with any requirement of a regulatory nature, (iii) the defence of any criminal proceeding if the member of the registrant’s board of directors is convicted, (iv) the defence of any civil proceeding brought by the registrant or an associated company in which judgement is given against the director and (v) any application for relief under the Companies Act in which the court refuses to grant relief to the director.
The registrant may provide any current or former director or officer with funds to meet expenditure incurred or to be incurred by them in connection with any proceedings or application referred to above and otherwise may take any action to enable any such relevant officer to avoid incurring such expenditure. Members of the registrant’s board of directors and its officers who have received payment from the registrant under the relevant indemnification provisions must repay the amount they received in accordance with the Companies Act or in any other circumstances that the registrant may prescribe or where the registrant has reserved the right to require repayment.
The underwriting agreement the registrant will enter into in connection with the offering of ADSs being registered hereby provides that the underwriters will indemnify, under certain conditions, the registrant’s board of directors and its officers against certain liabilities arising in connection with this offering.
Item 7.   Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
The following list sets forth information regarding all unregistered securities sold by Exscientia AI Limited since January 1, 2018, through the date of the prospectus that forms a part of this registration statement.
Issuances of Share Capital

On November 14, 2018, Exscientia AI Limited issued 4,324 A Ordinary Shares to shareholders of Kinetic Discovery Limited at a purchase price of £0.001 per share for aggregate consideration of £4.32.

On December 24, 2018, Exscientia AI Limited issued 29,408 Series B Shares to insiders and accredited investors at a purchase price of £635 per share for an aggregate consideration of £18,674,841.
 
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On May 31, 2019, Exscientia AI Limited issued 150 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise at a purchase price of £2.53 per share for an aggregate consideration of £379.50 and 50 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise at a purchase price of £4.88 per share for aggregate consideration of £244.

On May 31, 2019, Exscientia AI Limited issued 3,063 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise at a purchase price of £2.53 per share for aggregate consideration of £14,947.

On May 18, 2020, Exscientia AI Limited issued 57,295 Series C Shares to insiders and accredited investors at a purchase price of £855.09 per share for aggregate consideration of £48,992,382.

On June 18, 2020, Exscientia AI Limited issued 100 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise at a purchase price of £4.88 per share for aggregate consideration of £488.

On July 15, 2020, Exscientia AI Limited issued 30 B Ordinary Shares to a consultant engaged by the Company at a purchase price of £6.70 per share for aggregate consideration of £201.

On August 7, 2020, Exscientia AI Limited issued 2,012 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise at a purchase price of £4.88 per share for an aggregate consideration of £9,818.

On September 14, 2020, Exscientia AI Limited issued 955 Junior C Shares to Rally Profit Limited at a purchase price of £813 per share for an aggregate consideration of £776,509.

On September 14, 2020, Exscientia AI Limited issued 6,303 Junior C Shares to Harmony Way Group Limited at a purchase price of £813 per share for an aggregate consideration of £5,124,961.

On September 14, 2020, Exscientia AI Limited issued 2,865 Junior C Shares to Gavin Resources Limited at a purchase price of £813 per share for an aggregate consideration of £2,329,528.

On October 7, 2020, Exscientia AI Limited issued 30 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise at a purchase price of £4.88 per share for an aggregate consideration of £146.

On October 30, 2020, Exscientia AI Limited issued 200 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise at a purchase price of £4.88 per share for an aggregate consideration of £976.

On March 1, 2021, Exscientia AI Limited issued 17,132 Series C1 Shares to insiders and accredited investors at a purchase price of £1,256 per share for an aggregate consideration of £21,450,896.

On April 8, 2021, Exscientia AI Limited issued 13 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise at a purchase price of £4.88 per share for an aggregate consideration of £63.44.

On April 27, 2021, Exscientia AI Limited issued 100 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise and 300 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise at a purchase price of £2.53 per share for an aggregate consideration of £1,012, and 300 B Ordinary Shares pursuant to an employee option exercise at a purchase price of £4.38 per share for an aggregate consideration of £1,314.

On April 27, 2021, Exscientia AI Limited issued 57,108 Series D1 Shares to insiders and accredited investors at a purchase price of $3,502.17 per share for an aggregate consideration of $200,001,924.36.

On May 7, 2021, Exscientia AI Limited issued 7,139 Series D1 Shares to accredited investors at a purchase price of $3,502.17 per share for an aggregate consideration of $25,001,991.63.
 
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The offers, sales and issuances of the securities described in the preceding paragraph were exempt from registration either (1) under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act in that the transactions were between an issuer and members of its senior executive management and did not involve any public offering within the meaning of Section 4(a)(2), (2) under Rule 701 promulgated under the Securities Act in that the transactions were under compensatory benefit plans and contracts relating to compensation or (3) under Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act in that offers, sales and issuances were not made to persons in the United States and no directed selling efforts were made in the United States.
Share Option Grants
Since January 1, 2018 through the date of the prospectus that forms a part of this registration statement, Exscientia AI Limited has granted share options to employees, directors, consultants and service providers covering an aggregate of           ordinary shares with exercise prices ranging from £      to £      per share, as follows:
 
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Item 8.   Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Exhibits
Exhibit
Number
Description of Exhibit
1.1*
Form of Underwriting Agreement.
3.1*
Articles of Association, as amended and as currently in effect.
3.2*
Form of Articles of Association to become effective upon the closing of this offering.
4.1*
Form of Deposit Agreement.
4.2*
Form of American Depositary Receipt (included in exhibit 4.1).
5.1*
Opinion of Cooley (UK) LLP.
10.1
Shareholders’ Agreement Relating to Exscientia Limited (then named Exscientia Holdings Limited), dated August 10, 2021, by and between the Subscribers, Non-Investing Shareholders, and Manager thereto and Exscientia Limited.
10.2#
Form of Employment Agreementby and between Andrew Hopkins and Exscientia Limited.
10.3#
Form of Employment Agreementby and between Ben Taylor and Exscientia Limited.
10.4
10.5
10.6
Share Sale, Transfer and Merger Agreement Regarding Allcyte GmbH, dated June 2, 2021, by and among the Sellers thereto and Exscientia AI Limited (then named Exscientia Limited).
10.7*
Research Collaboration and Licence Option Agreement, dated June 27, 2016, by and between Sanofi S.A. and Exscientia AI Limited (then named Exscientia Limited).
10.8*
Collaboration and License Agreement, dated May 3, 2021, by and between Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Exscientia AI Limited (then named Exscientia Limited).
10.9*
Amended and Restated Collaboration Agreement, effective as of December 18, 2019, by and between Bayer A.G. and Exscientia AI Limited (then named Exscientia Limited).
10.10
10.11
Lease relating to Part Ground Floor, The Schrodinger Building, The Oxford-Science Park, Sandford-on-Thames, Oxford, by and between Exscientia AI Limited (then named Ex Scientia Limited) and The Oxford Science Park Limited, dated July 27, 2018.
10.12
10.13
Lease between MEPC Milton Park No. 1 Limited, MEPC Milton Park No. 2 Limited, and Exscientia AI Limited (then named Exscientia Limited), effective as of July 13, 2021.
10.14
10.15
10.16
Lease Agreement, by and between HG 3 Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH & CoKG and Alphaexscientia Beteiligungs GmbH, effective as of September 3, 2021.
10.17*
Form of Deed of Indemnity between the Registrant and each of its directors.
10.18*
Form of Deed of Indemnity between the Registrant and each of its executive officers.
10.19#
10.20#
10.21#
10.22#
 
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Exhibit
Number
Description of Exhibit
21.1  
23.1  
23.2*  
Consent of Cooley (UK) LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1  

Pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC, certain portions of this exhibit have been redacted because they are both not material and the type that the Registrant treats as private or confidential. The Registrant hereby agrees to furnish supplementally to the SEC, upon its request, an unredacted copy of this exhibit.
*
To be filed by amendment.
#
Indicates a management contract or any compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.
Financial Statement Schedules
None. All schedules have been omitted because the information required to be set forth therein is not applicable or has been included in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.
Item 9.   Undertakings.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defence of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1)
For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this Registration Statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2)
For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
 
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-1 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorised, in the UK, on September 10, 2021.
EXSCIENTIA LIMITED
By:
/s/ Andrew Hopkins
Name:
Andrew Hopkins, DPhil, FRSE, FRSC
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Andrew Hopkins, DPhil, FRSE, FRSC and Ben Taylor, and each of them, his or her true and lawful agent, proxy and attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to (1) act on, sign and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement together with all schedules and exhibits thereto and any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with all schedules and exhibits thereto, (2) act on, sign and file such certificates, instruments, agreements and other documents as may be necessary or appropriate in connection therewith, (3) act on and file any supplement to any prospectus included in this Registration Statement or any such amendment or any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and (4) take any and all actions which may be necessary or appropriate to be done, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby approving, ratifying and confirming all that such agent, proxy and attorney-in-fact or any of his or her substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ Andrew Hopkins
Andrew Hopkins, DPhil, FRSE, FRSC
Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
September 10, 2021
/s/ Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor
Chief Financial Officer and Director (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
September 10, 2021
/s/ David Nicholson
David Nicholson, Ph.D.
Chairman of the Board of Directors
September 10, 2021
 
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Signature
Title
Date
/s/ Elizabeth Crain
Elizabeth Crain
Director
September 10, 2021
/s/ Robert Ghenchev
Robert Ghenchev
Director
September 10, 2021
/s/ Joanne Xu
Joanne Xu
Director
September 10, 2021
/s/ Mario Polywka
Mario Polywka, DPhil
Director
September 10, 2021
 
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SIGNATURE OF AUTHORISED U.S. REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REGISTRANT
Pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, the undersigned, the duly authorised representative in the United States of Exscientia Limited has signed this registration statement or amendment thereto on September 10, 2021.
Exscientia Inc.
By:
/s/ Andrew Hopkins 
Name:
Andrew Hopkins
Title:
Authorised Signatory
 
II-8

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

DATE: 10 AUGUST 2021 AT 13:10 PM

 

 

(1)        THE SUBSCRIBERS
(2)        THE NON INVESTING SHAREHOLDERS
(3)        THE MANAGER
(4)        EXSCIENTIA HOLDINGS LIMITED

 

 

SHAREHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT RELATING TO
EXSCIENTIA HOLDINGS LIMITED
 

 

 

 

  

CONTENTS

 

Clause   Page  
1. Definitions and Interpretation 3
2. SHARE OPTION PLAN 10
3. The Board 10
4. Information Rights 13
5. Matters Requiring Consent 15
6. Business Undertakings 17
7. Sale, IPO or Holding Company Reorganisation 17
8. Compliance with Drag Rights 20
9. Shares held by The Manager and other Individuals 20
10. Further Issue and Transfer of Shares 21
11. Manager’s Covenants 21
12. Confidentiality 23
13. Announcements 25
14. Costs and Expenses 25
15. Survival and Cessation of Obligations of the Manager 26
16. Effect of Ceasing to Hold Shares 26
17. Cumulative Remedies 26
18. Waiver 26
19. Entire Agreement 26
20. Variation and Termination 27
21. No Partnership 27
22. ASSIGNMENT and Transfer 27
23. Rights of Third Parties 28
24. Conflict between Agreements 28
25. Counterparts; no originals 28
26. Notices 28
27. Severance 29
28. Governing Law 29
29. Jurisdiction 29
30. Representation 29
31. Confirmation by the Manager to the Investors 30
Schedule 1 30
PARTICULARS OF THE Subscribers, the NON INVESTING SHAREHOLDERS AND THE MANAGER    

 

 

 

 

Schedule 2 35
  reserved matters  
Schedule 3 39
undertakings  
Schedule 4 40
DEED OF ADHERENCE    
Schedule 5 42
PFIC, CFC AND OTHER U.S. TAX MATTERS    

 

 

 

 

This Agreement is delivered on 10 August 2021 at 13:10 pm

 

PARTIES

 

(1) THE SUBSCRIBERS, whose names and addresses are set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 (together the “Subscribers” and each a “Subscriber”);

 

(2) THE PERSONS, whose names and addresses are set out in Part 2 of Schedule 1 (together the “Non Investing Shareholders” and each a “Non Investing Shareholder”);

 

(3) THE PERSON, whose name and address is set out in Part 3 of Schedule 1 (the “Manager”); and

 

(4) EXSCIENTIA HOLDINGS LIMITED a company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales (registered number 13483814) and having its principal place of business at The Schrodinger Building, Heatley Road, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE (the “Company”).

 

RECITALS

 

(A) The Company is a company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales under company number 13483814.

 

(B) The parties wish to regulate their conduct and the relationships between them in respect of the Company on the terms set out in this Agreement.

 

AGREED TERMS

 

1. Definitions and Interpretation

 

In this Agreement, except where a different interpretation is necessary in the context, the words and expressions set out below shall have the following meanings:

 

Act” means the Companies Act 2006;

 

Adequate Procedures” means adequate procedures, as referred to in section 7(2) of the Bribery Act 2010 and any guidance issued by the Secretary of State under section 9 of the Bribery Act 2010 or as referred to in any other applicable anti-corruption laws or regulations of any other jurisdiction;

 

Affiliate” means:

 

(i) save as it applies to SoftBank, the Fund and Mubadala, with respect to a specified undertaking, any other undertaking that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by, or is under common Control with, the specified undertaking, except that notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiary Undertakings shall be Affiliates of any Shareholder; and

 

(ii) as it applies to SoftBank, SoftBank Vision Fund II-2, L.P. and its Controlled subsidiaries;

 

(iii) as it applies to Mubadala, Mubadala Investment Company PJSC and its Controlled subsidiaries; and

 

(iv) as it applies to the Fund, MDC Capital Management (RS) Limited and its Controlled subsidiaries;

 

3

 

 

Approved Activities” means in respect of Professor Andrew Hopkins carrying out his normal academic duties or ancillary matters under the terms of his appointment with the Universities of Dundee and Oxford (respectively) whether in collaboration with or with the involvement of third parties or otherwise provided that:

 

(i) any such third parties do not, with respect to the project being undertaken at the academic institution, compete with any part or the whole of the business of the Company and the output of such activities is not intended for use by any person or entity other than the Company in any commercial application which is competitive with any part or the whole of the business of the Company; and

 

(ii) such activities do not involve the use of any Intellectual Property or confidential information owned by or licensed to the Company;

 

Associated Person” means in relation to any person, a person (including an employee, agent or Subsidiary Undertaking) who performs services for or on that person’s behalf;

 

BLK” means each of BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc., BlackRock Global Funds -- Global Allocation Fund, BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund of BlackRock Variable Series Funds, Inc., BlackRock Global Allocation Portfolio of BlackRock Series Fund, Inc., BlackRock Global Allocation Fund (Australia), BlackRock Global Allocation Collective Fund, BlackRock Global Funds – Global Dynamic Equity Fund, BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust and BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio of BlackRock Funds V (and for the avoidance of doubt, any Relevant Securities held by BLK and any of its Affiliates and Permitted Transferees from time to time shall be deemed for the purpose of this Agreement and the New Articles to be held by BLK as a single shareholder);

 

Board” means the board of directors of the Company as constituted from time to time;

 

Board Approval” means a decision of the Board taken in accordance with the New Articles;

 

Budget” means the annual budget for each Financial Year (including a detailed annual budget, proposed investments, operational and staffing plan and income and cash flow statements and projections by comparison to the operating budget set out in the then current Business Plan, in each case on a monthly basis);

 

Business” means the design and development of small molecule therapeutics primarily by means of artificial intelligence and machine learning and the provision of such services to others as more fully described in the Business Plan;

 

Business Day” has the meaning given to the term in the New Articles;

 

Business Plan” means the business plan for the Company as updated from time to time;

 

CFC” has the meaning given in paragraph 3 of Schedule 5;

 

Control” means, in relation to an undertaking: (i) beneficial ownership of at least 50% of the voting securities or other comparable equity interests of such undertaking; or (ii) the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct the management and policies of such undertaking, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, declaration of trust or otherwise, and the term “Controlled” shall have a meaning correlative to the foregoing;

 

CTA 2010” means the Corporation Tax Act 2010;

 

Deed of Adherence” means a deed of adherence substantially in the form set out in Schedule 4;

 

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Delayed Consideration” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

Drag Rights” has the meaning given in clause 8.1;

 

Employee” shall have the meaning given to the term in the New Articles;

 

Encumbrance” means any mortgage, charge (fixed or floating), standard security interest, lien, pledge, assignation by way of security, equity, claim, right of pre-emption, option, covenant, restriction, reservation, lease, trust, order, decree, judgment, title defect (including retention of title claim), conflicting claim of ownership or any other encumbrance of any nature whatsoever (whether or not perfected);

 

Equity Facility” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

Evotec Director” means the director appointed by Evotec pursuant to clause 3.8 and Article 50.1.1 of the New Articles;

 

Financial Year” means a financial year as determined in accordance with section 390 of the Act;

 

Fund” means MIC Capital Partners (Ventures) Europe Parallel (Luxembourg) Aggregator, SCSp;

 

Group” means the Company and any Subsidiary Undertaking of the Company from time to time and “Group Company” shall be construed accordingly;

 

GT” means GT Healthcare Partners Fund III, L.P. and GT Nextgen Therapies Fund IV, L.P of 22 Pottinger Street, Central, Hong Kong;

 

HMRC” means HM Revenue & Customs;

 

Holding Company” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

Holding Company Reorganisation” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

Intellectual Property” means copyrights, trade and service marks, including the trade marks, trade names, business names, rights in logos and get-up, inventions, confidential information, trade secrets and know-how, registered designs, design rights, patents, utility models, semi-conductor topographies, all rights of whatsoever nature in computer software and data, domain names, all rights of privacy and all intangible rights and privileges of a nature similar or allied to any of the foregoing, in every case in any part of the world and whether or not registered; and including all granted registrations and all applications for registration in respect of any of the same and the right to apply for any of the same, and renewals and extensions of any of the same, and the right of use in respect of any of the same;

 

Investor Director Consent” means the consent of at least two of the Investor Directors;

 

Investor Directors” means each of: (a) the Evotec Director; (b) the Series B Director; (c) the Novo Director; and (d) the SoftBank Director;

 

Investor Majority” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

Investor Majority Consent” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

Investors” means each of the Subscribers, Evotec, Frontier IP Limited and any other person to whom any of them transfers their Series A Preference Shares, Series B Preference Shares, Series C Preference Shares, Series C1 Preference Shares, Series D Preference Shares or who subscribes for Series D Preference Shares and who becomes a party as an “Investor” by signing a Deed of Adherence and is named therein as an “Investor”;

 

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IPO” means the admission of all or any of the Shares or securities representing those shares (including without limitation depositary interests, American depositary receipts, American depositary shares and/or other instruments) on NASDAQ or on the Official List of the United Kingdom Listing Authority or on the AIM Market operated by the London Stock Exchange Plc or on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited or any other recognised investment exchange (as defined in section 285 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000);

 

IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service;

 

ITEPA” means the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003;

 

Junior Series C Preference Shares” means the junior series C preference shares of £2.00 each in the capital of the Company from time to time having the rights set out in the New Articles;

 

Key Employee” means any Employee of the Company who has the word “Director”, “Head” or “Chief” in their job title;

 

a Member of the same Fund Group” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

a Member of the same Group” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

Mubadala” means MIC Capital Management 83 RSC Ltd;

 

NASDAQ” means the NASDAQ Stock Market of the NASDAQ OMX Group Inc.;

 

New Articles” means the new articles of association of the Company in the agreed form to be adopted on around the date of this Agreement as amended or superseded from time to time;

 

Novo Director” means the director appointed by Novo pursuant to clause 3.9 and Article 50.1.2 of the New Articles;

 

Observers” means: (i) the observer appointed by Evotec pursuant to clause 3.14; (ii) the observer appointed by GT in accordance with clause 3.15; (iii) the observer appointed by Novo in accordance with clause 3.16; (iv) the observer appointed by BLK in accordance with clause 3.17; and (v) the observer appointed by SoftBank in accordance with clause 3.18 from time to time (and “Observer” shall mean any one of them);

 

Ordinary A Directors” means all of the directors (up to four) that have been appointed by an Ordinary A Majority pursuant to clause 3.6 and Article 50.2 of the New Articles (and “Ordinary A Director” shall mean any one of them);

 

Ordinary A Majority” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

Ordinary Shares” means the ordinary class A shares of £2.00 each (“Ordinary Class A Shares”) and ordinary class B shares of £2.00 each (“Ordinary Class B Shares”) in the capital of the Company from time to time each having the rights set out in the New Articles;

 

Period” means the period of two years immediately preceding the Termination Date;

 

Permitted Transferee” shall have the meaning given in the New Articles;

 

PFIC” has the meaning given in paragraph 1 of Schedule 5;

 

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QEF” has the meaning given in paragraph 2 of Schedule 5;

 

Quarter Date” means in any year each of 31st March, 30th June, 30th September and 31st December;

 

Relevant Securities” means, in respect of the Company, any Share or other security in the capital of the Company from time to time, or any other security, agreement or instrument which contains or otherwise provides for any right to subscribe or exchange for, convert into or otherwise call for any issue of any Shares or other securities in the capital of the Company from time to time;

 

Sale” means a Share Sale or an Asset Sale, both as defined in the New Articles;

 

Series A Preference Shares” means the series A preference shares of £2.00 each in the capital of the Company from time to time having the rights set out in the New Articles;

 

Series B Director” means the director that has been appointed by a Series B Investor Majority (subject to approval by the Board) pursuant to clause 3.7 and Article 50.1.3 of the New Articles;

 

Series B Investor Majority” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

Series B Preference Shares” means the series B preference shares of £2.00 each in the capital of the Company from time to time having the rights set out in the New Articles;

 

Series C Preference Shares” means the series C preference shares of £2.00 each in the capital of the Company from time to time having the rights set out in the New Articles;

 

Series C1 Preference Shares” means the series C1 preference shares of £2.00 each in the capital of the Company from time to time having the rights set out in the New Articles;

 

Series D Preference Shares” means the Series D1 Preference Shares, the Series D2 Preference Shares and the Series D3 Preference Shares;

 

Series D1 Preference Shares” means the series D1 preference shares of £2.00 each in the capital of the Company from time to time having the rights set out in the New Articles;

 

Series D2 Preference Shares” means the series D2 preference shares of £2.00 each in the capital of the Company from time to time having the rights set out in the New Articles;

 

Series D3 Preference Shares” means the series D3 preference shares of £2.00 each in the capital of the Company from time to time having the rights set out in the New Articles;

 

Share Option Plan” means:

 

(a) the existing EMI share option plan of the Company;

 

(b) the existing unapproved share option plan of the Company;

 

(c) the existing CSOP share option plan of the Company; and

 

(d) any other share option plan(s) and/or share incentive plans adopted by the Company and/or share option agreement(s) entered into by the Company (in each case the terms of which have been approved by the Board with the consent of at least one Investor Director),

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in each case as amended by the Company, with approval of the Board including the consent of at least one Investor Director;

 

Share Option Pool” means the maximum pool of Ordinary Shares which are reserved for issue or grant pursuant to any Share Option Plan, such number being 40,587 as at the date of this Agreement, comprising:

 

(a) 37,606 options over Ordinary Shares that have been allocated as at the date of this Agreement; and

 

(b) 2,981 Ordinary Shares that remain unallocated as at the date of this Agreement;

 

Share Sale” has the meaning given in the New Articles;

 

Shareholder” means any shareholder of the Company from time to time who is a party to this Agreement (but excludes the Company holding Shares as Treasury Shares from time to time);

 

Shares” means the Ordinary Class A Shares, the Ordinary Class B Shares, the Series A Preference Shares, the Series B Preference Shares, the Junior Series C Preference Shares, the Series C Preference Shares, the Series C1 Preference Shares and the Series D Preference Shares and any other class of shares in the capital of the Company from time to time;

 

SoftBank” means SVF II Excel (DE) LLC;

 

SoftBank Director” means the director that has been appointed by SoftBank (subject to approval by the Board) pursuant to clause 3.10 and Article 50.1.4 of the New Articles;

 

Subsidiary Undertaking” has the meaning set out in section 1162 of the Act;

 

“Tax” or “Taxation” means all forms of direct and indirect taxation, duties, rates, levies, contributions, withholdings, deductions, liabilities to account, charges and imposts whether imposed in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in the world and shall include all costs, fees, interest, fines, surcharges, assessments, penalties, charges and expenses in addition to Tax resulting from, attributable or incidental to, or in relation to any proceedings, queries, contest or dispute with a Taxing Authority;

 

Taxing Authority” means HMRC and any other governmental, state, federal, provincial, local governmental or municipal authority, body or official whether of the United Kingdom or elsewhere in the world, which is competent to impose or collect Taxation;

 

Termination Date” has the same meaning as set out in the New Articles;

 

Treasury Shares” means shares in the capital of the Company held by the Company as treasury shares within the meaning set out in section 724(5) of the Act;

 

VAT” means value added tax chargeable under the VATA or under any legislation replacing it or under any legislation which the VATA replaced and further means value added tax at the rate in force when the relevant supply is made and any tax of a similar nature which is introduced in substitution for such value added tax; and

 

VATA” means the Value Added Tax Act 1994.

 

1.1 The clause, Schedule and paragraph headings and the table of contents used in this Agreement are inserted for ease of reference only and shall not affect construction.

 

1.2 The Schedules form part of this Agreement and shall have effect as if set out in full in the body of this Agreement. Any reference to this Agreement includes the Schedules.

 

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1.3 References to a SoftBank Director, an Evotec Director, a Novo Director, a Series B Director, an Ordinary A Director or an Observer shall include any alternate appointed to act in his place from time to time.

 

1.4 References to persons shall include bodies corporate, unincorporated associations and partnerships, in each case whether or not having a separate legal personality.

 

1.5 Reference to a party or parties is to a party or parties of the agreement.

 

1.6 References to documents “in the agreed form” are to documents in terms agreed on behalf of the Company and the Subscribers and initialled on behalf of each such party or exchanged by way of email by their solicitors as being in agreed form for the purposes of identification only.

 

1.7 References to any English statute or other legislation or legal term for any action, remedy, method of judicial proceeding, legal document, legal status, court, official or any legal concept or thing shall, in respect of any jurisdiction other than England and Wales, be deemed to include a reference to that which most nearly approximates to the English legal term in that jurisdiction.

 

1.8 References to those of the parties that are individuals include their respective legal personal representatives.

 

1.9 References to “writing” or “written” include any non-transitory form of visible reproduction of words.

 

1.10 References to the word “include” or “including” (or any similar term) are not to be construed as implying any limitation and general words introduced by the word “other” (or any similar term) shall not be given a restrictive meaning by reason of the fact that they are preceded or followed by words indicating a particular class of acts, matters or things.

 

1.11 Reference to “issued Shares” of any class or Shares of any class “in issue” shall exclude any Shares of that class held as Treasury Shares from time to time, unless stated otherwise.

 

1.12 Reference to the “holders” of a class of Shares shall exclude the Company holding Shares of that class as Treasury Shares from time to time, unless stated otherwise.

 

1.13 References to “USD”, “$” or “US$” are references to the lawful currency from time to time of the United States of America.

 

1.14 Except where the context specifically requires otherwise, words importing one gender shall be treated as importing any gender, words importing individuals shall be treated as importing corporations and vice versa, words importing the singular shall be treated as importing the plural and vice versa, and words importing the whole shall be treated as including a reference to any part thereof.

 

1.15 References to statutory provisions or enactments shall include references to any amendment, modification, extension, consolidation, replacement or re-enactment of any such provision or enactment (whether before or after the date of this Agreement), to any previous enactment which has been replaced or amended and to any regulation, instrument or order or other subordinate legislation made under such provision or enactment unless any such change imposes upon any party any liabilities or obligations which are more onerous than as at the date of this Agreement.

 

1.16 Section 1122 of the CTA 2010 shall apply to determine whether one person is connected with another for the purposes of this Agreement.

 

1.17 In respect of any actions or matters requiring or seeking the acceptance, approval, agreement, consent or words having similar effect of (a) a SoftBank Director, (b) an Evotec Director, (b) a Novo Director, or (d) a Series B Director under this Agreement, if at any time a SoftBank Director, an Evotec Director, Novo Director or Series B Director (as applicable) has not been appointed or a SoftBank Director, an Evotec Director, Novo Director or Series B Director (as applicable) declares in writing to the Company and the Investors that he considers that providing such consent gives rise or may give rise to a conflict of interest to his duties as a director, such action or matter shall require written consent from SoftBank (in the case of the SoftBank Director), Evotec (in the case of an Evotec Director), Novo (in the case of a Novo Director) or a Series B Investor Majority (in the case of a Series B Director).

 

9

 

 

 

1.18 References to BLK shall be deemed to refer to each entity referred to in the definition of BLK collectively, but for the avoidance of doubt: (i) the obligations of each such entity under this Agreement shall be several, and not joint and several; and (ii) any Relevant Securities held by such entities and any of their Affiliates and Permitted Transferees from time to time shall be deemed for the purpose of this Agreement (including determining whether BLK holds the relevant threshold interest for the purposes of certain rights under this Agreement) to be held by BLK as a single shareholder.

 

2. SHARE OPTION PLAN

 

The Share Option Pool shall comprise 40,587 Ordinary Shares. Any options granted by the Company in accordance with a Share Option Plan pursuant to this clause 2 or otherwise in relation to the Share Option Pool shall be granted to directors, employees and consultants of the Company or any Group Company in such number, on such terms and on such occasions as may be decided by the Board with the consent of at least one Investor Director.

 

3. The Board

 

3.1 Board meetings will be held at intervals of not more than three months and at least four Board meetings will be held in each calendar year. The Investor Directors may require, in aggregate, up to eight Board meetings (or such number as is reasonably necessary) to be held in each calendar year.

 

3.2 The Company shall send to all the directors and any Observer who may be appointed (in electronic form if so required):

 

3.2.1 reasonable advance notice of each meeting of the Board (being not fewer than five Business Days) and each committee of the Board, such notice to be accompanied by:

 

3.2.1.1 a written agenda specifying the business to be discussed at such meeting together with all relevant papers; and

 

3.2.1.2 such customary financial and operational information concerning the Company and its business as the Board may agree from time to time;

 

3.2.2 as soon as practicable after each meeting of the Board (or committee of the Board) a copy of the minutes; and

 

3.2.3 customary financial and operational information concerning the Company and its business at least five Business Days before each general meeting.

 

3.3 Save with Investor Director Consent, no business shall be transacted at any meeting of the Board (or committee of the Board) save for that specified in the agenda referred to in clause 3.2.

 

3.4 The quorum for Directors’ meetings shall be four directors and must include the attendance of at least two Investor Directors and two Ordinary A Directors. The quorum for any committee of the Board shall be determined by the Board (with Investor Director Consent). If such a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, or if during a meeting such quorum ceases to be present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place or at such time and place as determined by the Directors present at such meeting and notified to each Director (including, without limitation, each Investor Director). If a quorum is not present at any such adjourned meeting within half an hour from the time appointed, then the meeting shall proceed.

 

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3.5 Subject to a maximum aggregate amount of £50,000 per calendar year for all Directors, the Company will upon presentation of invoices in reasonable detail, reimburse those directors and any Observer appointed by an Investor with their reasonable out of pocket expenses (in accordance with the Company’s travel policy) incurred by them in respect of attending meetings of the Board and any committee of the Board, and with respect to other meetings or events attended by such person for and on behalf of the Company. Any individual expense in excess of £1,500 will require the prior written approval of the Board.

 

3.6 The holders of shares equal to at least an Ordinary A Majority shall have the right to appoint and maintain in office up to four natural persons as directors, and to remove from office any person(s) so appointed and to appoint another person(s) in his/their place, pursuant to Article 50.2 of the New Articles.

 

3.7 The holders of shares equal to at least a Series B Investor Majority shall have the right to appoint and maintain in office one natural person (who has been approved by way of Board Approval) as a director, and to remove from office any person so appointed and to appoint another person in his place, pursuant to Article 50.1.3 of the New Articles.

 

3.8 For so long as Evotec together with its Permitted Transferees holds Shares equivalent to at least 10% of the total issued share capital of the Company, Evotec shall be entitled to appoint one person to act as a director, and to remove from office any person so appointed and to appoint another person in his place, pursuant to Article 50.1.1 of the New Articles. In the event that Evotec together with its Permitted Transferees hold Shares that are not equivalent to at least 10% of the total issued share capital of the Company, Evotec shall procure that the person it has appointed to act as a director (if any) shall resign immediately.

 

3.9 For so long as Novo together with its Permitted Transferees holds Shares equivalent to at least 10% of the total issued share capital of the Company, Novo shall be entitled to appoint one person to act as a director, and to remove from office any person so appointed and to appoint another person in his place, pursuant to Article 50.1.2 of the New Articles. In the event that Novo together with its Permitted Transferees hold Shares that are not equivalent to at least 10% of the total issued share capital of the Company, Novo shall procure that the person it has appointed to act as a director (if any) shall resign immediately.

 

3.10 For so long as SoftBank together with its Permitted Transferees holds Shares equivalent to at least 10% of the total issued share capital of the Company, SoftBank shall be entitled to appoint one person to act as a director, and to remove from office any person so appointed and to appoint another person in his place, pursuant to Article 50.1.2 of the New Articles. In the event that SoftBank together with its Permitted Transferees hold Shares that are not equivalent to at least 10% of the total issued share capital of the Company, SoftBank shall procure that the person it has appointed to act as a director (if any) shall resign immediately.

 

3.11 The parties agree that the Investor Directors shall be under no obligation to disclose any information or opportunities to the Company except to the extent that the information or opportunity was passed to him expressly solely in his capacity as a director of the Company.

 

3.12 Each of SoftBank, Evotec and Novo shall procure that the SoftBank Director, Evotec Director or Novo Director (as applicable) appointed by it shall comply with clause 12, save that such SoftBank Director, Evotec Director or Novo Director (as applicable) shall be at liberty from time to time to disclose any information to SoftBank, Evotec or Novo (as applicable) itself, it being understood that SoftBank, Evotec and Novo shall be bound by the provisions of clause 12 with respect to any such information disclosed by the SoftBank Director, Evotec Director or Novo Director (as applicable).

 

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3.13 Each of the Investor Directors shall be entitled at his request to be appointed to any committee of the Board established from time to time.

 

3.14 For so long as Evotec together with its Permitted Transferees holds Shares equivalent to at least 5% but less than 10% of the total issued share capital of the Company, Evotec shall be entitled to appoint one person to act as an observer who may attend and speak at Board meetings and meetings of Board committees but not vote, and to remove from office any person so appointed and to appoint another person in his place. The observer shall have the right to receive notice of all such meetings and all information and documents provided to the Board members, and shall in general have all of the same information rights as Board members. In the event that Evotec together with its Permitted Transferees hold Shares that are not equivalent to at least 5% or exceed 10% of the total issued share capital of the Company, Evotec shall procure that the person it has appointed to act as an Observer (if any) shall resign immediately.

 

3.15 For so long as GT together with its Permitted Transferees holds Shares equivalent to more than 5% of the total issued share capital of the Company, GT shall be entitled to appoint one person to act as an observer who may attend and speak at Board meetings and meetings of Board committees but not vote, and to remove from office any person so appointed and to appoint another person in his place. The observer shall have the right to receive notice of all such meetings and all information and documents provided to the Board members, and shall in general have all of the same information rights as Board members. In the event that GT together with its Permitted Transferees hold Shares that are not equivalent to more than 5% of the total issued share capital of the Company, GT shall procure that the person it has appointed to act as an Observer (if any) shall resign immediately.

 

3.16 In addition to the Novo Director, for so long as Novo together with its Permitted Transferees holds Shares equivalent to more than 5% of the total issued share capital of the Company, Novo shall be entitled to appoint one person to act as an observer who may attend and speak at Board meetings and meetings of Board committees but not vote, and to remove from office any person so appointed and to appoint another person in his place. The observer shall have the right to receive notice of all such meetings and all information and documents provided to the Board members, and shall in general have all of the same information rights as Board members. In the event that Novo together with its Permitted Transferees hold Shares that are not equivalent to more than 5% of the total issued share capital of the Company, Novo shall procure that the person it has appointed to act as an Observer (if any) shall resign immediately. For the avoidance of doubt, the right of Novo to appoint an observer is in addition to its right to appoint a Novo Director.

 

3.17 For so long as BLK together with its Permitted Transferees holds Shares equivalent to 5% or more of the issued share capital of the Company, BLK shall be entitled to appoint one person to act as an observer who may attend and speak at Board meetings and meetings of Board committees but not vote, and to remove from office any person so appointed and to appoint another person in his place. The observer shall have the right to receive notice of all such meetings and all information and documents provided to the Board members, and shall in general have all of the same information rights as Board members. In the event that BLK ceases to be entitled to appoint an observer pursuant to this clause, BLK shall procure that the person it has appointed to act as an Observer (if any) shall resign immediately.

 

3.18 For so long as SoftBank together with its Permitted Transferees holds Shares equivalent to 5% or more of the issued share capital of the Company, SoftBank shall be entitled to appoint one person to act as an observer who may attend and speak at Board meetings and meetings of Board committees but not vote, and to remove from office any person so appointed and to appoint another person in his place. The observer shall have the right to receive notice of all such meetings and all information and documents provided to the Board members, and shall in general have all of the same information rights as Board members. In the event that SoftBank ceases to be entitled to appoint an observer pursuant to this clause, SoftBank shall procure that the person it has appointed to act as an Observer (if any) shall resign immediately

 

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3.19 Each of Evotec, GT, Novo, BLK and SoftBank shall procure that any Observer appointed by it pursuant to clauses 3.14 to 3.18 above (as applicable) shall comply with clause 12, save that such Observer: (i) shall not be bound by the provisions of clause 12 with respect to any such information disclosed by the Observer to the Board; and (ii) shall be at liberty from time to time to disclose any information to Evotec, Novo, GT, BLK or SoftBank (as applicable) itself, it being understood that Evotec, Novo, GT, BLK and SoftBank shall be bound by the provisions of clause 12 with respect to any such information disclosed by the Observer.

 

3.20 The parties agree that each Observer shall be under no obligation to disclose any information or opportunities to the Company except to the extent that the information or opportunity was passed to him expressly solely in his capacity as an Observer to the Board.

 

4. Information Rights

 

4.1 The Company shall keep the Investors reasonably informed in a timely manner of all material developments concerning the Business, affairs and prospects of the Company, including but not limited to all fundraisings, significant commercial partnerships, regulatory developments, litigation, any material developments or offers which might lead to any Sale or IPO.

 

4.2 The Company further undertakes to each Investor that it shall deliver to each Investor within ninety (90) days (or 180 days, if such extension is approved by the Board) of the end of the relevant Financial Year, (a) audited annual financial statements (including balance sheet, statement of earnings, shareholders’ equity and cash flow statements for the applicable periods) of the Company in respect of such Financial Year prepared in accordance with IFRS by independent public accountants of national standing, and (b) a consolidated management report in respect of such Financial Year (including details of the progress of the Company and its business, the material developments in its research and development projects, and its expenditure throughout the course of such Financial Year). To the extent such audited annual financial statements and report are not available within 45 days of the end of the relevant Financial Year, the latest unaudited version of such annual financial statements that are consistent with IFRS shall be provided to each Investor within 45 days of the end of the relevant Financial Year (without prejudice to the obligation to provide such audited annual financial statements within the 90 day (or 180 day, if applicable) period which shall still apply).

 

4.3 The Company undertakes to each Investor (for as long as such Investor holds any Shares) that the Company shall deliver to each Investor:

 

4.3.1 within five (5) Business Days of each Quarter Date:

 

4.3.1.1 a summary management report providing summary details of the progress of the Company and its business, including a report on material developments in its research and development projects, and details of the Company’s expenditure throughout the course of the relevant period;

 

4.3.1.2 unaudited quarterly management accounts of the Company (for such quarter and the year-to-date), including income statement, cash position and cash burn and cash flow statements and projections by comparison to the operating budget set out in the then current Business Plan and Budget. Such quarterly management accounts shall be prepared by the Company with reasonable skill and care and, save as noted in such accounts, on a basis reasonably consistent with IFRS, except that such quarterly management accounts do not need to have notes attached and shall be subject to year-end audit adjustments; and

 

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4.3.1.3 a statement showing:

 

(i) the number of shares in each class and series of Shares in sufficient detail to allow each Investor to calculate its respective percentage ownership in the Company; and

 

(ii) the allocation of the Share Option Pool;

 

4.3.2 no later than thirty (30) days (but no earlier than ninety (90) days) prior to the commencement of each Financial Year, an updated draft Business Plan and a draft Budget for the next Financial Year; and

 

4.3.3 within forty-five (45) days of each Quarter Date, unaudited quarterly financial statements of the Company, which shall include a balance sheet, income statement and equity statement.

 

4.4 Upon being given at least five (5) Business Days’ notice in writing, the Company shall permit an Investor to enter the Company’s premises and to make reasonable inspection of its books and records and to have reasonable access to the Employees and the Company’s advisers and accountants for the purposes of ascertaining the accurateness of any information provided to that Investor, the Evotec Director, the Novo Director, the SoftBank Director or the Observers.

 

4.5 If the Company fails to comply with any of its obligations to provide information to an Investor, the Evotec Director, the Novo Director, the SoftBank Director or the Observers pursuant to the provisions of this clause 4, then the Investor affected will be entitled to instruct a firm of accountants to prepare the relevant information and provide it to the Investors, the Evotec Director, the Novo Director, the SoftBank Director and the Observers. The Company will permit reasonable access to its books and records and its premises for this purpose. The reasonable costs of any such appointment (plus any VAT) will be paid by the Company.

 

4.6 The Company undertakes to each Shareholder that the Company shall deliver to each Shareholder within five (5) days after each calendar quarter quarterly profit and loss accounts and balance sheets in respect of such calendar quarter prepared in accordance with IFRS, and shall within 60 days of the end of each Financial Year provide each Shareholder with an overview of the Company’s progress over that year and meet with such Shareholders as may so request to answer any questions they may have on the report.

 

4.7 The Company undertakes to each Investor that the Company shall provide to the Investors all further documents and information reasonably required by any Investor to fulfil its regulatory requirements (or those of any Member of the same Group or Member of the same Fund Group) or requirements pursuant to the rules of any securities exchange on which securities of such Investor (or any Member of the same Group or Member of the same Fund Group) are listed or traded.

 

4.8 The Company undertakes to the Investors that the Company shall provide to the Investors all further documents and information reasonably requested by the Investors in order to comply with regulatory, accounting or tax requirements and either to provide such information or provide a valid reason why such documents or information cannot be provided.

 

4.9 Subject to clause 4.10, but notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement:

 

4.9.1 the Company shall be entitled to not provide or redact or restrict any report, accounts, information, document or thing to be provided under this clause 4 or clause 3 to any Investor (or any Investor Director or Observer) (save for any information, document or thing provided to any Investor or Investor Director pursuant to clauses 4.1 (excluding any information, document or thing in relation to any significant commercial partnerships and/or regulatory developments of the Company) 4.2, 4.3.1.1, 4.6 and 4.8 (inclusive)) to the extent that the Board determines in its reasonable discretion acting in good faith that the provision of such information or other thing to that Investor (or any Investor Director or Observer) would or may conflict with the interests of the Company in respect of any business of a Group Company carried on from time to time with any business invested in or acquired or developed by that Investor or any of its Affiliates directly or indirectly and any Investor Director and/or Observer appointed by such Investor shall not, save as required to enable him to comply with his legal duties as a director, have the right to receive such information by virtue of his position as a director of the Company or any Group Company or observer; and

 

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4.9.2 in the event of a prospective Sale that is in a bona fide competitive sales process with multiple bidders and in which an Investor participates either in its own name or that of an Affiliate, such Investor shall not have the right to receive any financial or other information in connection with such sales process by virtue of its position as an Investor or as a shareholder in the Company and any Investor Director and/or observer appointed by such Investor shall not have the right to receive any financial or other information in connection with such sales process by virtue of his position as a director of the Company or any Group Company or observer,

 

and in any such circumstance described in clauses 4.9.1 and 4.9.2 above, the Board shall be entitled to request that the Investor Director and/or Observer appointed by the relevant Investor shall recuse himself or herself from the relevant part of such meeting of the Board or committee of the Board for such time as such matters are being discussed. For the purposes of this clause 4.9, the term “Affiliate” shall also include any company in respect of which that Investor or any of its Affiliates holds at least 10% of the issued share capital or a right to appoint a director to the board.

 

4.10 Prior to withholding, redacting or restricting any information from an Investor, Investor Director or Observer in accordance with clause 4.9 or requesting that an Investor Director and/or Observer recuse himself or herself from the relevant part of a meeting of the Board or committee of the Board, the Company shall (in good faith) discuss the circumstances with the relevant Investor, Investor Director or Observer and consult with such Investor, Investor Director or Observer (acting reasonably) to seek an alternative means of sharing such information to the extent reasonably practicable.

 

5. Matters Requiring Consent

 

5.1 Subject to clauses 5.3, 5.4, 5.5 5.6 and 5.7 each of the Shareholders shall exercise all voting rights and powers of control available to him in relation to the Company to procure that save with Board Approval (including Investor Director Consent), the Company shall not effect any of the matters listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 (except that only Board Approval and the consent of one Investor Director, rather than Investor Director Consent, shall be required in the circumstances expressly stated in paragraphs 13, 14, 20 and 21 of Part 1 of Schedule 2) and that, save with Investor Majority Consent, the Company shall not effect any of the matters referred to in Part 2 of Schedule 2.

 

5.2 Subject to clauses 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 and 5.7 and as a separate obligation that is severable from the obligations in clause 5.1, the Company agrees that, save with Board Approval (including the Investor Director Consent), it shall not effect any of the matters listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 (except that only Board Approval and the consent of one Investor Director, rather than Investor Director Consent, shall be required in the circumstances expressly stated in paragraphs 13, 14, 20 and 21 of Part 1 of Schedule 2) and that, save with Investor Majority Consent, it shall not effect any of the matters referred to in Part 2 of Schedule 2.

 

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5.3 Subject to clause 5.7, the restrictions in this clause 5 and Schedule 2 shall apply to the Company and each member of the Group and accordingly references in this clause and these Schedules to the Company shall be construed as a reference to each member of the Group from time to time.

 

 

5.4 Each of the Shareholders shall exercise all voting rights and powers of control available to him in relation to the Company to procure that save with the prior written consent of the Investor concerned, the Company shall not effect any alteration of the New Articles to the extent such alteration affects the specific rights or obligations of any Investor as a holder of Series A Preference Shares, Series B Preference Shares, Series C Preference Shares, Series C1 Preference Shares or Series D Preference Shares or with respect to the Evotec Director, the Novo Director, the SoftBank Director or any Observer.

 

5.5 Notwithstanding the matters referred to in Schedule 2, the Company undertakes to Celgene that it shall not use the name or logo of Celgene or any of its Affiliates without Celgene's prior written consent.

 

5.6 Notwithstanding the matters referred to in Schedule 2, the Company undertakes to each of the Subscribers that it shall not (and shall procure that each other member of the Group shall not), either directly or indirectly, release any announcement containing, or use in advertising, any reference to any such Subscriber or any of their respective Affiliates, as applicable (including any reference to any individual fund or account managed by a Subscriber or any of their respective Affiliates, as applicable), or use any trade name, trademark owned by a Subscriber or any of their respective Affiliates without the relevant Subscriber’s, prior written consent. This restriction does not affect any announcement or circular required by law or any regulatory body or the rules of any relevant stock exchange, provided that if it is the Company that is required by law or any regulatory body or the rules of any relevant stock exchange, to make an announcement, the Company shall in such announcement include only the minimum amount of information in relation to the Subscriber, as is required to comply with law or any regulatory body or the rules of any relevant stock exchange.

 

5.7 Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, including but not limited to clauses 5.1 - 5.3 (inclusive) and Schedule 2, neither Investor Director Consent nor Investor Majority Consent shall be required in connection with any matter undertaken by the Company pursuant to the Equity Facility, including (but not limited to) the allotment and issue of any Series D Preference Shares, and each Shareholder hereby (i) agrees to exercise all voting rights and powers of control available to him to give effect to the Equity Facility as may be requested by the Board from time to time; and (ii) waives any rights of pre-emption existing under the Act, the New Articles or otherwise with respect to the allotment and issue of Series D Preference Shares pursuant to the Equity Facility.

 

5.8 Each Investor Director, or such other person as an Investor may nominate (by giving notice in writing to the Company), shall be authorised to communicate in writing the consent of its appointing Investor to any of the matters referred to in Schedule 2.

 

5.9 Without prejudice to clause 5.7, an Investor may provide its consent to any of the matters referred to in Schedule 2 in the following ways:

 

5.9.1 a document signed (including by electronic means) by such Investor or by an authorised representative of such Investor; or

 

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5.9.2 an email from a designated authorized officer, specifying the title and authority of such officer, of such Investor expressly giving such consent on behalf of such Investor.

 

6. Business Undertakings

 

6.1 The Manager shall promote the best interests of the Company and ensure, so far as he is able, that the Business is conducted in accordance with the Business Plan and the Budget and with good business practice.

 

6.2 The Manager and the Company severally undertake to the Investors to procure, so far as it lies within their respective power to do so, that the Manager and each member of the Group will comply with the requirements set out in Schedule 3. References to the Company in Schedule 3 shall be construed as a reference to each member of the Group from time to time.

 

6.3 The Company will comply with the requirements set out in Schedule 5.

 

7. Sale, IPO or Holding Company Reorganisation

 

7.1 Each party acknowledges and agrees that upon a Sale or an IPO:

 

7.1.1 the Investors shall not be obliged to give warranties or indemnities except a warranty as to title to the shares held by such Investor;

 

7.1.2 each Investor’s liability shall be several and not on a joint basis with any other person and such liability shall not exceed the aggregate amount of consideration received or receivable by such Investor; and

 

7.1.3 the Investors shall not be obliged to give and shall not be bound by any covenants (including without limitation relating to non-competition and non-solicitation).

 

Sale

 

7.2 Any costs in relation to a Sale shall be borne by the Shareholders proportionately to the consideration payable (including any Delayed Consideration), whether in cash or otherwise, to each of them pursuant to the terms of the Sale.

 

IPO

 

7.3 Any underwriting costs and commissions in relation to an IPO shall be borne: (i) by the Company and the Shareholders who sell in such IPO (the "IPO Selling Shareholders") proportionately to their sale of Shares to be sold in such IPO; or (ii) if there are no IPO Selling Shareholders, wholly by the Company.

 

7.4 It is hereby agreed by the parties that, on an IPO, the Shareholders shall:

 

7.4.1 to the extent required by the applicable rules of the relevant exchange, retain such number of their Shares held at the time of the IPO for such period after the IPO as is required by the applicable rules of the relevant exchange; and

 

7.4.2 have regard to the recommendation of the Company’s underwriters or brokers on an IPO in determining their respective sale of shares upon the Company’s IPO and shall make such determination with a view to ensuring the success of the IPO.

 

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7.5 It is agreed that in the event of an initial public offering of the Company’s shares on a US stock exchange (including NASDAQ) the Investors shall be entitled to registration rights on terms to be agreed which shall include:

 

7.5.1 two demand registration rights commencing six months after the Company’s initial public offering;

 

7.5.2 unlimited shelf and piggy back registrations on all registrations by the Company for its own account; and

 

7.5.3 all expenses of a registration will be payable by the Company including the legal costs of one professional firm appointed to act on behalf of the Investors up to a maximum amount of US$60,000.

 

7.6 All Investors shall be entitled to participate in the registration rights referenced in clause 7.5 on a pro rata basis. The Company shall exercise all reasonable endeavours to procure that all of the registrable securities requested by the Investors are included in any registration referenced in clause 7.5. If, after consultation with the Investors and the underwriters that are appointed for the registration, the total number of registrable securities requested by the Investors to be included in the registration exceeds the number of registrable securities that can be included in the registration, then the number of securities that may be included in the registration shall be allocated to the Investors requesting inclusion of their registrable securities in such registration on a pro rata basis. For the purposes of this clause 7.6, “pro rata” basis shall be determined, in respect of an Investor, by the quotient of the number of registrable securities then outstanding in the Company held by such Investor (as the numerator) over the total number of registrable securities then outstanding in the Company held by all Investors participating in the registration (as the denominator).

 

7.7 In the event of an IPO that has been approved by the Board, the holder(s) of more than 55% of the Shares and an Investor Majority (an “Approved IPO”), each Shareholder shall take all steps necessary to implement such Approved IPO on such terms as are approved by the Board, the holder(s) of more than 55% of the Shares and an Investor Majority, including:

 

7.7.1 consenting to, voting for, raising no objections to and waiving any applicable rights as is necessary or desirable (in the opinion of the Board) to:

 

7.7.1.1 give effect to a Holding Company Reorganisation pursuant to clause 7.9; and

 

7.7.1.2 adopt new articles of association of the Company (or any Holding Company), in a form appropriate for a public listed company at the relevant time listed on the relevant investment exchange;

 

7.7.2 re-registering the Company as a public limited company (if applicable);

 

7.7.3 executing a new shareholders’ agreement relating to any new Holding Company that is in the same or substantially the same form as this Agreement;

 

7.7.4 consenting to a general meeting of the Company (or any new Holding Company) being held on short notice in accordance with section 307(4) of the Act and providing a proxy in favour of any Director to vote its Shares in favour of any resolution and/or class consent proposed at such general meeting in connection with an Approved IPO;

 

7.7.5 making all applications needed to a relevant investment exchange to apply for the listing or registration of any shares; and

 

7.7.6 executing (and or otherwise completing) any documents, resolutions, class consents, information requests, agreements, certificates, transfers or other contracts (including without limitation any share exchange agreements, due diligence questionnaires, disclosure schedules, underwriting agreements, share purchase agreements or other documents reasonably required by an underwriting to complete the Approved IPO) (the “IPO Agreements”).

 

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7.8 Each such Shareholder hereby irrevocably appoints any director of the Company to act as his duly authorised agent and attorney (“IPO Attorney”) to take such actions where a party fails to comply with the provisions of clause 7.7 within five Business Days of being requested by the Company to do so (“IPO Defaulting Party”). The IPO Attorney is (as security for the performance of the IPO Defaulting Party’s obligations) irrevocably appointed and authorised to be the true and lawful attorney for the IPO Defaulting Party and in its name and on its behalf to exercise in the absolute discretion of the IPO Attorney all voting rights attaching to the Shares. The power of attorney set out in this clause 7.8 is granted to secure the performance by the Shareholder of his obligations under clause 7.8 and shall be irrevocable.

 

Holding Company Reorganisation

 

7.9 In the event of a Holding Company Reorganisation approved by the Board, the holder(s) of more than 55% of the Shares and an Investor Majority (a “Proposed Reorganisation”), all Shareholders shall: (i) consent to, vote for, raise no objections to and waive any applicable rights in connection with the Proposed Reorganisation; and (ii) take all necessary actions to tender their Shares required to effect the Proposed Reorganisation (the “Reorganisation Actions”). The Shareholders shall be required to take all Reorganisation Actions with respect to the Proposed Reorganisation as are necessary and required by the Board with Investor Director Consent to facilitate the Proposed Reorganisation, provided that: (1) any such Holding Company Reorganisation shall not affect the legal or economic rights of any Shareholder in a manner which is disproportionate to the manner in which such Holding Company Reorganisation affects other Shareholders (having regard to their respective class and holdings of Shares), except where such Shareholder approves such Holding Company Reorganisation; and (2) nothing in this clause shall require any Shareholder to: (a) take any unlawful action or step; (b) incur any liabilities, obligations, including but not limited to taxes, levies, fines or other liabilities or obligations owed by any Shareholder to any Taxing Authority; or (c) contribute more costs as a consequence of the Reorganisation Actions, except, in each case, to the extent that such liabilities, obligations or costs (other than liabilities, obligations or costs owed to any Taxing Authority) are deemed by the Board (acting reasonably) with Investor Director Consent to be immaterial. Prior to the consummation of the Proposed Reorganisation or any of the Reorganisation Actions contemplated thereby, the Company shall provide each Investor with reasonable notice of the Proposed Reorganisation and use reasonable efforts to procure that each Investor is provided with a copy of a detailed steps-memo prepared by the Company’s accountants describing the Proposed Reorganisation, and the Company shall discuss and consider in good faith the Proposed Reorganisation with such Investors.

 

7.10 Each Shareholder hereby irrevocably appoints any director of the Company to act as his duly authorised agent and attorney (“Holdco Attorney”) to take such actions where a party fails to comply with the provisions of clause 7.9 within five Business Days of being requested by the Company to do so (“Holdco Defaulting Party”). The Holdco Attorney is (as security for the performance of the Holdco Defaulting Party’s obligations) irrevocably appointed and authorised to be the true and lawful attorney for the Holdco Defaulting Party and in its name and on its behalf to exercise in the absolute discretion of the Holdco Attorney all voting rights attaching to the Shares. The power of attorney set out in this clause 7.10 is granted to secure the performance by the Shareholder of his obligations under clause 7.9 and shall be irrevocable.

 

7.11 The obligations of each Shareholder pursuant to clauses 7.5 to 7.10 (inclusive) shall be absolute save that where the fulfilment of such obligation is not within the reasonable control of such Shareholder, the obligations of such Shareholder shall be to use its reasonable endeavours to fulfil the obligation.

 

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8. Compliance with Drag Rights

 

8.1 Each party acknowledges that the rights set out in Article 26 of the New Articles (as may be varied, supplemented, amended or replaced by similar compulsory transfer provisions from time to time) (the “Drag Rights”) may result in a transfer of Shares or other Relevant Securities held by it and agrees and approves the application of the Drag Rights in accordance with their terms.

 

8.2 Subject to clauses 7.9 and 7.10, each Shareholder hereby appoints any director of the Company to act as his duly authorised agent and attorney, to approve, agree and execute on behalf of, and in the name of, such Shareholder, any form(s) of acceptance, transfer form(s), share certificate(s) (or an indemnity in a form reasonably acceptable to the Board in respect of any lost share certificate(s)), any notice(s) of exercise or waiver of any right(s), and/or any other document(s), and as may be necessary or desirable (as determined by the Board) to give effect to the Drag Rights. The power of attorney set out in this clause 8.2 is granted to secure the performance by the Shareholder of his obligations under this clause 8 and the Drag Rights and shall be irrevocable.

 

9. Shares held by The Manager and other Individuals

 

9.1 Provision of information to HMRC

 

The Company agrees with all of the parties to this Agreement who are responsible persons for the purposes of section 421L of ITEPA that:

 

9.1.1 it is the most appropriate responsible person to obtain information in relation to any Shares acquired by the Manager prior to or at the date of this Agreement; and

 

9.1.2 the Company shall provide HMRC, within any relevant time limits, with the information required by section 421J of ITEPA on the occasion of any reportable event relating to such shares as defined by section 421K of ITEPA, so that the other parties to this Agreement who are responsible persons do not need to provide any information to HMRC.

 

9.2 ITEPA elections

 

Each of the parties to this Agreement who is an individual:

 

9.2.1 undertakes to inform the Company whenever a reportable event occurs in relation to their Shares and that they will provide the Company with the information required, to the extent that the Company does not have such information;

 

9.2.2 acknowledges that any Shares acquired before the date of this Agreement are received by the individual gross of tax; and

 

9.2.3 agrees that any tax arising in relation to any Shares acquired before the date of this Agreement however and whenever arising, shall be the sole responsibility of the individual concerned.

 

9.3 ITEPA indemnity

 

Each of the parties to this Agreement who is an individual undertakes fully and effectually to indemnify the Company, subject to clause 9.4, against any liability of the Company to account to HMRC or any other Taxing Authority for any amounts of, or representing, income tax or National Insurance contributions (including employer’s secondary Class 1 contributions to the extent permitted by law from time to time) which may arise as a result of the operation of Part 7 of ITEPA in relation to any Shares acquired by, held by or disposed of by him or any other person associated with him (within the meaning of section 421C of ITEPA) whether such acquisition, holding or disposal occurs at any time before, on or after the date of this Agreement.

 

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9.4 Secondary Class 1 National Insurance contributions

 

The provisions of clause 9.3 will not have effect in relation to Secondary Class 1 National Insurance contributions on any occasion if to do so would contravene the provisions of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 or of any regulations made under that act.

 

9.5 Future issues to individuals

 

If ITEPA would apply to an issue of Shares by the Company to an individual after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall not issue such Shares unless the individual has first entered into:

 

9.5.1 a valid joint election under section 431(1) of ITEPA, signed by the individual in question and the Company in respect of such Shares; and

 

9.5.2 a binding obligation in the terms of this clause 9 with the Company.

 

10. Further Issue and Transfer of Shares

 

10.1 Each Shareholder undertakes to each other Shareholder, that he/she or it shall not, and shall not agree to, transfer, mortgage, charge or otherwise dispose of the whole or any part of his/hers or its interest in, or grant any option or other rights over, any Shares to any person except: (i) where required or specifically permitted to do so pursuant to the New Articles or this Agreement; or (ii) with the consent of the Board with Investor Director Consent.

 

10.2 No Shareholder shall effect any transfer, mortgage, charge or other disposal of any interest in Shares nor shall the Company issue any Shares or equity securities (as defined in section 560 of the Act) or sell or transfer any Shares held as Treasury Shares, to any person who is not a party to this Agreement without first obtaining from the transferee or subscriber a Deed of Adherence save in respect of the grant or exercise of an option pursuant to the Share Option Plan unless otherwise approved by the Board with Investor Director Consent.

 

10.3 The Deed of Adherence shall be in favour of the Company, the Investors and any other parties to this Agreement and shall be delivered to the Company at its registered office. Subject to clauses 10.1 and 10.2, no share transfer or issue of shares shall be registered unless such Deed of Adherence has been delivered.

 

11. Manager’s Covenants

 

Restrictive covenants

 

11.1 For the purpose of assuring to the Investors the value of the Business and the full benefit of the goodwill of the business of the Company, the Manager hereby undertakes to and covenants with the Investors and the Company that (save for any interest in the shares or other securities of a company so long as such interest does not extend to more than two per cent of the issued share capital of the company or the class of securities concerned or save with Board consent) he shall not:

 

11.1.1 while he is an Employee (i) carry on or be concerned, engaged or interested directly or indirectly (in any capacity whatsoever) in any trade or business competing with the trade or business of the Company as carried on at the time or, in relation to any trade or business of the Company that he has been engaged or involved in, at any time during a period of two years immediately preceding that time or (ii) without the prior written consent of the Board with Investor Director Consent, carry out any academic research or projects other than the Approved Activities; or

 

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11.1.2 during the period of 18 months commencing on the Termination Date:

 

11.1.2.1 without the prior written consent of the Board with Investor Director Consent, carry on or be materially concerned, engaged or interested directly or indirectly in any capacity whatsoever and anywhere in the world in any trade or business competing with the Business or part(s) of the Business in which he has been engaged or involved in to a material extent at any time during the Period;

 

11.1.2.2 without the prior written consent of the Board with Investor Director Consent, carry out any academic research or projects other than the Approved Activities;

 

11.1.2.3 either on his own behalf or in any other capacity whatsoever directly or indirectly do or say anything which may lead to any person ceasing to do business with the Company on substantially the same terms as previously (or at all);

 

11.1.2.4 either on his own behalf or in any other capacity whatsoever directly or indirectly endeavour to entice away from the Company or solicit any person, firm or company who was a client, customer, supplier, agent or distributor of the Company during the Period with whom he shall have been engaged or involved by virtue of his duties during the Period in competition with or to the detriment of the Company or cause or endeavour to cause, such person, firm or company to materially adversely alter the terms on which they do business with the Company;

 

11.1.2.5 either on his own behalf or in any other capacity whatsoever directly or indirectly have any dealings with any person, firm or company who was a client, customer, supplier, agent or distributor of the Company during the Period with whom he shall have been engaged or involved by virtue of his duties during the Period in competition with or to the detriment of the Company; or

 

11.1.2.6 either on his own behalf or in any other capacity whatsoever directly or indirectly employ, engage or induce, or seek to induce, to leave the service of the Company any person who is or was a Key Employee with whom he shall have had dealings during the Period whether or not such person would commit any breach of his contract of employment by reason of so leaving the service of the Company or otherwise; or

 

11.1.3 at any time after the Termination Date represent himself as being in any way currently connected with or interested in the business of the Company (other than as a shareholder if that be the case).

 

11.2 Each of the restrictions contained in each paragraph of clause 11.1 is separate and distinct and is to be construed separately from the other such restrictions. The Manager hereby acknowledges that he considers such restrictions to be reasonable both individually and in the aggregate and that the duration, extent and application of each of such restrictions are no greater than is necessary for the protection of the goodwill of the businesses of the Company and that the consideration paid by the Investors in respect of their Shares takes into account and adequately compensates him for any restriction or restraint imposed thereby. However, if any such restriction shall be found to be void or unenforceable but would be valid or enforceable if some part or parts thereof were deleted or the period or area of application reduced, the Manager hereby agrees that such restriction shall apply with such modification as may be necessary to make it valid.

 

11.3 Any discovery, invention, secret process or improvement in procedure made or discovered by the Manager: (i) while in the service of any Group Company in connection with or in any way affecting or relating to the Company's business or capable of being used or adapted for use in or in connection with the Company's business; or (ii) following the Manager ceasing to be in the service of any Group Company, arising from the use by such Manager of the Company’s Confidential Information, shall as soon as reasonably practicable be disclosed to the Company and shall belong to and be the absolute property of the Group Company which the Company nominates for the purpose. For the avoidance of doubt, (i) nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as permitting the Manager that ceases to be in the service of any Group Company to use any of the Company's Confidential Information; and (ii) this agreement shall not operate as a transfer instrument and any transfer of Intellectual Property rights shall be effected under a separate agreement.

 

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11.4 The Manager (whether before or after his ceasing to be a Shareholder in the Company or his ceasing to be an employee or engaged as a consultant of any Group Company) shall, upon the request of, and at the expense of, the Company or its nominee apply or join in applying for patent or other similar protection in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland or any other part of the world for any such discovery, invention, process or improvement as referred to in clause 11.3 and shall execute all instruments and do all things necessary for vesting those letters patent or other similar protection when obtained and all right and title to and interest in them in the Company (or its nominee) absolutely and as sole beneficial owner.

 

11.5 The Manager shall have no claim against the Company or an Investor in respect of the termination of his contract of employment in relation to any provision in the New Articles, this Agreement or any other agreement or arrangement which has the effect of requiring the Manager to transfer, sell, convert, re-designate or otherwise dispose of the whole or any part of his interest in any shares or other securities in the capital of the Company at any price or into any other class of share (if applicable) or which causes any options or other rights granted to him to become prematurely exercisable or lapse.

 

12. Confidentiality

 

12.1 Subject to clause 12.2, each of the parties agrees to keep secret and confidential and not to use, disclose or divulge to any third party or to enable or cause any person to become aware of (except for the purposes of the Company’s business) any Confidential Information.

 

12.2 The Investors, and each Shareholder who is a director of the Company, shall be at liberty from time to time to make such disclosure:

 

12.2.1 to each Investor's partners, directors, officers or employees, professional advisers, auditors, lenders, investors, proposed lenders and proposed investors (and those of any Member of the same Fund Group or Member of the same Group as such Investor) that reasonably need to know the relevant Confidential Information;

 

12.2.2 to any lender to the Company and/or to any shareholder of the Company;

 

12.2.3 as may be required by law or by any regulatory authority to which the Investor (or any Member of the same Group or Member of the same Fund Group) is subject or by the rules of any securities exchange on which an Investor’s securities (or those of any Member of the same Group or Member of the same Fund Group) are listed or traded;

 

12.2.4 to the Accountants and/or any other professional advisers of the Company and/or to the Investor’s auditors and/or any other professional advisers of the Investor (or of any Member of the Same Fund Group or Member of the same Group as such Investor); and

 

12.2.5 to any person who is considering making an investment in the Company or purchasing Shares for the purposes of evaluating any such investment or purchase,

 

in relation to the business affairs and financial position of the Company as it may in its reasonable discretion think fit, provided that the recipient is subject to an obligation to keep the disclosure confidential on terms no less restrictive as are set out in this Agreement.

 

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12.3 For the purposes of this clause, “Confidential Information” means any information or know-how of a secret or confidential nature relating to the Company or of any Investor, including (without limitation):

 

12.3.1 any information regarding this Agreement and the investment by the Investor in the Company pursuant to this Agreement;

 

12.3.2 any financial information or trading information relating to the Company or of any Investor which a party may receive or obtain as a result of entering into this Agreement;

 

12.3.3 in the case of the Company, information concerning:

 

12.3.3.1 its finances and financial data, business transactions, dealings and affairs and prospective business transactions;

 

12.3.3.2 any operational model, its business plans and sales and marketing information, plans and strategies;

 

12.3.3.3 its customers, including, without limitation, customer lists, customer identities and contact details and customer requirements;

 

12.3.3.4 any existing and planned product lines, services, price lists and pricing structures (including, without limitation, discounts, special prices or special contract terms offered to or agreed with customers);

 

12.3.3.5 its technology or methodology associated with concepts, products and services including research activities and the techniques and processes used for development of concepts, products and services;

 

12.3.3.6 its computer systems, source codes and software, including, without limitation, software and technical information necessary for the development, maintenance or operation of websites;

 

12.3.3.7 its current and prospective Intellectual Property;

 

12.3.3.8 its directors, officers, employees and shareholders (including, without limitation, salaries, bonuses, commissions and the terms on which such individuals are employed or engaged and decisions or contents of board meetings);

 

12.3.3.9 its suppliers, licensors, licensees, agents, distributors or contractors including the identity of such parties and the terms on which they do business, or participate in any form of commercial co-operation with the Company;

 

12.3.3.10 information concerning or provided to third parties, in respect of which the Company owes a duty of confidence (in particular but without limitation, the content of discussions or communications with any prospective customers or prospective business partner); and

 

12.3.3.11 any other information which it may reasonably be expected would be regarded by a company as confidential or commercially sensitive, but shall not include any information which:

 

(i) is, or which becomes (other than through a breach of this Agreement), available in the public domain or otherwise available to the public generally without requiring a significant expenditure of labour, skill or money;

 

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(ii) is, at the time of disclosure, already known to the receiving party without restriction on disclosure;

 

(iii) is, or subsequently comes, into the possession of the receiving party without violation of any obligation of confidentiality or comes into the possession of the receiving party as a result of a scientific or commercial collaboration between the receiving party and the Company where the terms of such collaboration include separate obligations on the receiving party relating to the confidentiality and use of Company information and those separate obligations are being complied with;

 

(iv) is independently developed by the receiving party without breach of this Agreement;

 

(v) is explicitly approved for release by the written consent of an authorised representative of the disclosing party; or

 

(vi) a party is required to disclose by law, by any securities exchange on which such party’s, or any Member of the same Group as such party’s, securities are listed or traded, by any regulatory or governmental or other authority with relevant powers to which such party or Member of the same Group as such party, is subject or submits, whether or not the requirement has the force of law, or by any court order.

 

13. Announcements

 

13.1 Except in accordance with clause 13.2, the parties shall not make any public announcement or issue a press release or respond to any enquiry from the press or other media concerning or relating to this Agreement or its subject matter (including but not limited to the Investor’s investment in the Company) or any ancillary matter.

 

13.2 Notwithstanding clause 13.1, any party may:

 

13.2.1 make any press release to the effect that it has made an investment in the Company and/or that it is a shareholder in the Company without obtaining the prior approval of any other parties (provided that in doing so it makes no reference to any other shareholder in the Company without the prior consent of that shareholder having been obtained);

 

13.2.2 make or permit to be made an announcement concerning or relating to this Agreement or its subject matter or any ancillary matter with the prior written approval of the Board or if and to the extent required by:

 

13.2.2.1 law;

 

13.2.2.2 any securities exchange on which such party’s securities are listed or traded;

 

13.2.2.3 any regulatory or governmental or other authority with relevant powers to which such party is subject or submits, whether or not the requirement has the force of law; or

 

13.2.2.4 any court order.

 

14. Costs and Expenses

 

Each of the parties shall pay its own costs and expenses incurred in connection with the negotiation, preparation, execution, performance and implementation of this Agreement and each document referred to in it.

 

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15. Survival and Cessation of Obligations of the Manager

 

The obligations on the Manager under clauses 11, 12 and 13 shall survive any transfer by him of all or any Shares and shall survive him ceasing to be an Employee but otherwise upon the Manager ceasing to hold Shares and ceasing to be an Employee he shall have no further obligation or liability under this Agreement but without prejudice to the due performance by him of all obligations up to the date of such cessation.

 

16. Effect of Ceasing to Hold Shares

 

A party shall cease to be a party to this Agreement for the purpose of receiving benefits and enforcing his rights with effect from the date he ceases to hold or beneficially own any Shares (but without prejudice to any benefits and rights accrued prior to such cessation).

 

17. Cumulative Remedies

 

The rights, powers, privileges and remedies conferred upon the Investors in this Agreement are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights, powers, privileges or remedies provided by law or otherwise.

 

18. Waiver

 

The express or implied waiver by any party to this Agreement of any of its rights or remedies arising under this Agreement or by law shall not constitute a continuing waiver of the right or remedy waived or a waiver of any other right or remedy.

 

19. Entire Agreement

 

19.1 This Agreement and the documents referred to or incorporated in it constitute the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersede and extinguish any prior drafts, agreements, undertakings, representations, warranties and arrangements of any nature whatsoever, whether or not in writing, between the parties in relation to the subject matter of this Agreement.

 

19.2 Each of the parties acknowledges and agrees that it has not entered into this Agreement in reliance on any statement or representation of any person (whether a party to this Agreement or not) other than as expressly incorporated in this Agreement and the documents referred to or incorporated in this Agreement.

 

19.3 Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each of the parties irrevocably and unconditionally waives any right or remedy it may have to claim damages and/or to rescind this Agreement by reason of any misrepresentation (other than a fraudulent misrepresentation) having been made to it by any person (whether party to this Agreement or not) and upon which it has relied in entering into this Agreement.

 

19.4 Each of the parties acknowledges and agrees that damages alone may not be an adequate remedy for the breach of any of the undertakings or obligations as set out in this Agreement. Accordingly, without prejudice to any other rights and remedies the parties may have, the parties shall be entitled to seek the remedies of interdict, specific implement or other equitable relief for any threatened or actual breach of the terms of this Agreement.

 

19.5 Nothing contained in this Agreement or in any other document referred to or incorporated in it shall be read or construed as excluding any liability or remedy as a result of fraud.

 

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20. Variation and Termination

 

20.1 All and any of the provisions of this Agreement may be deleted, varied, supplemented, restated or otherwise changed in any way at any time with the prior written consent of: (a) the Board; (b) Shareholders holding at least 75 per cent of the issued Shares (excluding Treasury Shares) held by the Shareholders; and (c) an Investor Majority, in which event such change shall be binding on all of the parties hereto provided that, if such change would: (i) impose any new obligations on a party; (ii) amend a specific contractual right of a party pursuant to clause 3, 4, 5 and/or this clause 20 and/or any definitions relating to the foregoing; (iii) increase any existing obligation; (iv) deprive an Investor of its rights under this Agreement without the consent of that Investor, unless such amendment similarly deprives all Investors holding Shares of the same class as that Investor; or (v) materially and adversely vary the rights attaching to any class of shares held by an Investor, the consent of the affected party or Investor (as applicable) to such change shall be specifically required. For the purposes of the foregoing, if, at the time that consent to an amendment to this Agreement is sought, Andrew Hopkins holds 25% or more of the issued voting Shares (excluding Treasury Shares) held by the Shareholders, he shall, provided that such amendment affects each Shareholder equally (having regard to their respective class and holdings of Shares), be deemed to hold 24.99% of such issued Shares for the purposes of this clause 20.1, and each other Shareholder shall be deemed to hold such number of issued Shares that it actually holds plus a number of issued Shares equal to its pro rata portion of the disenfranchised issued Shares of Andrew Hopkins (such “pro rata portion” being calculated based on the number of issued voting Shares held between such other Shareholders).

 

20.2 This Agreement may be terminated with the prior written consent of: (a) the Board; (b) Shareholders holding at least 75 per cent of the issued Shares (excluding Treasury Shares) held by the Shareholders; and (c) an Investor Majority, in which event such termination shall be binding on all of the parties hereto save that nothing in this clause shall release any party from liability for breaches of this Agreement which occurred prior to its termination.

 

20.3 This Agreement shall terminate and cease to have effect upon the first to occur of (i) an IPO; (ii) consummation by the Company of a Holding Company Reorganisation (provided that a shareholders’ agreement relating to the new Holding Company substantially on the terms of this Agreement has been entered into between the relevant parties); (iii) a Share Sale; and (iv) all of the Subscribers and Non Investing Shareholders, and/or their Permitted Transferees, ceasing to hold or beneficially own any Shares, save that nothing in this clause shall release any party from liability for breaches of this Agreement which occurred prior to its termination.

 

21. No Partnership

 

Nothing in this Agreement is intended to or shall be construed as establishing or implying any partnership of any kind between the parties.

 

22. ASSIGNMENT and Transfer

 

22.1 Subject to clauses 22.3, this Agreement is personal to the parties and no party shall:

 

22.1.1 assign any of its rights under this Agreement;

 

22.1.2 transfer any of its obligations under this Agreement;

 

22.1.3 sub-contract or delegate any of its obligations under this Agreement; or

 

22.1.4 charge or deal in any other manner with this Agreement or any of its rights or obligations.

 

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22.2 Any purported assignment, transfer, sub-contracting, delegation, charging or dealing in contravention of clause 22.1 shall be ineffective.

 

22.3 An Investor may assign the whole or part of any of its rights in this Agreement to any person who has received a transfer of shares in the capital of the Company from such Investor in accordance with the New Articles and has executed a Deed of Adherence.

 

23. Rights of Third Parties

 

23.1 Subject to clause 23.2, this agreement does not confer any rights on any person or party (other than the parties to this Agreement).

 

23.2 The general partner of an Investor or the management or advisory company authorised from time to time to act on behalf of that Investor or another person or persons nominated by that Investor, shall be entitled to enforce all of the rights and benefits under this Agreement at all times as if party to this Agreement.

 

24. Conflict between Agreements

 

Subject to any applicable law, in the event of any ambiguity or conflict between this Agreement and the New Articles, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail as between the Shareholders and in such event the Shareholders shall procure such modification to the New Articles as shall be necessary.

 

25. Counterparts; no originals

 

25.1 This agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, and all the counterparts shall together constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of a fully executed version of this Agreement (in counterparts or otherwise) by electronic transmission in PDF format or by facsimile shall be sufficient to bind the parties to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and no exchange of originals is necessary.

 

25.2 Where executed in counterparts:

 

25.2.1 this Agreement shall not take effect until counterparts from at least the Company, the Subscribers and the Requisite Parties have been delivered; and

 

25.2.2 delivery will take place when the date of delivery is agreed between the parties after execution of this Agreement as evidenced by the date inserted at the start of this Agreement.

 

25.3 Where not executed in counterparts, this Agreement shall take effect after its execution upon the date agreed between the parties as evidenced by the date inserted at the start of this Agreement.

 

26. Notices

 

26.1 Any communication and/or information to be given in connection with this Agreement shall be in writing in English and shall either be delivered by hand or sent by internationally recognized overnight courier or email or other electronic form:

 

26.1.1 to any company which is a party at its registered office (or such other address as it may notify to the other parties to this Agreement for such purpose); or

 

26.1.2 to any individual who is a party at the address of that individual shown in Parts 1 – 3 of Schedule 1,

 

(or in each such case such other address as the recipient may notify to the other parties for such purpose).

 

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26.2 A communication sent according to clause 26.1 shall be deemed to have been received:

 

26.2.1 if delivered by hand, at the time of delivery;

 

26.2.2 if sent by internationally recognized overnight courier, on the fifth day after posting; or

 

26.2.3 if sent by email or other electronic form, at the time of completion of transmission by the sender,

 

except that if a communication is received between 5.30 pm on a Business Day and 9.30 am on the next Business Day, it shall be deemed to have been received at 9:30 am on the second of such Business Days.

 

27. Severance

 

27.1 If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable by any judicial or other competent authority, all other provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect and will not in any way be impaired.

 

27.2 If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable but would be valid or enforceable if some part of the provision were deleted, the provision in question will apply with the minimum modifications necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

28. Governing Law

 

This agreement (and any dispute or claim relating to it or its subject matter (including non-contractual claims)) is governed by and is to be construed in accordance with English law.

 

29. Jurisdiction

 

The parties irrevocably agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any claim, dispute or issue (including non-contractual claims) which may arise out of or in connection with this Agreement.

 

30. Representation

 

30.1 Each party to this agreement acknowledges that Cooley (UK) LLP (“Cooley”), the Company’s solicitors, has in the past performed and is or may now or in the future represent one or more Shareholders or their Affiliates in matters unrelated to the transactions contemplated by this agreement (the “Financing”), including representation of such Shareholders or their Affiliates in matters of a similar nature to the Financing. The applicable rules of professional conduct require that Cooley inform the parties hereunder of this representation and obtain their consent. Cooley has served as outside general counsel to the Company and has negotiated the terms of the Financing solely on behalf of the Company. The Company and each Shareholder hereby:

 

30.1.1 acknowledge that they have had an opportunity to ask for and have obtained information relevant to such representation, including disclosure of the reasonably foreseeable adverse consequences of such representation;

 

30.1.2 acknowledge that, with respect to the Financing, Cooley has represented solely the Company, and not any Shareholder or any stockholder, director or employee of the Company or any Shareholder; and

 

30.1.3 gives its informed consent to Cooley’s representation of the Company in the Financing.

 

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31. Confirmation by the Manager to the Investors

 

31.1 The Manager confirms to the Investors that, for the purposes of entering into the transactions contemplated by this Agreement:

 

31.1.1 he has entered into such transactions entirely on the basis of his own assessment of the risks and effect thereof;

 

31.1.2 he is owed no duty of care or other obligation by any Investor; and

 

31.1.3 insofar as he is owed any such duty or obligation (whether in contract, tort or otherwise) by the Investors he hereby waives, to the extent permitted by law, any rights (save in the case of any fraudulent misrepresentation) which he may have in respect of such duty or obligation.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF this Agreement is executed and delivered as a deed on the date first mentioned above:

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by )  
EXSCIENTIA HOLDINGS )  
LIMITED )  
   
acting by two directors   /s/
      Director
     
     
     
      /s/
     Director

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by  
NOVO HOLDINGS A/S Signature: /s/ Robert Ghenchev
     
  Print Name: Robert Ghenchev

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Adelina Grozdanova    

 
Name: Adelina Grozdanova  
     
Address 1824 Jackson Street, apt D  
     
  San Francisco, CA 94109  
     
     

 

Occupation: Head of Investor Group     

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by Signature: /s/ Enno Spillner
EVOTEC SE
  Print Name: Enno Spillner

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Heike Meyer-Zengerle    

 

Name: Heike Meyer-Zengerle  
     
Address c/o Evotec SE  
     
  Essener Bogen 7  
     
  22419 Hamburg, Germany  
     
     

 

Occupation: Legal Operations Specialist Global Legal & Compliance     

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by Signature: /s/ Ian McLean
SVF II EXCEL (DE) LLC
  Print Name: Ian McLean

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Jessica McLean    

 

Name: Jessica McLean  
     
Address 87 Central Ave.  
     
  -  
     
  San Francisco, CA 94117  
     
  USA  

 

Occupation: Designer     

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by BlackRock Global Allocation Fund, Inc.  
     
By: BlackRock Advisors, LLC, its Investment Advisor  
     
     
By: /s/ William Abecassis  
     
Name: William Abecassis  
     
Title: Head of Innovation Capital  

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Brett Buchness    

 

Name: Brett Buchness  
     
Address 55 E 52nd St  
     
  New York, NY 10055  
     
   
     
   

 

Occupation: Portfolio Manager     

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by BlackRock Global Funds – Global Allocation Fund  
     
By: BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, as Investment Sub-Advisor  
     
     
By: /s/ William Abecassis  
     
Name: William Abecassis  
     
Title: Head of Innovation Capital  

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Brett Buchness    

 

Name: Brett Buchness  
     
Address 55 E 52nd St  
     
  New York, NY 10055  
     
   
     
   

 

Occupation: Portfolio Manager     

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by BlackRock Global Allocation V.I. Fund of BlackRock Variable Series Funds, Inc.
     
By: BlackRock Advisors, LLC, its Investment Advisor  
     
     
By: /s/ William Abecassis  
     
Name: William Abecassis  
     
Title: Head of Innovation Capital  

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Brett Buchness    

 

Name: Brett Buchness  
     
Address 55 E 52nd St  
     
  New York, NY 10055  
     
   
     
   

 

Occupation: Portfolio Manager     

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by BlackRock Global Allocation Portfolio of BlackRock Series Fund, Inc.
     
By: BlackRock Advisors, LLC, its Investment Advisor  
     
     
By: /s/ William Abecassis  
     
Name: William Abecassis  
     
Title: Head of Innovation Capital  

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Brett Buchness    

 

Name: Brett Buchness  
     
Address 55 E 52nd St  
     
  New York, NY 10055  
     
   
     
   

 

Occupation: Portfolio Manager     

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by BlackRock Global Allocation Fund (Australia)
     
By: BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, as Investment Manager for BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited, the Responsible Entity of BlackRock Global Allocation Fund (Australia)
     
     
By: /s/ William Abecassis  
     
Name: William Abecassis  
     
Title: Head of Innovation Capital  

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Brett Buchness    

 

Name: Brett Buchness  
     
Address 55 E 52nd St  
     
  New York, NY 10055  
     
   
     
   

 

Occupation: Portfolio Manager     

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by BlackRock Global Allocation Collective Fund

 

By: BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A., not in its individual capacity but as Trustee of the BlackRock Global Allocation Collective Fund

 

 

By: /s/ William Abecassis  

 

Name: William Abecassis  

 

Title: Head of Innovation Capital  

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Brett Buchness  

 

Name: Brett Buchness  

 

Address 55 E 52nd St  

 

New York, NY 10055  

 

   

 

   

 

Occupation: Portfolio Manager  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by BlackRock Global Funds – Global Dynamic Equity Fund

 

By: BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, as Investment Sub-Adviser

 

 

By: /s/ William Abecassis  

 

Name: William Abecassis  

 

Title: Head of Innovation Capital  

 

 

Witness’s Signature:    

 

Name: Brett Buchness  

 

Address 55 E 52nd St  

 

New York, NY 10055  

 

   

 

   

 

Occupation: Portfolio Manager  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by BlackRock Capital Allocation Trust

 

By: BlackRock Advisors, LLC, its Investment Advisor

 

 

By: /s/ William Abecassis  

 

Name: William Abecassis  

 

Title: Head of Innovation Capital  

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Brett Buchness  

 

Name: Brett Buchness  

 

Address 55 E 52nd St  

 

New York, NY 10055  

 

   

 

   

 

Occupation: Portfolio Manager  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio of BlackRock Funds V

 

By: BlackRock Advisors, LLC, its Investment Advisor

 

 

By: /s/ William Abecassis  

 

Name: William Abecassis  

 

Title: Head of Innovation Capital  

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Brett Buchness  

 

Name: Brett Buchness  

 

Address 55 E 52nd St  

 

New York, NY 10055  

 

   

 

   

 

Occupation: Portfolio Manager  

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by MIC CAPITAL )  
PARTNERS (VENTURES) EUROPE )  
PARALLEL (LUXEMBOURG) )  
AGGREGATOR, SCSP )  
  )  
By: MIC Capital Partners (Ventures) )  
Europe Parallel (Luxembourg) GP S.À.R.L., )  
its unlimited partner (associé commandité) and )  
manager (gérant) ) /s/ Rodney Cannon
    Rodney Cannon

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Matthew Ryan  

 

Name: Matthew Ryan  

 

Address PO Box 45005  

 

Abu Dhabi  

 

   

 

   

 

Occupation: Lawyer  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by MIC CAPITAL )  
MANAGEMENT 83 RSC LTD. acting by an )  
authorised signatory )  /s/ Rodney Cannon
    Rodney Cannon

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Matthew Ryan  

 

Name: Matthew Ryan  

 

Address PO Box 45005  

 

Abu Dhabi  

 

   

 

   

 

Occupation: Lawyer  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by MW XO )  
HEALTH INNOVATIONS FUND, LP )  
  )  
By: Marshall Wace North America, LP, its )   
investment manager )  
  )  
By: Marshall Wace LLC, the general partner )  
of its investment manager ) /s/

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Veena Malpani  

 

Name: Veena Malpani  

 

Address 142 Eighth St Apt 8C  

 

New York, NY 10003  

 

   

 

   

 

Occupation:    

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by PIVOTAL )  
BIOVENTURE PARTNERS FUND I, L.P. )  
  )  
By: Pivotal bioVenture Partners Fund I )  
G.P., L.P. its general partner )  
  )  
By: Pivotal bioVenture Partners Fund I )  
U.G.P. Ltd, its general partner, acting by its )  
the Managing Partner )  /s/ Robert Hopfner
    Robert Hopfner, Managing Partner

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Ming Cheah  

 

Name: Ming Cheah  

 

Address 340 Vallejo Drive #56  

 

Millbrae CA 94030  

 

USA  

 

 

 

Occupation: Venture capital investor  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by NFLS ZETA )  
LIMITED acting by a director ) /s/
    Director

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Anna Sun  

 

Name: Anna Sun  

 

Address 23F Nan Fung Tower  

 

88 Connaught Road Central  

 

Hong Kong  

 

   

 

Occupation: Business  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by ZONE III )  
HEALTHCARE HOLDINGS, LLC )  
  )  
By: Farallon Capital Management, LLC, its )  
manager acting by an authorised signatory )  /s/ Philip Dreyfuss
    Philip Dreyfuss, Authorised Signatory

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Lexie Woolley  

 

Name: Lexie Woolley  

 

Address One Maritime Plaza  

 

Suite 2100  

 

San Francisco, CA 94111  

 

   

 

Occupation: Assistant  

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by HONGKOU

CAPITAL MASTER FUND LP

 

By: Hongkou Capital GP LLC, its general

partner, acting by its sole member

)

)

)

)

)

/s/ Xiaotong Zhou
    Xiaotong Zhou

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ John Larre  

 

Name: John Larre  
     
Address 287 Park Avenue South  
     
  2nd Floor  
     
  New York, NY 10010  
     
     
     

Occupation: Chief Operating Officer  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by LAURION

CAPITAL MASTER FUND LTD.

)

)

/s/ Daniel Woelfel
    Daniel Woelfel

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Laura Brancato  

 

Name: Laura Brancato  
     
Address 22 Forest Pk Ave  
     
  Larchmont, NY 10538  
     
     
     
     
     

Occupation: Homemaker  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by GAVIN

RESOURCES LIMITED

)

)

/s/

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ KANG Kowk Keung Derek  

 

Name: KANG Kowk Keung Derek  
     
Address Flat D, 13/F., Block 2  
     
  The Grand Panorama  
     
  10 Robinson Road  
     
  Hong Kong  
     

Occupation: Senior Investment Manager  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by DATA

TROPHY LIMITED

)

)

/s/

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Winnie Cheung  

 

Name: Winnie Cheung  
     
Address 32/F New World Tower  
     
  18 Queen’s Road Central  
     
  Hong Kong  
     
     
     

Occupation: Assistant  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by CELGENE

CORPORATION

)

)

/s/

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Jill Konowich  

 

Name: Jill Konowich  
     
Address 18 Silverthorn Ln  
     
  Belle Mead NJ  
     
  USA  
     
     
     

Occupation: Oncologist  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by FRONTIER IP

LIMITED

)

)

/s/ Neil Crabb

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Jim Fish  

 

Name: Jim Fish  
     
Address 6 Moston Terrace  
     
  Edinburgh  
     
  EH9 2DE  
     
     
     

Occupation: CFO  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by GT

HEALTHCARE PARTNERS FUND III,

L.P

)

)

)

/s/

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Gladys Chan  

 

Name: Gladys Chan  
     
Address 2/F., 22 Pottinger Street  
     
  Central, Hong Kong  
     
     
     
     
     

Occupation: Accountant  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by HARMONY

WAY GROUP

)

)

)

/s/

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Tiffany Lai  

 

Name: Tiffany Lai  
     
Address 32/F New World Tower  
     
  18 Queen’s Road Central, HK  
     
     
     
     
     

Occupation: Personal Assistant  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by RALLY

PROFIT LIMITED

)

)

)

/s/

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Wong Man Leung  

 

Name: WONG MAN LEUNG  
     
Address FLAT 24H TOWER 33  
     
  SOUTH HORIZONS  
     
  AP LEI CHAU  
     
  HONG KONG  
     

Occupation: BUSINESSMAN  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by GT NEXTGEN

THERAPIES FUND IV, L.P.

)

)

/s/

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Gladys Chan  

 

Name: Gladys Chan  
     
Address 2/F., 22 Pottinger Street  
     
  Central, Hong Kong  
     
     
     
     
     

Occupation: Accountant  

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by GT VISIONARY VENTURES LIMITED

)

)

)

/s/  

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Gladys Chan  

 

Name: Gladys Chan  
     
Address

2/F., 22 Pottinger Street

 
     
 

Central, Hong Kong

 
     
   
     
     
     

Occupation:

Accountant

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by CASDIN

PRIVATE GROWTH EQUITY FUND, L.P.

 

By: Casdin Private Growth Equity Fund

GP, LLC., its General Partner

)

)

)

)

)

/s/ Kevin O’Brien 

 

Witness’s Signature:

/s/ Jeanine O’Brien

 

 

Name:

Jeanine O’Brien

 
     
Address

15 Harris St

 
     
 

Bay Head, NJ 08742

     
 

USA

 
     
     
     

Occupation:

Decorator

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by THE

UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE

)

)

/s/  

 

Witness’s Signature:

/s/ Claire McGinnis

 

 

Name:

Claire McGinnis

 
     
Address

c/o University of Dundee

 
     
 

Nettergate, Dundee

     
 

DD1 4HN

 
     
     
     

Occupation:

Solicitor

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by ANDREW LEE

HOPKINS

)

)

/s/ Andrew Lee Hopkins  

 

Witness’s Signature:

/s/ Chris Thomas

 

 

Name:

Chris Thomas

 
     
Address

24 Annesley Road

     
 

Oxford

     
 

OX4 4JQ

 
     
  Oxfordshire  
     

Occupation: HR

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by GEORGE

RICHARD BICKERTON

)

)

/s/ Richard Bickerton  

 

Witness’s Signature:

/s/ Ruth Bickerton

 

 

Name:

Ruth Bickerton

 
     
Address

16 South Drive

     
 

Liff

     
 

Dundee. DD2 5SJ

 
     
     
     

Occupation:

Post-graduate student

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by JEREMY

BESNARD

)

)

/s/ Jérémy Besnard

 

Witness’s Signature:

/s/ Milly Chen

 

 

Name:

Milly Chen

 
     
Address

55 Old Witney Road

     
 

Eynsham

     
 

OX29 4PT

 
     
     
     

Occupation:

Executive Director of Strategic Development

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by SENGA

OXENHAM

)

)

/s/ Senga Oxenham  

 

Witness’s Signature:

/s/ Nicola Oxenham

 

 

Name:

Nicola Oxenham

 
     
Address

90 Main Street, lauchars

     
 

St Andrews

     
 

FIFE, KY16 0HF

 
     
     
     

Occupation:

Analytical Chemist

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by GEORGY

EGOROV

)

)

/s/ Georgy Egorov

 

Witness’s Signature:

/s/ Amit Pilowsky

 

 

Name:

Amit Pilowsky

 
     
Address

Flat 82 Eyre Court

     
 

3-21 Finchley Road

     
 

London NW8 9TX

 
     
     
     

Occupation:

Investor

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by PATRICIA

BARCLAY

)

)

/s/ Patricia Barclay  

 

Witness’s Signature:

/s/ Alison Barr

 

 

Name:

Alison Barr

 
     
Address

20 Kaimes Road

     
 

Edinburgh

     
 

EH12 6JS

 
     
  Scotland  
     

Occupation:

Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by IVA HOPKINS

NAVRATILOVA

)

)

/s/ Iva Navratilova

 

Witness’s Signature:

/s/ Chris Thomas

 

 

Name:

Chris Thomas

 
     
Address

24 Annesley Road

     
 

Oxford

     
 

OX4 4JQ

 
     
     
     

Occupation:

HR

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by MIROSLAVA )  
PILAROVA ) /s/ Miroslava Pilarova

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Ben Truesdale  

 

Name:

Ben Truesdale

 
     
Address 18 Church Hill Road  
     
Oxford  
     
Ox43se  
     
     

 

Occupation: Writer    

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by ANDREW )  
DOUGLAS ) /s/ Andrew Douglas

 

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Sian Douglas  

 

Name:

Sian Douglas

 
     
Address 9 Church Green  
     
Gresford, Wrexham  
     
LL128RJ  
     
     

 

Occupation: Primary School Teacher    

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by KATHERINE )  
LANSU ) /s/ Katherine Lansu

 

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Marcia Lansu  

 

Name:

Marcia Lansu

 
     
Address 4424 North Mozart Street  
     
Chicago, Illinois  
     
60625  
     
     

 

Occupation: Certified Public Accountant    

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by MARIO )  
POLYWKA ) /s/ Mario Polywka

 

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Susan Polywka  

 

Name:

Susan Polywka

 
     
Address West Dene  
     
Abingdon Road, Tubney  
     
OX13 5QQ  
     
     

 

Occupation: Trustee    

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by ANDREW )  
SIMON BELL ) /s/ Andrew Simon Bell

 

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Alan D. Brown  

 

Name:

Alan D. Brown

 
     
Address 17 St Andrews Road  
     
Deal, Kent, UK  
     
CT14 6AT  
     
     

 

Occupation: Consultant    

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by MILLIE )  
BRITTON ) /s/ Millie Britton

 

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Benjamin James Wilkins  

 

Name:

Benjamin James Wilkins

 
     
Address 92 Medhurst Way  
     
Littlemore  
     
OX4 4NY  
     
     

 

Occupation: General Manager    

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by SIMON )  
VARZAHDEH ) /s/ Simon Varzahdeh

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Tatiana Lobry  

 

Name:

Tatiana Lobry

 
     
Address 96 Medhurst Way  
     
OX4 4NY  
   
  Oxford    
     
     

 

Occupation: Scientist    

 

 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by SIMONE )  
CULURGIONI ) /s/ Simone Culurgioni

 

 

 

Witness’s Signature: /s/ Lara Clementi  

 

Name:

21a Mill Lane

 
     
Address Oxford  
     
OX30PY  
     
     
     
     

 

Occupation: Administrative    

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

THIS AGREEMENT is made on                                   2021.

 

BETWEEN

 

(1) EXSCIENTIA AI LIMITED, a company registered in Scotland with registered number SC428761 and having its registered office at Level 3, Dundee One River Court, 5 West Victoria Dock Road, Dundee, United Kingdom (the “Company”); and

 

(2) ANDREW HOPKINS, residing at Copse House, 61B Oxford Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 2AA (the “Executive”).

 

BACKGROUND

 

On and from the Effective Date, the Company wishes to employ the Executive as Chief Executive Officer on the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Executive wishes to accept such terms of employment.

 

IT IS AGREED as follows:

 

1. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

 

1.1. Definitions

 

In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:

 

Basic Salary means the salary, as specified in Clause 6.1(a) or, as appropriate, the reviewed annual salary from time to time;
Board means the Board of directors of the Parent from time to time or any duly authorised committee thereof, or where the relevant powers have been reserved to the Parent’s members, its members from time to time;
“Cause” Means as defined in clause 17.1;
“Change in Control” means as defined in the Parent’s 2021 Equity Incentive Plan with Non-Employee Sub-Plan and CSOP Sub-Plan;
Confidential Information means all information which is identified or treated by the Company or any Group Company or any of the Group’s clients or customers as confidential or which by reason of its character or the circumstances or manner of its disclosure is evidently confidential including (without prejudice to the foregoing generality) any information about the personal affairs of any of the directors (or their families) of the Company or any Group Company, business plans, proposals relating to the acquisition or disposal of a company or business or proposed expansion or contraction of activities, maturing new business opportunities, research and development projects, designs, secret processes, trade secrets, product or services development and formulae, know-how, inventions, sales statistics and forecasts, marketing strategies and plans, costs, profit and loss and other financial information (save to the extent published in audited accounts), prices and discount structures and the names, addresses and contact and other details of: (a) employees and their terms of employment; (b) customers and potential customers, their requirements and their terms of business with the Company or Group; and (c) suppliers and potential suppliers and their terms of business (all whether or not recorded in writing or in electronic or other format);

 

 

 

 

Effective Date means the date of the underwriting agreement between the Parent and the underwriter(s) managing the initial public offering of the Parent’s ordinary shares (or securities representing such ordinary shares), pursuant to which such securities are priced for the initial public offering;
Employment means the employment of the Executive under this Agreement or, as the context requires, the duration of that employment;
“Good Reason” means any of the following actions taken by the Company without the Executive’s express written consent: (i) a material reduction by the Company of the Basic Salary (other than in a broad based reduction similarly affecting all other members of the Group’s executive management); (ii) the relocation of the Executive’s principal place of employment, without the Executive’s consent, in a manner that lengthens the Executive’s one-way commute distance by fifty (50) or more miles from the Executive’s then-current principal place of employment immediately prior to such relocation; (iii) a material reduction in the Executive’s duties, authority, or responsibilities for the Company relative to the Executive’s duties, authority, or responsibilities in effect immediately prior to such material reduction; or (iv) a material breach of this Agreement by the Company (or its successor) provided further, that, any such termination by the Executive shall only be deemed for Good Reason pursuant to this definition if: (1) the Executive gives the Board written notice of intent to terminate for Good Reason within thirty (30) days following the first occurrence of the condition(s) that the Executive believes constitute(s) Good Reason, which notice shall describe such condition(s); (2) the Company fails to remedy such condition(s) within thirty (30) days following receipt of the written notice (the “Cure Period”); (3) the Company has not, prior to the Board receiving such notice from the Executive, already informed the Executive in writing that their employment with the Company is being terminated; and (4) the Executive voluntarily terminates their employment within thirty (30) days following the end of the Cure Period

 

2

 

 

Group means together or separately the Parent, the Company, any holding company or undertaking of the Parent or the Company and any subsidiaries and subsidiary undertakings of the Parent of the Company or such holding company or holding companies or undertaking from time to time (and the words “subsidiary” and “holding company” shall have the meanings given to them in section 1159 in the Companies Act 2006);
Group Company means any company within the Group;
Health Care Scheme means any healthcare or disability scheme(s) or arrangement(s) as may be provided or introduced from time to time by the Company (at the Company’s discretion) for the benefit of similarly situated executives in the Company or Group;
Intellectual Property Rights means any and all existing and future intellectual or industrial property rights in and to any Works (whether registered or unregistered), including all existing and future patents, copyrights, design rights, database rights, trade marks, semiconductor topography rights, plant varieties rights, internet rights/domain names, know-how and any and all applications for any of the foregoing and any and all rights to apply for any of the foregoing in and to any Works;
Minority Holder means a person who either solely or jointly holds (directly or through nominees) any shares or loan capital in any company, whether or not it is listed or dealt in on a recognised stock exchange, provided that such holding does not, when aggregated with any shares or loan capital held by the Executive’s partner and/or his or his partner’s children under the age of 18, exceed 5% of the shares or loan capital of the class concerned for the time being issued;
“Parent” means Exscientia Limited, incorporated in England with company number 13483814;
Remuneration Committee means the remuneration committee appointed by the Board;
“Settlement Agreement” means a settlement agreement that includes, among other terms, a general release of claims in favour of the Company and each Group Company (subject to standard carve-outs preserving the Executive’s rights to accrued pension benefits), as well as mutual non-disparagement provisions, in a form presented by the Company and to be negotiated by the parties acting reasonably and in good faith;

 

3

 

 

Termination Date means the date of termination of the Employment;
Works means any documents, materials, models, designs, drawings, processes, inventions, formulae, computer coding, methodologies, know-how, Confidential Information or other work, performed made, created, devised, developed or discovered by the Executive during the course of the Employment either alone or with any other person in connection with or in any way affecting or relating to the business of the Company or any Group Company or capable of being used or adapted for use therein or in connection therewith;

 

1.2. Interpretation and Construction

 

Save to the extent that the context or the express provisions of this Agreement require otherwise, in this Agreement:

 

(a) words importing the singular shall include the plural and vice versa;

 

(b) words importing any gender shall include all other genders;

 

(c) words importing the whole shall be treated as including reference to any part of the whole;

 

(d) any reference to a Clause, the Schedule or part of the Schedule is to the relevant Clause, Schedule or part of the Schedule of or to this Agreement unless otherwise specified;

 

(e) reference to this Agreement or to any other document is a reference to this Agreement or to that other document as modified, amended, varied, supplemented, assigned, novated or replaced from time to time;

 

(f) reference to a provision of law is a reference to that provision as extended, applied, amended, consolidated or re-enacted or as the application thereof is modified from time to time and shall be construed as including reference to any order, instrument, regulation or other subordinate legislation from time to time made under it;

 

(g) references to a “person” includes any individual, firm, company, corporation, body corporate, government, state or agency of state, trust or foundation, or any association, partnership or unincorporated body (whether or not having separate legal personality) or two or more of the foregoing;

 

(h) general words shall not be given a restrictive meaning because they are followed by words which are particular examples of the acts, matters or things covered by the general words and “including”, “include” and “in particular” shall be construed without limitation; and

 

4

 

 

(i) the meaning of any words coming after “other” or “otherwise” shall not be constrained by the meaning of any words coming before “other” or “otherwise where a wider construction is possible.

 

1.3. Headings

 

The table of contents and the headings in this Agreement are included for convenience only and shall be ignored in construing this Agreement.

 

2. THE EMPLOYMENT

 

2.1. Effectiveness and Appointment

 

This Agreement is effective as of, and contingent upon, the occurrence of the Effective Date.

 

Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Company employs the Executive and the Executive accepts employment as Chief Executive Officer of the Company on the terms of this Agreement.

 

2.2. Work Permits and warranty

 

The Executive warrants that he is legally entitled to work in the United Kingdom and will throughout the Employment continue to hold a valid United Kingdom work permit if appropriate. The Executive warrants that he will notify the Company in advance of any possible change to his immigration status, as soon as he becomes aware of any circumstances that might give rise to such change. Should the Company discover that the Executive does not have permission to live and work in the United Kingdom or if any such permission is revoked, notwithstanding any other term of this Agreement the Company reserves the right to terminate the Employment immediately and without notice or pay in lieu of notice and without referring to the warning stages of the Company’s disciplinary procedure.

 

3. DURATION OF THE EMPLOYMENT

 

3.1. Continuous Employment

 

The Executive’s continuous period of employment with the Company commenced on 20 July 2012. No previous employment shall count as part of the Executive’s continuous period of employment.

 

3.2. Duration

 

Subject to the provisions of Clauses 3 and 17.1 the Employment shall continue unless and until terminated at any time by:

 

(a) the Company, which must give to the Executive not less than twelve months’ prior written notice of termination of the Employment; or

 

(b) the Executive, who must give to the Company not less than twelve months’ prior written notice of termination of the Employment.

 

3.3. Payment in lieu of notice

 

(a) The Company shall be entitled, at its sole discretion, to terminate the Employment immediately at any time by giving the Executive notice in writing. In these circumstances, subject to the terms of Clause 3.3(b), the Company will subsequently make a payment to the Executive in lieu of notice, calculated in accordance with the provisions of Clause 3.3(c) (the payment being referred to as a “PILON”).

 

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(b) The PILON will be paid in equal monthly instalments less all deductions that are required or permitted by law to be made including in respect of income tax, national insurance contributions and any sums due to the Company or any Group Company.

 

(c) The PILON will consist of a sum equivalent to the Basic Salary which the Executive would have received in respect of any notice period outstanding on the Termination Date but will exclude (except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement) any bonus, commission and share of profit and any other benefits which he would have received or would have accrued to him during that period.

 

4. HOURS AND PLACE OF WORK

 

4.1. Hours of work

 

The Executive agrees that he shall work normal business hours together with such additional hours as are necessary for the proper performance of his duties.

 

4.2. Working Time Regulations

 

The Executive has autonomous decision-making powers. The duration of his working time is not measured or predetermined. The Executive agrees that his employment falls within Regulation 20 of the Working Time Regulations 1998.

 

4.3. Place of work

 

(a) The Executive’s normal place of work will be at the Company’s offices at Oxford, but the Company may require the Executive to work at any place within the United Kingdom on either a temporary or an indefinite basis. The Executive will be given reasonable notice of any change in his permanent place of work.

 

(b) The Executive may be requested to be absent from the United Kingdom for a period exceeding 1 month at any one time, but there are not currently any particulars to be entered in this regard.

 

5. SCOPE OF THE EMPLOYMENT

 

5.1. Duties of the Executive

 

During the Employment the Executive shall:

 

(a) undertake and carry out to the best of his ability such duties and exercise such powers in relation to the Company or Group’s business as may from time to time be assigned to or vested in him by the Board including where those duties require the Executive to work for any Group Company;

 

(b) in the discharge of those duties and the exercise of those powers observe and comply with all lawful resolutions, regulations and directions from time to time made by, or under the authority of, the Board and promptly upon request, give a full account to the Board or a person duly authorised by the Board of all matters with which he is involved. He will provide the information in writing if requested;

 

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(c) comply with the Articles of Association (as amended from time to time) of the Parent, the Company and any Group Company;

 

(d) do, or refrain from doing, such things as are necessary or expedient to ensure compliance by himself, the Parent, the Company and any Group Company with applicable law and regulations and all regulatory authorities relevant to the Parent, the Company and any Group Company, and any codes of practice issued by the Parent, the Company and any Group Company (as amended from time to time);

 

(e) act in accordance with all statutory, fiduciary and common law duties that he owes to the Parent, the Company and any Group Company;

 

(f) refrain from doing anything which would cause him to be disqualified from acting as a director;

 

(g) unless prevented by ill-health, holidays or other unavoidable cause, devote the whole of his working time, attention and skill to the business of the Parent, the Company and Group Companies and the discharge of his duties hereunder;

 

(h) faithfully and diligently perform his duties and at all times use his best endeavours to promote and protect the interests of the Parent, the Company and the Group;

 

(i) promptly disclose to the Board full details of any wrongdoing by the Executive or any other employee of any Group Company where that wrongdoing is material to that employee’s employment by the relevant company or to the interests or reputation of any Group Company.

 

5.2. Right to suspend duties and powers

 

(a) During any notice period or for the purpose of investigating any matter in which the Executive is implicated or involved, the Company reserves the right in its absolute discretion to suspend all or any of the Executive’s duties and powers on terms it considers expedient or to require him to perform only such duties, specific projects or tasks as are assigned to him expressly by the Company (including the duties of another position) in any case for such period or periods and at such place or places (including, without limitation, the Executive’s home) as the Company in its absolute discretion deems necessary (the “Garden Leave”). During any period of Garden Leave the terms and conditions set out in this Agreement shall continue to apply to the Executive.

 

(b) The Company may, at its sole discretion, require that during the Garden Leave the Executive shall not:

 

(i) enter or attend the premises of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company;

 

(ii) contact or have any communication with any client or prospective client or supplier of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company in relation to the business of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company;

 

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(iii) contact or have any communication with any employee, officer, director, agent or consultant of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company in relation to the business of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company, save that this restriction shall (A) not prevent the Executive from contacting and communicating with his family members, and (B) be without prejudice to the Executive’s rights as shareholder of the Parent;

 

(iv) remain or become involved in any aspect of the business of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company except as required by such companies; or

 

(v) work either on his own account or on behalf of any other person.

 

(c) During Garden Leave, the Executive will continue to receive his Basic Salary and benefits but will not (except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement) accrue any bonus, commission or share of profit.

 

(d) If the Executive is suspended, other than during any notice period, for the purpose of investigating any matter in which the Executive is implicated or involved and the Executive is subsequently exonerated, the Executive will be paid any amounts not paid to the Executive in respect of the period of suspension where such amounts would have otherwise been paid were it not for the operation of Clause5.2(c).

 

(e) For the avoidance of doubt, the Company may exercise its powers under this Clause 5.2 at any time during the Employment including after notice of termination has been given by either party.

 

6. REMUNERATION

 

6.1. Basic Salary

 

(a) During the Employment the Company shall pay the Executive a Basic Salary of not less than £415,000 per annum. The Basic Salary shall accrue from day to day and be payable by credit transfer in equal monthly instalments in arrears on or around the 25th day of each calendar month or otherwise as arranged from time to time.

 

(b) The Basic Salary shall be inclusive of all director’s fees (if any) to which the Executive may become entitled including all remuneration and director’s fees in respect of services rendered by the Executive to any Group Company (including, without limitation, the Parent).

 

6.2. Salary review

 

The Basic Salary shall be reviewed annually. The Company is not obliged to increase the Basic Salary at any review.

 

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6.3. Annual bonus

 

(a) Subject to clause 6.3(b), the Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual performance bonus (the “Annual Bonus”) with an annual target of 50% (the “Target Percentage”) of the Executive’s then-current Base Salary (the “Target Bonus”). The Annual Bonus will be based upon the assessment of the Board (or a committee thereof) of the Executive’s performance and Group’s attainment of targeted goals (as established by the Board or a committee thereof in its sole discretion) over the applicable calendar year. The Annual Bonus, if any, will be subject to applicable payroll deductions and withholdings. No amount of any Annual Bonus is guaranteed at any time, and, except as otherwise expressly stated in clause 17 of this Agreement, the Executive must be an employee in good standing (without having given or received notice) through the date of payment of the Annual Bonus in order to be eligible to receive an Annual Bonus and no partial or prorated bonuses will be provided. Unless otherwise stated in clause 17 of this Agreement, any Annual Bonus, if awarded, will be paid by the Company after receipt by the Parent of the audited financial statements of the Parent for the financial year in question, but no later than 15 March of the year following the year to which such bonus relates, and will be paid in cash or in securities, as determined by the Board (or committee thereof). Any Annual Bonus will be subject to recoupment in accordance with any clawback policy that the Parent or the Company is required to adopt pursuant to the listing standards of any national securities exchange or association on which the Parent’s or any Group Company’s securities are listed or as is otherwise required by applicable law and any clawback policy that the Parent or the Company otherwise adopts, to the extent applicable and permissible under applicable law. No recovery of compensation under such a clawback policy will be an event giving rise to Good Reason. Except as otherwise stated in clause 6.3(c) or 17 this Agreement, in the event the Executive leaves the employment of the Company for any reason prior to the date the Annual Bonus is paid, the Executive is are not eligible to earn such Annual Bonus, prorated or otherwise.

 

(b) In respect of the 2021 calendar year the Executive’s Annual Bonus target shall be calculated as follows: (a) an amount equal to the prorated portion of the Executive’s Annual Bonus target for the 2021 calendar year as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Date (calculated using the number of days in the 2021 calendar year that have passed between 1 January 2021 and the date immediately preceding the Effective Date); plus (b) an amount equal to the prorated portion of the Target Bonus as in effect on the Effective Date (calculated using the Target Percentage for the number of days in the 2021 calendar year that have passed from (and including) the Effective Date and 31 December 2021).

 

(c) In the event that the Company terminates the Executive’s employment without Cause outside of a Change in Control Measurement Period, and subject to the Executive (i) executing a Settlement Agreement; (ii) returning all Company property; (iii) complying with the Executive’s termination and post-termination obligations under this Agreement; (iv) complying with the terms of the Settlement Agreement, including without limitation any non-disparagement and confidentiality provisions contained therein; and (v) resigning from any other positions held with the Company or any Group Company, including any position on the Board, effective no later than the Termination Date (or such other date as requested by the Board), the Company will pay the Executive an amount equal to the prorated portion of the Annual Bonus for the calendar year in which the Termination Date occurs (calculated using the Target Percentage for the number of days in the calendar year that have passed prior to the Termination Date) (the “Pro-Rated Bonus”). The Pro-Rated Bonus will be subject to standard deductions and withholdings and will be paid in a lump sum on or before the 60th day following the Termination Date.

 

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6.4. Directors’ Remuneration Policy.

 

Executive understands and agrees that, if and for so long as the Executive is a director of the Parent, the Executive’s remuneration shall be subject to the terms of the Directors’ Remuneration Policy as may be adopted by the Parent in accordance with applicable law from time to time.

 

7. EXPENSES

 

7.1. Out-of-pocket expenses

 

The Company shall reimburse to the Executive (against receipts or other appropriate evidence as the Board may require) the amount of all out-of-pocket expenses reasonably and properly incurred by him in the proper discharge of his duties hereunder to the extent that such expenses are incurred in accordance with the Group’s applicable business expenses policy from time to time.

 

8. DEDUCTIONS

 

The Executive agrees that the Company may deduct from any sums due to him under this Agreement any sums due by him to any Group Company including, without limitation, any debits to his Company credit or charge card not authorised by the Company, the Executive’s pension contributions (if any), any overpayments, loans or advances made to him by any Group Company, the cost of repairing any damage or loss to the Company’s property caused by him and any losses suffered by the Group as a result of any negligence or breach of duty by the Executive.

 

9. PENSION SCHEME

 

During the period of the Executive’s service with the Company, the Company will comply at all times with the employer duties under Part 1 of the Pensions Act 2008.

 

10. OTHER INSURANCE & BENEFITS

 

10.1. Health Care Scheme

 

Without prejudice to the terms of Clauses 3 and 17, the Executive shall be entitled during the Employment, to participate at the Company’s expense in any Health Care Scheme subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a) the Executive’s participation is subject to the Company’s rules regarding eligibility in force from time to time and the rules, terms and conditions of the relevant Health Care Scheme and/or insurance policy in force from time to time;

 

(b) the Company reserves the right to terminate the Executive’s or the Company’s participation in any of the Health Care Scheme(s), substitute a new scheme(s) for an existing scheme(s) and/or alter the level or type of benefits available under any scheme(s);

 

(c) if a scheme provider (e.g. an insurance company or pensions provider) refuses for any reason (whether under its own interpretation of the rules, terms and conditions of the relevant insurance policy or otherwise) to accept a claim and/or provide the relevant benefit(s) to the Executive under the applicable Health Care Scheme, the Company shall not be liable to provide (or compensate the Executive for the loss of) such benefit(s) nor shall it be obliged to take action against the provider to enforce any rights under the Health Care Scheme;

 

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(d) the fact that the termination of the Employment may result in the Executive ceasing to be eligible to receive or continue to receive benefits under any Health Care Scheme does not remove the Company’s right to terminate the Employment; and

 

(e) the Executive’s acceptance of such variations to his terms and conditions of employment as may from time to time be required by the Company.

 

10.2. Medical examinations

 

At any reasonable time during the Employment the Company may require the Executive to undergo a medical examination by a medical practitioner appointed by the Company and at the Company’s expense and the Executive will consent to such examination and to the results being made available to the Company.

 

10.3. Other leave and benefits

 

(a) The Executive may be eligible for other forms of paid leave, subject to any statutory eligibility requirements or conditions and the Company's rules applicable to each type of leave in force from time to time. Further details of such leave are available in the Company’s Staff Handbook. The Company may replace, amend or withdraw the Company's policy on any types of leave at any time.

 

(b) The Executive may be eligible to be provided with other benefits during their employment with the Company, subject to any rules applicable to the relevant benefit. Further details of these benefits are available from the Staff Handbook. The Company may replace or withdraw such benefits, or amend the terms of such benefits, at any time.

 

11. HOLIDAYS

 

11.1. The holiday year

 

The Company’s holiday year runs from 1st January to 31st December. Holidays can only be taken with the prior agreement of the Chairman (such agreement not be withheld unreasonably).

 

11.2. Annual entitlement

 

(a) The Executive shall be entitled to 28 days' paid holiday in each holiday year excluding the usual public holidays in England.

 

(b) Entitlement to contractual holidays is accrued pro rata throughout the holiday year. The Executive will be entitled to take public and customary holidays on the days that they are recognised by the Company during the holiday year.

 

(c) The Executive may carry any unused holiday entitlement forward to the next holiday year in accordance with the Company’s policy on holidays as may apply from time to time, save that any agreement shall be from the Chairman.

 

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11.3. Holiday entitlement on termination

 

Upon notice of termination of the Employment being served by either party, the Company may require the Executive to take any unused holidays accrued in the holiday year in which the termination takes place during any notice period. Alternatively, the Company may, at its discretion, on termination of the Employment, make a payment in lieu of accrued contractual holiday entitlement. The Executive will be required to make a payment to the Company in respect of any holidays taken in excess of his holiday entitlement accrued at the Termination Date. Any sums so due may be deducted from any money owing to the Executive by the Company.

 

12. TRAINING

 

As at the date of this Agreement, the Executive is not required to undertake any particular training. If any particular training is required or offered, details will be provided.

 

13. ABSENCE

 

13.1. Absence due to sickness or injury

 

If the Executive is absent from work due to sickness or injury he shall:

 

(a) immediately inform the Chairman and the Head of Human Resources of his sickness or injury; and

 

(b) In respect of absence due to sickness, injury or accident that continues for more than 7 consecutive days (including weekends) the Executive must provide the Company with a note of fitness to work stating the reason for the absence. Thereafter notes of fitness to work must be provided to the Company to cover the remainder of the period of continuing sickness absence. Failure to follow these requirements may result in disciplinary action and loss of Statutory Sick Pay and/or sick pay pursuant to Clause 13.2.

 

13.2. Payment of salary during absence

 

(a) Subject to the Executive complying with the terms of Clause 13.1, the Company may, at its sole discretion continue to pay Basic Salary and other benefits during any period of absence due to sickness or injury for up to a maximum period of 4 weeks (according to the Company’s Staff Handbook) in any period of 12 consecutive months (the 12 month period referred to as the “Entitlement Period”) and thereafter a sum equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay only during any further period of absence due to sickness or injury in the same Entitlement Period for up to a maximum period of 13 weeks unless the Employment is terminated in terms of Clauses 3 or 17. The first Entitlement Period will begin on the first day of absence and any subsequent Entitlement Period will start on the first day of any absence occurring outside an enduring Entitlement Period.

 

(b) Payment of the Basic Salary in terms of Clause 13.2(a) shall be made less:

 

(i) an amount equivalent to any Statutory Sick Pay payable to the Executive;

 

(ii) any sums which may be received by the Executive under any insurance policy effected by the Company; and

 

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(iii) any other benefits or sums which the Executive receives (e.g. under a PHI or other insurance scheme) in connection with the Employment or under any relevant legislation.

 

(c) Once payment of Basic Salary under Clause 13.2(a) ceases, then the Executive shall have no right to any benefit or emolument from the Company.

 

13.3. Absence caused by third party negligence

 

If the Executive’s absence is caused by the negligence of a third party in respect of which damages are recoverable, then all sums paid by the Company during the period of absence shall constitute loans to the Executive who shall:

 

(a) immediately notify the Company of all the relevant circumstances and of any claim, compromise, settlement or judgment made or awarded; and

 

(b) if the Company so requires, refund to it an amount determined by the Company, not exceeding the lesser of:

 

(i) the amount of damages recovered by him in respect of loss of earnings during the period of absence under any compromise, settlement or judgment; and

 

(ii) the sums advanced to him by the Company in respect of the period of incapacity.

 

14. OTHER INTERESTS

 

14.1. Disclosure of other interests

 

The Executive shall disclose to the Board any interest of his own (or that of his partner or of any child of his or of his partner under eighteen years of age):

 

(a) in any trade, business or occupation whatsoever which is in any way similar to any of those in which the Parent, the Company or any Group Company is involved; and

 

(b) in any trade, business or occupation carried on by any supplier or customer of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company whether or not such trade, business or occupation is conducted for profit or gain.

 

14.2. Restrictions on other activities and interests of the Executive

 

(a) During the Employment, the Executive shall not at any time, without the prior written consent of the Board, either alone or jointly with any other person, carry on or be directly or indirectly employed, engaged, concerned or interested in any business, prospective business or undertaking other than a Group Company. Nothing contained in this Clause shall preclude the Executive from being a Minority Holder unless the holding is in a company that is a direct business competitor of the Company or any Group Company in which case, the Executive shall obtain the prior consent of the Board to the acquisition or variation of such holding.

 

(b) If the Executive, with the consent of the Board, accepts any other appointment he must keep the Board accurately informed of the amount of time he spends working under that appointment.

 

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14.3. Transactions with the Company

 

Subject to any regulations issued by the Group, the Executive shall not be entitled to receive or obtain directly or indirectly any discount, rebate, commission or any other form of gift or gratuity (any of these referred to as a “Gratuity”) as a result of the Employment or any sale or purchase of goods or services effected or other business transacted (whether or not by him) by or on behalf of the Company or any Group Company and if he (or any person in which he is interested) obtains any Gratuity he shall account to the Company for the amount received by him (or a due proportion of the amount received by the person having regard to the extent of his interest therein).

 

15. CONFIDENTIALITY AND COMPANY DOCUMENTS

 

15.1. Restrictions on disclosure and use of Confidential Information

 

The Executive must not either during the Employment (except in the proper performance of his duties) or at any time (without limit) after the Termination Date:

 

(a) divulge or communicate to any person;

 

(b) use for his own purposes or for any purposes other than those of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company; or

 

(c) through any failure to exercise due care and diligence, cause any unauthorised disclosure of;

 

any Confidential Information. The Executive must at all times use his best endeavours to prevent publication or disclosure of any Confidential Information. These restrictions shall cease to apply to any information which shall become available to the public generally otherwise than through the default of the Executive. These restrictions shall not apply to any use or disclosure authorised by the Board or required by law, or any protected disclosure within the meaning of section 43A of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

 

15.2. Protection of Company documents and materials

 

All notes, records, lists of customers, suppliers and employees, correspondence, computer and other discs or tapes, data listings, codes, keys and passwords, designs, drawings and other documents or material whatsoever (whether made or created by the Executive or otherwise and in whatever medium or format) relating to the business of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company or any of its or their clients (and any copies of the same):

 

(a) shall be and remain the property of the Parent, the Company or the relevant Group Company or client; and

 

(b) shall be handed over by the Executive to the Parent, the Company or the relevant Group Company or client on demand by the Company and in any event on the termination of the Employment.

 

16. INVENTIONS AND OTHER WORKS

 

16.1. Executive to further interests of the Company

 

The Company and the Executive agree that the Executive may make or create Works in the course of the Employment and agree that in this respect the Executive is obliged to further the interests of the Company and any Group Company.

 

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16.2. Disclosure and ownership of Works

 

The Executive must immediately disclose to the Company all Works and all Intellectual Property Rights. Both the Works and all Intellectual Property Rights will (subject to sections 39 to 43 Patents Act 1977) belong to and be the absolute property of the Company or any other person the Company may nominate.

 

16.3. Protection, registration and vesting of Works

 

The Executive shall immediately on request by the Company (whether during or after the Employment) and at the expense of the Company:

 

(a) apply or join with the Company or any Group Company in applying for any Intellectual Property Rights or other protection or registration (“Protection”) in the United Kingdom and in any other part of the world for, or in relation to, any Works;

 

(b) execute all instruments and do all things necessary for vesting all Intellectual Property Rights or Protection when obtained and all right, title and interest to and in the same absolutely and as sole beneficial owner in the Company or such Group Company or other person as the Company may nominate; and

 

(c) sign and execute any documents and do any acts reasonably required by the Company in connection with any proceedings in respect of any applications and any publication or application for revocation of any Intellectual Property Rights or Protection.

 

16.4. Waiver of rights by the Executive

 

The Executive hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives all rights under Chapter IV Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and any other moral rights which he may have in the Works, in whatever part of the world such rights may be enforceable including:

 

(a) the right conferred by section 77 of that Act to be identified as the author of any such Works; and

 

(b) the right conferred by section 80 of that Act not to have any such Works subjected to derogatory treatment.

 

16.5. Power of Attorney

 

The Executive hereby irrevocably appoints the Company to be his attorney and in his name and on his behalf to execute any such act and to sign all deeds and documents and generally to use his name for the purpose of giving to the Company the full benefit of this Clause. The Executive agrees that, with respect to any third parties, a certificate signed by any duly authorised officer of the Company that any act or deed or document falls within the authority hereby conferred shall be conclusive evidence that this is the case.

 

16.6. Statutory rights

 

Nothing in this Clause 16 shall be construed as restricting the rights of the Executive or the Company under sections 39 to 43 Patents Act 1977.

 

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17. TERMINATION

 

17.1. Termination events

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of Clauses 3 and 10, the Company shall be entitled, but not bound, to terminate the Employment with immediate effect (without a notice period or payment in lieu of any notice period) by giving to the Executive notice in writing at any time after the occurrence of any one or more of the following events (each being termination for “Cause”):

 

(a) if the Executive is guilty of any gross misconduct or behaviour which tends to bring himself or the Company or any Group Company into disrepute; or

 

(b) if the Executive commits any material or persistent breach of this Agreement (in the case of a non-material persistent breach, having been given notice in writing of the breach and a reasonable opportunity to rectify the breach) or fails to comply with any reasonable order or direction of the Board; or

 

(c) if he becomes insolvent or bankrupt or compounds with or grants a trust deed for the benefit of his creditors; or

 

(d) if his behaviour (whether or not in breach of this Agreement) can reasonably be regarded as materially prejudicial to the interests of the Company or any Group Company, including if he is found guilty of any criminal offence punishable by imprisonment (whether or not such sentence is actually imposed); or

 

(e) if he has an order made against him disqualifying him from acting as a company director; or

 

(f) if the Executive is found guilty of any offence of bribery under the Bribery Act 2010, or other bribery legislation in any other jurisdiction, breach of Clause 15 of this Agreement or the Company’s Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy; or

 

(g) if the Executive commits any material breach or persistent but non-material breach of the Articles of Association of the Company or any Group Company (in the case of a persistent but non-material breach, having been given notice in writing of the breach and a reasonable opportunity to rectify the breach).

 

17.2. Termination on resignation as director

 

If the Executive resigns as a director of the Company or any Group Company (otherwise than at the request of the Board), he shall be deemed to have voluntarily resigned from the Employment with effect from the date of his resignation, unless the Company agrees with the Executive that the Employment should continue, in which case the Employment may be subject to any terms and conditions stipulated by the Company in its absolute discretion.

 

17.3. No damages or payment in lieu of notice

 

In the event of the Employment being terminated pursuant to Clause 17.1 the Executive shall not be entitled to receive any payment in lieu of notice nor make any claim against the Company or any Group Company for damages for loss of office or termination of the Employment. Regardless of this, the termination shall be without prejudice to the continuing obligations of the Executive under this Agreement.

 

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17.4. Termination by the Company without Cause or resignation by the Executive for Good Reason (in connection with a Change in Control)

 

In the event that the Company terminates the Executive’s Employment without Cause or the Executive resigns for Good Reason, in either case, upon or within (12) twelve months following the effective date of a Change in Control (such period, the “Change in Control Measurement Period”) then the Executive shall be entitled to his salary and benefits pursuant to the terms of this Agreement through the Termination Date and, subject to the Executive (i) executing a Settlement Agreement; (ii) returning all Company property; (iii) complying with the Executive’s termination and post-termination obligations under this Agreement; (iv) complying with the terms of the Settlement Agreement, including without limitation any non-disparagement and confidentiality provisions contained therein; and (v) resigning from any other positions held with the Company or any Group Company, including any position on the Board, effective no later than the Termination Date (or such other date as requested by the Board), the Executive shall be eligible to receive the following severance benefits (collectively the “CIC Severance Benefits”):

 

(a) The Company will pay the Executive severance pay in the form of continuation of the Executive’s then-current Basic Salary (ignoring any decrease that forms the basis for the Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, if applicable) for eighteen (18) months following the Termination Date (such period of time, the “CIC Severance Period”, and such aggregate Basic Salary amount payable, the “CIC Severance”). The CIC Severance will be paid in substantially equal instalments on the Company’s regular payroll schedule over the CIC Severance Period, subject to such deductions as the Company is required by law to make, shall be reduced by any Basic Salary received by the Executive during any period of Garden Leave and shall be inclusive of any PILON; provided, however that no portion of the CIC Severance (except for any PILON instalment which is due) will be paid prior to the date that the general release of claims in the Settlement Agreement becomes effective (the “Release Date”), and any such payments that are otherwise scheduled to be made prior to the Release Date shall instead accrue and be made on the first regular payroll date following the Release Date;

 

(b) The Company will pay to the Executive in monthly instalments, subject to such deductions as the Company is required by law to make, a fully taxable cash payment equal to: (i) the coverage premium for the Executive (and the Executive’s covered dependents, as applicable) health insurance coverage in effect on the Termination Date until the earliest of: (1) the close of the CIC Severance Period or; (2) the date when the Executive becomes eligible for substantially equivalent health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment; and (ii) the Company’s employer pension contributions that would have been received by the Executive during the CIC Severance Period had Employment continued, at the rate payable by the Company immediately prior to the Termination Date;

 

(c) The Company will make a lump sum cash payment to the Executive in an amount equal to one and a half (1.5) times the Target Bonus for the year in which the Termination Date occurs, subject to such deductions as the Company is required by law to make, which will be paid in a lump sum on or before the 60th day following the Termination Date;

 

(d) Effective as of the Termination Date, the vesting and exercisability of all outstanding equity awards covering the Parent’s ordinary shares that are held by the Executive immediately prior to the Termination Date shall be accelerated in full.

 

The CIC Severance Benefits provided to the Executive pursuant to this clause 17.4 are in lieu of, and not in addition to, any benefits to which the Executive may otherwise be entitled under any Company severance plan, policy, or program.

 

Any damages caused by the termination of the Executive’s employment without Cause during the Change in Control Measurement Period would be difficult to ascertain; therefore, the CIC Severance Benefits for which the Executive is eligible pursuant to this clause 17.4 in exchange for the Settlement Agreement are agreed to by the parties as liquidated damages, to serve as full compensation, and not a penalty.

 

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17.5. Termination by the Company without Cause or resignation by the Executive for Good Reason (not in connection with a Change in Control)

 

In the event that the Company terminates the Executive’s Employment without Cause or the Executive resigns for Good Reason, in either case, outside a Change in Control Measurement Period then the Executive shall be entitled to his salary and benefits pursuant to the terms of this Agreement through the Termination Date and, subject to the Executive (i) executing a Settlement Agreement; (ii) returning all Company property; (iii) complying with the Executive’s termination and post-termination obligations under this Agreement; (iv) complying with the terms of the Settlement Agreement, including without limitation any non-disparagement and confidentiality provisions contained therein; and (v) resigning from any other positions held with the Company or any Group Company, including any position on the Board, effective no later than the Termination Date (or such other date as requested by the Board), the Executive shall be eligible to receive the following severance benefits (collectively the “Non-CIC Severance Benefits”):

 

(a) The Company will pay to the Executive in monthly instalments, subject to such deductions as the Company is required by law to make, a fully taxable cash payment equal to the coverage premium for the Executive (and the Executive’s covered dependents, as applicable) health insurance coverage in effect on the Termination Date and/or provide the Executive with continued access to the Company’s health insurance scheme until the earliest of: (1) the twelve (12) month anniversary of the date on which notice to terminate the Employment is given in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or; (2) the date when the Executive becomes eligible for substantially equivalent health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment.

 

The Non-CIC Severance Benefits provided to the Executive pursuant to this clause 17.5 are in lieu of, and not in addition to, any benefits to which the Executive may otherwise be entitled under any Company severance plan, policy, or program.

 

Any damages caused by the termination of the Executive’s employment without Cause outside the Change in Control Measurement Period would be difficult to ascertain; therefore, the Non-CIC Severance Benefits for which the Executive is eligible pursuant to this clause 17.5 in exchange for the Settlement Agreement are agreed to by the parties as liquidated damages, to serve as full compensation, and not a penalty.

 

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17.6. Death or Disability

 

(a) In the event of the Executive’s death while employed pursuant to this Agreement, all obligations of the parties hereunder and the Executive’s employment shall terminate immediately, but neither the Executive nor their legal representatives will receive the CIC Severance Benefits or the Non-CIC Benefits. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this clause or in this Agreement shall preclude the Executive from remaining eligible to receive any payments or benefits pursuant to any life assurance or permanent health insurance policy under which the Executive participates, subject to and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such policy and applicable law.

 

(b) Subject to applicable law, the Company shall at all times have the right, upon written notice to the Executive, to terminate this Agreement based on the Executive’s Disability (as defined below). Termination by the Company of the Executive’s employment based on “Disability” shall mean termination because the Executive is unable due to a physical or mental condition to perform the essential functions of their position with or without reasonable adjustments for twelve (12) months in the aggregate during any eighteen (18) month period or based on the written certification by two qualified licensed physicians of the likely continuation of such condition for such period. In the event the Executive’s employment is terminated based on Disability, the Executive will not receive the CIC Severance Benefits or the Non-CIC Benefits. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this clause or in this Agreement shall preclude the Executive from remaining eligible to receive any payments or benefits pursuant to any life assurance or permanent health insurance policy under which the Executive participates, subject to and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such policy and applicable law.

 

18. EVENTS UPON TERMINATION

 

18.1. Obligations upon termination

 

Immediately upon the termination of the Employment howsoever arising or immediately at the request of the Board at any time after either the Company or the Executive has served notice of termination of the Employment, the Executive shall:

 

(a) deliver to the Company all Works, materials within the scope of Clause 15.2 and all other materials and property including credit or charge cards, mobile telephone, computer equipment, disks and software, passwords, encryption keys or the like, keys, security pass, letters, stationery, documents, files, films, records, reports, plans and papers (in whatever format including electronic) and all copies thereof used in or relating to the business of the Company or the Group which are in the possession of or under the control of the Executive;

 

(b) resign (without claim for compensation) as a director and from all other offices held by him in the Company or any Group Company or otherwise by virtue of the Employment. For the avoidance of doubt, such resignations shall be without prejudice to any claims the Executive may have against the Company or any Group Company arising out of the termination of the Employment; and

 

(c) transfer without payment, to the Company, or as the Company may direct, any shares or other securities held by the Executive as nominee or trustee for the Company or any Group Company;

 

and should the Executive fail to do so the Company is hereby irrevocably authorised to appoint some person to sign any documents and/or do all things in his name and on his behalf necessary to give effect thereto.

 

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19. RESTRICTIONS AFTER TERMINATION

 

19.1. Definitions

 

Since the Executive is likely to obtain Confidential Information in the course of the Employment and personal knowledge of and influence over suppliers, customers, clients and employees of the Company and Group Companies, the Executive hereby agrees with the Company that in addition to the other terms of this Agreement and without prejudice to the other restrictions imposed upon him by law, he will be bound by the covenants and undertakings contained in Clauses 19.2 to 19.7. In this Clause 19, unless the context otherwise requires:

 

Customer means any person to which the Company distributed, sold or supplied Restricted Products or Restricted Services during the Relevant Period and with which, during that period either the Executive, or any employee under the direct or indirect supervision of the Executive, had material dealings in the course of the Employment, or about which the Executive had Confidential Information, but always excluding therefrom, any division, branch or office of such person with which the Executive and/or any such employee had no dealings during that period and about which the Executive had no Confidential Information;
Prospective Customer means any person with which the Company had discussions during the Relevant Period regarding the possible distribution, sale or supply of Restricted Products or Restricted Services and with which during such period the Executive, or any employee who was under the direct or indirect supervision of the Executive, had material dealings in the course of the Employment, or about which the Executive had Confidential Information, but always excluding therefrom any division, branch or office of that person with which the Executive and/or any such employee had no dealings during that period and about which the Executive had no Confidential Information;
Relevant Period means: (i) where the Employment is continuing, the period of the Employment; and (ii) where the Employment has terminated, the period of twelve months immediately preceding the Termination Date;
Restricted Area means:

 

 

(a) England, Scotland and Wales;

 

(b) the United States of America;

 

(c) Japan; and

 

(d) any other country in the world where, on the Termination Date, the Company dealt in Restricted Products or Restricted Services;

 

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Restricted Employee means any person who was a director, employee or consultant of the Company at any time within the Relevant Period who by reason of that position and in particular his seniority and expertise or knowledge of Confidential Information or knowledge of or influence over the clients, customers or contacts of the Company is likely to cause damage to the Company if he were to leave the employment of the Company and become employed by a competitor of the Company;
Restricted Period means the period commencing on the Termination Date and, subject to the terms of Clause 19.4, continuing for 12 months;
Restricted Products means any products, equipment or machinery researched into, developed, manufactured, supplied, marketed, distributed or sold by the Company (on its own or in collaboration or partnership with others) and with which the duties of the Executive were materially concerned or for which he was responsible during the Relevant Period or about which he had Confidential Information, or any products, equipment or machinery of the same type or materially similar to those products, equipment or machinery;
Restricted Services means any services (including but not limited to technical and product support, technical advice and customer services) researched into, developed or supplied by the Company (on its own or in collaboration or partnership with others) and with which the duties of the Executive were materially concerned or for which he was responsible during the Relevant Period or about which he had Confidential Information, or any services of the same type or materially similar to those services;
Supplier means any supplier, agent, distributor or other person who, during the Relevant Period was in the habit of dealing with the Company and with which, during that period, the Executive, or any employee under the direct or indirect supervision of the Executive, had material dealings in the course of the Employment, or about which the Executive had Confidential Information.

 

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19.2. Restrictive covenants

 

Both during the Employment and during the Restricted Period, the Executive will not, without the prior written consent of the Board, whether by himself, through his employees or agents and whether on his own behalf or on behalf of any person, directly or indirectly:

 

(a) so as to compete with the Company, solicit business from or canvas or approach any Customer or Prospective Customer or business partner in respect of Restricted Products or Restricted Services;

 

(b) so as to compete with the Company, accept orders from, act for or have any business dealings with, any Customer or Prospective Customer or business partner in respect of Restricted Products or Restricted Services;

 

(c) within the Restricted Area, be employed, engaged or interested in or provide Confidential Information to that part of a business or person which is involved in Restricted Products or Restricted Services, if the business or person is or seeks to be in competition with the Company. For the purposes of this sub-clause, acts done by the Executive outside the Restricted Area shall nonetheless be deemed to be done within the Restricted Area where their primary purpose is to distribute, sell, supply or otherwise deal with Restricted Products or Restricted Services in the Restricted Area;

 

(d) solicit or induce or endeavour to solicit or induce any person who was a Restricted Employee (and with whom the Executive had dealings during the Relevant Period) to cease working for or providing services to the Company, whether or not any such person would thereby commit a breach of contract;

 

(e) employ or otherwise engage any Restricted Employee in the business of Restricted Products or Restricted Services if that business is, or seeks to be, in competition with the Company;

 

(f) solicit or induce or endeavour to solicit or induce or approach any Supplier to cease to deal with the Company and shall not interfere in any way with any relationship between a Supplier and the Company; or

 

(g) so as to compete with the Company or reduce the Company’s business, solicit, deal with, or attempt to solicit or deal with, any key business partners of the Company, including any entity with whom it has entered into a collaboration agreement (or with whom it is in discussions to enter into a collaboration agreement), and with which entity the Executive has had business dealings during the Relevant Period or about which the Executive has Confidential Information.

 

19.3. Application of restrictive covenants to other Group Companies

 

Clause 19.2 shall also apply as though references to the “Company” in Clauses 19.1 and 19.2 include references to each Group Company in relation to which the Executive has in the course of the Employment or by reason of rendering services to or holding office in such Group Company:

 

(a) acquired knowledge of its products, services, trade secrets or Confidential Information; or

 

(b) had personal dealings with, or Confidential Information about, its Customers or Prospective Customers; or

 

(c) supervised directly or indirectly employees having personal dealings with its Customers or Prospective Customers;

 

but so that references to the “Company” shall for this purpose be deemed to be references to the relevant Group Company. The obligations undertaken by the Executive pursuant to this Clause 19.3 shall, with respect to each Group Company, constitute a separate and distinct covenant in favour of and for the benefit of each Group Company and which shall be enforceable either by the particular Group Company or by the Company on behalf of the Group Company and the invalidity or unenforceability of any such covenant shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the covenants in favour of any other Group Company.

 

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19.4. Effect of suspension on Restricted Period

 

If the Company exercises its right to suspend the Executive’s duties and powers under Clause 5.2 after notice of termination of the Employment has been given, the aggregate of the period of the suspension and the Restricted Period shall not exceed 12 months and if the aggregate of the two periods would exceed 12 months, the Restricted Period shall be reduced accordingly.

 

Further undertakings

 

The Executive hereby undertakes to the Company that he will not at any time:

 

(a) during the Employment or after the Termination Date engage in any trade or business outside the Group or be associated with any person engaged in any trade or business using any trading names used by the Company or any Group Company including any of the names or incorporating any of the words “Exscientia” or “Kinetic Discovery”;

 

(b) after the Termination Date make any public statement in relation to the Company or any Group Company or any of their directors, officers or employees or any product or service being sold or developed by the Company or any Group Company; or

 

(c) after the Termination Date represent or otherwise indicate any association or connection with the Company or any Group Company or for the purpose of carrying on or retaining any business represent or otherwise indicate any past association with the Company or any Group Company.

 

19.5. Protection of Company reputation

 

The Executive undertakes that, he will not at any time during the Employment and at any time (without limit) after the Termination Date make or publish or cause to be made or published to anyone in any circumstances any disparaging remarks concerning the Company or any Group Company or any of its or their respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, consultants or agents or any product or service being sold or developed by the Company or any Group Company. However, this shall not apply to any protected disclosure by the Executive within the meaning of section 43A of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

 

19.6. Employment Offer

 

In the event that the Executive receives an offer of employment or request to provide services either during the Employment or during the terms of the Restricted Period, the Executive shall:

 

(a) provide immediately to such person, company or other entity making such an offer or request a full and accurate copy of the Restrictive Covenants set out at Clause 19 of this Agreement; and

 

(b) notify the Company within 5 working days of receipt of the offer and the identity of the person, company or other entity making the offer.

 

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19.7. Severance

 

The restrictions in this Clause 19 (on which the Executive has had the opportunity to take independent advice, as the Executive hereby acknowledges) are separate and severable restrictions and are considered by the parties to be reasonable in all the circumstances. It is agreed that if any such restrictions, by themselves, or taken together, shall be adjudged to go beyond what is reasonable in all the circumstances for the protection of the legitimate interests of the Company or a Group Company but would be adjudged reasonable if some part of it were deleted, the relevant restriction or restrictions shall apply with such deletion(s) as may be necessary to make it or them valid and enforceable.

 

20. RECONSTRUCTION AND AMALGAMATIONS

 

If the Company undergoes any process of reconstruction or amalgamation (whether or not involving the liquidation of the Company) and the Executive is offered employment by the successor or proposed successor to the Company or any Group Companies on terms not materially less favourable overall to those under this Agreement whether as to duties, responsibilities, remuneration or otherwise and the Executive does not accept the offer within one month of it being made, then the Executive shall have no claim in respect of termination of this Agreement and the Employment.

 

21. DISCIPLINARY AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

 

21.1. Disciplinary procedures

 

Any disciplinary action taken in connection with the Employment will usually be taken in accordance with the Company’s normal disciplinary procedures (which are workplace rules and not contractually binding) a copy of which is available from the Company’s Human Resources department.

 

21.2. Grievance procedure

 

If the Executive wishes to obtain redress of any grievance relating to the Employment or is dissatisfied with any reprimand, suspension or other disciplinary step taken by the Company, he shall apply in writing to the chairman of the Board, setting out the nature and details of any such grievance or dissatisfaction.

 

22. GENERAL

 

22.1. Provisions which survive termination

 

Any provision of this Agreement which is expressed or intended to have effect on, or to continue in force after, the termination of this Agreement shall have such effect, or, as the case may be, continue in force, after such termination.

 

22.2. No collective agreements

 

There are no collective agreements that directly affect the terms and conditions of the Employment.

 

22.3. Compliance

 

The Executive shall comply with the relevant obligations under prevailing law and regulation, including the Companies Act 2006, the requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requirements (in each case to the extent applicable) or other laws applicable to the Parent and the Company from time to time as may be notified to the Executive.

 

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23. DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY

 

23.1. Data Protection

 

The Company will hold, collect and otherwise process certain personal data as set out in the Company’s privacy notice, which is in the Company’s Staff Handbook. All personal data will be treated in accordance with applicable data protection laws and regulations.

 

24. AMENDMENTS, WAIVERS AND REMEDIES

 

24.1. Amendments

 

No amendment or variation of this Agreement or any of the documents referred to in it shall be effective unless it is in writing and (other than an alteration in the Basic Salary) signed by or on behalf of each of the parties.

 

24.2. Waivers and remedies cumulative

 

(a) The rights of each party under this Agreement:

 

(i) may be exercised as often as necessary;

 

(ii) are cumulative and not exclusive of its rights under the general law; and

 

(iii) may be waived only in writing and specifically.

 

(b) Delay in exercising or non-exercise of any right is not a waiver of that right.

 

(c) Any right of rescission conferred upon the Company by this Agreement shall be in addition to and without prejudice to all other rights and remedies available to it.

 

25. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

 

(a) This Agreement and the documents referred to in it constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties and supersede and extinguish all previous agreements, promises, assurances, warranties, representations and understandings between the parties, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.

 

(b) Each party acknowledges that in entering into this Agreement it does not rely on, and shall have no remedies in respect of, any statement, representation, assurance or warranty (whether made innocently or negligently) that is not set out in this Agreement.

 

(c) Each party agrees that it shall have no claim for innocent or negligent misrepresentation or negligent misstatement based on any statement in this Agreement.

 

(d) Nothing in this Clause shall limit or exclude any liability for fraud.

 

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26. NO OUTSTANDING CLAIMS

 

The Executive hereby acknowledges that he has no outstanding claims of any kind against the Company or any Group Company (other than in respect of remuneration and expenses due to the date of this Agreement but not yet paid).

 

27. SEVERANCE

 

If any provision of this Agreement is or becomes illegal, invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, that shall not affect:

 

(a) the legality, validity or enforceability in that jurisdiction of any other provisions of this Agreement; or

 

(b) the legality, validity or enforceability in any other jurisdiction of that or any other provision of this Agreement.

 

28. NOTICE

 

28.1. Notices and deemed receipt

 

Any notice hereunder shall be given by either party to the other either personally to the Executive or (where notice is to be given to the Company) the Chairman or the Head of Human Resources or sent in the case of the Company, to its registered office for the time being and, in the case of the Executive, to his address last known to the Company or sent by email to, in the case of the Company, the Company email address of the Chairman and the Head of Human Resources and, in the case of the Executive, his Company email address. Any such notice shall be in writing and shall be given by letter delivered by hand or sent by first class prepaid recorded delivery or registered post or by email transmission. Any such notice shall be deemed to have been received:

 

(a) if delivered personally, at the time of delivery;

 

(b) in the case of pre-paid recorded delivery or registered post, 48 hours from the date of posting;

 

(c) in the case of registered airmail, five days from the date of posting; and

 

(d) in the case of email, at the time of transmission;

 

provided that if deemed receipt occurs before 9am on a business day the notice shall be deemed to have been received at 9am on that day and if deemed receipt occurs after 5pm on a business day, or on a day which is not a business day, the notice shall be deemed to have been received at 9am on the next business day. For the purpose of this Clause, “business day” means any day which is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday in the place at or to which the notice is left or sent. This clause does not apply to the service of any proceedings or other documents in any legal action or, where applicable, any arbitration or other method of dispute resolution.

 

28.2. Electronic service

 

For the avoidance of doubt, notice given under this Agreement shall be validly served if sent by email.

 

29. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

 

29.1. Governing law

 

This Agreement is governed by and to be construed in accordance with English law.

 

29.2. Jurisdiction

 

Each party hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts as regards any claim, dispute or matter arising out of or in connection with this Agreement and its implementation and effect.

 

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IN WITNESS of which this Agreement has been executed and delivered as a deed on the first date written above.

 

EXECUTED as a Deed by EXSCIENTIA AI LIMITED acting by DAVID NICHOLSON  
    Director
     
Witness’s    
     
Signature:    
     
Full Name:    
     
Address:    
     
     
       
EXECUTED as a Deed by
ANDREW HOPKINS in the presence of:
 
     
Witness’s    
     
Signature:    
     
Full Name:    
     
Address:    
     
     

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.3

 

THIS AGREEMENT is made on                                                                      2021.

 

BETWEEN

 

(1) EXSCIENTIA AI LIMITED, a company registered in Scotland with registered number SC428761 and having its registered office at Level 3, Dundee One River Court, 5 West Victoria Dock Road, Dundee, United Kingdom (the “Company”); and

 

(2) BEN TAYLOR, residing at 39 The Lion Brewery, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 1JE (the “Executive”).

 

BACKGROUND

 

On and from the Effective Date, the Company wishes to employ the Executive as Chief Financial Officer on the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Executive wishes to accept such terms of employment.

 

IT IS AGREED as follows:

 

1. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

 

1.1. Definitions

 

In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:

 

Basic Salary means the salary, as specified in Clause 6.1(a) or, as appropriate, the reviewed annual salary from time to time;
Board means the Board of directors of the Parent from time to time or any duly authorised committee thereof, or where the relevant powers have been reserved to the Parent’s members, its members from time to time;
“Cause” Means as defined in clause 17.1;
“Change in Control” means as defined in the Parent’s 2021 Equity Incentive Plan with Non-Employee Sub-Plan and CSOP Sub-Plan;

Confidential Information means all information which is identified or treated by the Company or any Group Company or any of the Group’s clients or customers as confidential or which by reason of its character or the circumstances or manner of its disclosure is evidently confidential including (without prejudice to the foregoing generality) any information about the personal affairs of any of the directors (or their families) of the Company or any Group Company, business plans, proposals relating to the acquisition or disposal of a company or business or proposed expansion or contraction of activities, maturing new business opportunities, research and development projects, designs, secret processes, trade secrets, product or services development and formulae, know-how, inventions, sales statistics and forecasts, marketing strategies and plans, costs, profit and loss and other financial information (save to the extent published in audited accounts), prices and discount structures and the names, addresses and contact and other details of: (a) employees and their terms of employment; (b) customers and potential customers, their requirements and their terms of business with the Company or Group; and (c) suppliers and potential suppliers and their terms of business (all whether or not recorded in writing or in electronic or other format);
Effective Date means the date of the underwriting agreement between the Parent and the underwriter(s) managing the initial public offering of the Parent’s ordinary shares (or securities representing such ordinary shares), pursuant to which such securities are priced for the initial public offering;
Employment means the employment of the Executive under this Agreement or, as the context requires, the duration of that employment;

 

 

 

“Good Reason” means any of the following actions taken by the Company without the Executive’s express written consent: (i) a material reduction by the Company of the Basic Salary (other than in a broad based reduction similarly affecting all other members of the Group’s executive management); (ii) the relocation of the Executive’s principal place of employment, without the Executive’s consent, in a manner that lengthens the Executive’s one-way commute distance by fifty (50) or more miles from the Executive’s then-current principal place of employment immediately prior to such relocation; (iii) a material reduction in the Executive’s duties, authority, or responsibilities for the Company relative to the Executive’s duties, authority, or responsibilities in effect immediately prior to such material reduction; or (iv) a material breach of this Agreement by the Company (or its successor) provided further, that, any such termination by the Executive shall only be deemed for Good Reason pursuant to this definition if: (1) the Executive gives the Chief Executive Officer written notice of intent to terminate for Good Reason within thirty (30) days following the first occurrence of the condition(s) that the Executive believes constitute(s) Good Reason, which notice shall describe such condition(s); (2) the Company fails to remedy such condition(s) within thirty (30) days following receipt of the written notice (the “Cure Period”); (3) the Company has not, prior to the Chief Executive Officer receiving such notice from the Executive, already informed the Executive in writing that their employment with the Company is being terminated; and (4) the Executive voluntarily terminates their employment within thirty (30) days following the end of the Cure Period
Group means together or separately the Parent, the Company, any holding company or undertaking of the Parent or the Company and any subsidiaries and subsidiary undertakings of the Parent of the Company or such holding company or holding companies or undertaking from time to time (and the words “subsidiary” and “holding company” shall have the meanings given to them in section 1159 in the Companies Act 2006);
Group Company means any company within the Group;
Health Care Scheme means any healthcare or disability scheme(s) or arrangement(s) as may be provided or introduced from time to time by the Company (at the Company’s discretion) for the benefit of similarly situated executives in the Company or Group;
Intellectual Property Rights means any and all existing and future intellectual or industrial property rights in and to any Works (whether registered or unregistered), including all existing and future patents, copyrights, design rights, database rights, trade marks, semiconductor topography rights, plant varieties rights, internet rights/domain names, know-how and any and all applications for any of the foregoing and any and all rights to apply for any of the foregoing in and to any Works;
Minority Holder means a person who either solely or jointly holds (directly or through nominees) any shares or loan capital in any company, whether or not it is listed or dealt in on a recognised stock exchange, provided that such holding does not, when aggregated with any shares or loan capital held by the Executive’s partner and/or his or his partner’s children under the age of 18, exceed 5% of the shares or loan capital of the class concerned for the time being issued;
“Parent” means Exscientia Limited, incorporated in England with company number 13483814;
Remuneration Committee means the remuneration committee appointed by the Board;

 

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“Settlement Agreement” means a settlement agreement that includes, among other terms, a general release of claims in favour of the Company and each Group Company (subject to standard carve-outs preserving the Executive’s rights to accrued pension benefits), as well as mutual non-disparagement provisions, in a form presented by the Company and to be negotiated by the parties acting reasonably and in good faith;
Termination Date means the date of termination of the Employment;
Works means any documents, materials, models, designs, drawings, processes, inventions, formulae, computer coding, methodologies, know-how, Confidential Information or other work, performed made, created, devised, developed or discovered by the Executive during the course of the Employment either alone or with any other person in connection with or in any way affecting or relating to the business of the Company or any Group Company or capable of being used or adapted for use therein or in connection therewith;

 

1.2. Interpretation and Construction

 

Save to the extent that the context or the express provisions of this Agreement require otherwise, in this Agreement:

 

(a) words importing the singular shall include the plural and vice versa;

 

(b) words importing any gender shall include all other genders;

 

(c) words importing the whole shall be treated as including reference to any part of the whole;

 

(d) any reference to a Clause, the Schedule or part of the Schedule is to the relevant Clause, Schedule or part of the Schedule of or to this Agreement unless otherwise specified;

 

(e) reference to this Agreement or to any other document is a reference to this Agreement or to that other document as modified, amended, varied, supplemented, assigned, novated or replaced from time to time;

 

(f) reference to a provision of law is a reference to that provision as extended, applied, amended, consolidated or re-enacted or as the application thereof is modified from time to time and shall be construed as including reference to any order, instrument, regulation or other subordinate legislation from time to time made under it;

 

(g) references to a “person” includes any individual, firm, company, corporation, body corporate, government, state or agency of state, trust or foundation, or any association, partnership or unincorporated body (whether or not having separate legal personality) or two or more of the foregoing;

 

(h) general words shall not be given a restrictive meaning because they are followed by words which are particular examples of the acts, matters or things covered by the general words and “including”, “include” and “in particular” shall be construed without limitation; and

 

(i) the meaning of any words coming after “other” or “otherwise” shall not be constrained by the meaning of any words coming before “other” or “otherwise where a wider construction is possible.

 

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1.3. Headings

 

The table of contents and the headings in this Agreement are included for convenience only and shall be ignored in construing this Agreement.

 

2. THE EMPLOYMENT

 

2.1. Effectiveness and Appointment

 

This Agreement is effective as of, and contingent upon, the occurrence of the Effective Date.

 

Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Company employs the Executive and the Executive accepts employment as Chief Financial Officer of the Company on the terms of this Agreement.

 

2.2. Work Permits and warranty

 

The Executive warrants that he is legally entitled to work in the United Kingdom and will throughout the Employment continue to hold a valid United Kingdom work permit if appropriate. The Executive warrants that he will notify the Company in advance of any possible change to his immigration status, as soon as he becomes aware of any circumstances that might give rise to such change. Should the Company discover that the Executive does not have permission to live and work in the United Kingdom or if any such permission is revoked, notwithstanding any other term of this Agreement the Company reserves the right to terminate the Employment immediately and without notice or pay in lieu of notice and without referring to the warning stages of the Company’s disciplinary procedure.

 

3. DURATION OF THE EMPLOYMENT

 

3.1. Continuous Employment

 

The Executive’s continuous period of employment with the Company commenced on 17 November 2020. No previous employment shall count as part of the Executive’s continuous period of employment.

 

3.2. Duration

 

Subject to the provisions of Clauses 3 and 17.1 the Employment shall continue unless and until terminated at any time by:

 

(a) the Company, which must give to the Executive not less than six months’ prior written notice of termination of the Employment; or

 

(b) the Executive, who must give to the Company not less than six months’ prior written notice of termination of the Employment.

 

3.3. Payment in lieu of notice

 

(a) The Company shall be entitled, at its sole discretion, to terminate the Employment immediately at any time by giving the Executive notice in writing. In these circumstances, subject to the terms of Clause 3.3(b), the Company will subsequently make a payment to the Executive in lieu of notice, calculated in accordance with the provisions of Clause 3.3(c) (the payment being referred to as a “PILON”).

 

(b) The PILON will be paid in equal monthly instalments less all deductions that are required or permitted by law to be made including in respect of income tax, national insurance contributions and any sums due to the Company or any Group Company.

 

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(c) The PILON will consist of a sum equivalent to the Basic Salary which the Executive would have received in respect of any notice period outstanding on the Termination Date but will exclude (except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement) any bonus, commission and share of profit and any other benefits which he would have received or would have accrued to him during that period.

 

4. HOURS AND PLACE OF WORK

 

4.1. Hours of work

 

The Executive agrees that he shall work normal business hours together with such additional hours as are necessary for the proper performance of his duties.

 

4.2. Working Time Regulations

 

The Executive has autonomous decision-making powers. The duration of his working time is not measured or predetermined. The Executive agrees that his employment falls within Regulation 20 of the Working Time Regulations 1998.

 

4.3. Place of work

 

(a) The Executive’s normal place of work will be at the Company’s offices at Oxford, but the Company may require the Executive to work at any place within the United Kingdom on either a temporary or an indefinite basis. The Executive will be given reasonable notice of any change in his permanent place of work.

 

(b) The Executive may be requested to be absent from the United Kingdom for a period exceeding 1 month at any one time, but there are not currently any particulars to be entered in this regard.

 

5. SCOPE OF THE EMPLOYMENT

 

5.1. Duties of the Executive

 

During the Employment the Executive shall:

 

(a) undertake and carry out to the best of his ability such duties and exercise such powers in relation to the Company or Group’s business as may from time to time be assigned to or vested in him by the Board including where those duties require the Executive to work for any Group Company;

 

(b) in the discharge of those duties and the exercise of those powers observe and comply with all lawful resolutions, regulations and directions from time to time made by, or under the authority of, the Board and promptly upon request, give a full account to the Board or a person duly authorised by the Board of all matters with which he is involved. He will provide the information in writing if requested;

 

(c) comply with the Articles of Association (as amended from time to time) of the Parent, the Company and any Group Company;

 

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(d) do, or refrain from doing, such things as are necessary or expedient to ensure compliance by himself, the Parent, the Company and any Group Company with applicable law and regulations and all regulatory authorities relevant to the Parent, the Company and any Group Company, and any codes of practice issued by the Parent, the Company and any Group Company (as amended from time to time);

 

(e) act in accordance with all statutory, fiduciary and common law duties that he owes to the Parent, the Company and any Group Company;

 

(f) refrain from doing anything which would cause him to be disqualified from acting as a director;

 

(g) unless prevented by ill-health, holidays or other unavoidable cause, devote the whole of his working time, attention and skill to the business of the Parent, the Company and Group Companies and the discharge of his duties hereunder;

 

(h) faithfully and diligently perform his duties and at all times use his best endeavours to promote and protect the interests of the Parent, the Company and the Group;

 

(i) promptly disclose to the Board full details of any wrongdoing by the Executive or any other employee of any Group Company where that wrongdoing is material to that employee’s employment by the relevant company or to the interests or reputation of any Group Company.

 

5.2. Right to suspend duties and powers

 

(a) During any notice period or for the purpose of investigating any matter in which the Executive is implicated or involved, the Company reserves the right in its absolute discretion to suspend all or any of the Executive’s duties and powers on terms it considers expedient or to require him to perform only such duties, specific projects or tasks as are assigned to him expressly by the Company (including the duties of another position) in any case for such period or periods and at such place or places (including, without limitation, the Executive’s home) as the Company in its absolute discretion deems necessary (the “Garden Leave”). During any period of Garden Leave the terms and conditions set out in this Agreement shall continue to apply to the Executive.

 

(b) The Company may, at its sole discretion, require that during the Garden Leave the Executive shall not:

 

(i) enter or attend the premises of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company;

 

(ii) contact or have any communication with any client or prospective client or supplier of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company in relation to the business of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company;

 

(iii) contact or have any communication with any employee, officer, director, agent or consultant of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company in relation to the business of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company, save that this restriction shall (A) not prevent the Executive from contacting and communicating with his family members, and (B) be without prejudice to the Executive’s rights as shareholder of the Parent;

 

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(iv) remain or become involved in any aspect of the business of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company except as required by such companies; or

 

(v) work either on his own account or on behalf of any other person.

 

(c) During Garden Leave, the Executive will continue to receive his Basic Salary and benefits but will not (except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement) accrue any bonus, commission or share of profit.

 

(d) If the Executive is suspended, other than during any notice period, for the purpose of investigating any matter in which the Executive is implicated or involved and the Executive is subsequently exonerated, the Executive will be paid any amounts not paid to the Executive in respect of the period of suspension where such amounts would have otherwise been paid were it not for the operation of Clause5.2(c).

 

(e) For the avoidance of doubt, the Company may exercise its powers under this Clause 5.2 at any time during the Employment including after notice of termination has been given by either party.

 

6. REMUNERATION

 

6.1. Basic Salary

 

(a) During the Employment the Company shall pay the Executive a Basic Salary of not less than £275,000 per annum. The Basic Salary shall accrue from day to day and be payable by credit transfer in equal monthly instalments in arrears on or around the 25th day of each calendar month or otherwise as arranged from time to time.

 

(b) The Basic Salary shall be inclusive of all director’s fees (if any) to which the Executive may become entitled including all remuneration and director’s fees in respect of services rendered by the Executive to any Group Company (including, without limitation, the Parent).

 

6.2. Salary review

 

The Basic Salary shall be reviewed annually. The Company is not obliged to increase the Basic Salary at any review.

 

6.3. Annual bonus

 

(a) Subject to clause 6.3(b), the Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual performance bonus (the “Annual Bonus”) with an annual target of 35% (the “Target Percentage”) of the Executive’s then-current Base Salary (the “Target Bonus”). The Annual Bonus will be based upon the assessment of the Board (or a committee thereof) of the Executive’s performance and Group’s attainment of targeted goals (as established by the Board or a committee thereof in its sole discretion) over the applicable calendar year. The Annual Bonus, if any, will be subject to applicable payroll deductions and withholdings. No amount of any Annual Bonus is guaranteed at any time, and, except as otherwise expressly stated in clause 17 of this Agreement, the Executive must be an employee in good standing (without having given or received notice) through the date of payment of the Annual Bonus in order to be eligible to receive an Annual Bonus and no partial or prorated bonuses will be provided. Unless otherwise stated in clause 17 of this Agreement, any Annual Bonus, if awarded, will be paid by the Company after receipt by the Parent of the audited financial statements of the Parent for the financial year in question, but no later than 15 March of the year following the year to which such bonus relates, and will be paid in cash or in securities, as determined by the Board (or committee thereof). Any Annual Bonus will be subject to recoupment in accordance with any clawback policy that the Parent or the Company is required to adopt pursuant to the listing standards of any national securities exchange or association on which the Parent’s or any Group Company’s securities are listed or as is otherwise required by applicable law and any clawback policy that the Parent or the Company otherwise adopts, to the extent applicable and permissible under applicable law. No recovery of compensation under such a clawback policy will be an event giving rise to Good Reason. Except as otherwise stated in clause 17 this Agreement, in the event the Executive leaves the employment of the Company for any reason prior to the date the Annual Bonus is paid, the Executive is are not eligible to earn such Annual Bonus, prorated or otherwise.

 

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(b) In respect of the 2021 calendar year the Executive’s Annual Bonus target shall be calculated as follows: (a) an amount equal to the prorated portion of the Executive’s Annual Bonus target for the 2021 calendar year as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Date (calculated using the number of days in the 2021 calendar year that have passed between 1 January 2021 and the date immediately preceding the Effective Date); plus (b) an amount equal to the prorated portion of the Target Bonus as in effect on the Effective Date (calculated using the Target Percentage for the number of days in the 2021 calendar year that have passed from (and including) the Effective Date and 31 December 2021).

 

6.4. Directors’ Remuneration Policy.

 

Executive understands and agrees that, if and for so long as the Executive is a director of the Parent, the Executive’s remuneration shall be subject to the terms of the Directors’ Remuneration Policy as may be adopted by the Parent in accordance with applicable law from time to time.

 

7. EXPENSES

 

7.1. Out-of-pocket expenses

 

The Company shall reimburse to the Executive (against receipts or other appropriate evidence as the Board may require) the amount of all out-of-pocket expenses reasonably and properly incurred by him in the proper discharge of his duties hereunder to the extent that such expenses are incurred in accordance with the Group’s applicable business expenses policy from time to time.

 

8. DEDUCTIONS

 

The Executive agrees that the Company may deduct from any sums due to him under this Agreement any sums due by him to any Group Company including, without limitation, any debits to his Company credit or charge card not authorised by the Company, the Executive’s pension contributions (if any), any overpayments, loans or advances made to him by any Group Company, the cost of repairing any damage or loss to the Company’s property caused by him and any losses suffered by the Group as a result of any negligence or breach of duty by the Executive.

 

9. PENSION SCHEME

 

During the period of the Executive’s service with the Company, the Company will comply at all times with the employer duties under Part 1 of the Pensions Act 2008.

 

10. OTHER INSURANCE & BENEFITS

 

10.1. Health Care Scheme

 

Without prejudice to the terms of Clauses 3 and 17, the Executive shall be entitled during the Employment, to participate at the Company’s expense in any Health Care Scheme subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a) the Executive’s participation is subject to the Company’s rules regarding eligibility in force from time to time and the rules, terms and conditions of the relevant Health Care Scheme and/or insurance policy in force from time to time;

 

(b) the Company reserves the right to terminate the Executive’s or the Company’s participation in any of the Health Care Scheme(s), substitute a new scheme(s) for an existing scheme(s) and/or alter the level or type of benefits available under any scheme(s);

 

(c) if a scheme provider (e.g. an insurance company or pensions provider) refuses for any reason (whether under its own interpretation of the rules, terms and conditions of the relevant insurance policy or otherwise) to accept a claim and/or provide the relevant benefit(s) to the Executive under the applicable Health Care Scheme, the Company shall not be liable to provide (or compensate the Executive for the loss of) such benefit(s) nor shall it be obliged to take action against the provider to enforce any rights under the Health Care Scheme;

 

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(d) the fact that the termination of the Employment may result in the Executive ceasing to be eligible to receive or continue to receive benefits under any Health Care Scheme does not remove the Company’s right to terminate the Employment; and

 

(e) the Executive’s acceptance of such variations to his terms and conditions of employment as may from time to time be required by the Company.

 

10.2. Medical examinations

 

At any reasonable time during the Employment the Company may require the Executive to undergo a medical examination by a medical practitioner appointed by the Company and at the Company’s expense and the Executive will consent to such examination and to the results being made available to the Company.

 

10.3. Other leave and benefits

 

(a) The Executive may be eligible for other forms of paid leave, subject to any statutory eligibility requirements or conditions and the Company's rules applicable to each type of leave in force from time to time. Further details of such leave are available in the Company’s Staff Handbook.

 

The Company may replace, amend or withdraw the Company's policy on any types of leave at any time.

 

(b) The Executive may be eligible to be provided with other benefits during their employment with the Company, subject to any rules applicable to the relevant benefit. Further details of these benefits are available from the Staff Handbook. The Company may replace or withdraw such benefits, or amend the terms of such benefits, at any time.

 

11. HOLIDAYS

 

11.1. The holiday year

 

The Company’s holiday year runs from 1st January to 31st December. Holidays can only be taken with the prior agreement of the Chairman (such agreement not be withheld unreasonably).

 

11.2. Annual entitlement

 

(a) The Executive shall be entitled to 28 days' paid holiday in each holiday year excluding the usual public holidays in England.

 

(b) Entitlement to contractual holidays is accrued pro rata throughout the holiday year. The Executive will be entitled to take public and customary holidays on the days that they are recognised by the Company during the holiday year.

 

(c) The Executive may carry any unused holiday entitlement forward to the next holiday year in accordance with the Company’s policy on holidays as may apply from time to time.

 

11.3. Holiday entitlement on termination

 

Upon notice of termination of the Employment being served by either party, the Company may require the Executive to take any unused holidays accrued in the holiday year in which the termination takes place during any notice period. Alternatively, the Company may, at its discretion, on termination of the Employment, make a payment in lieu of accrued contractual holiday entitlement. The Executive will be required to make a payment to the Company in respect of any holidays taken in excess of his holiday entitlement accrued at the Termination Date. Any sums so due may be deducted from any money owing to the Executive by the Company.

 

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12. TRAINING

 

As at the date of this Agreement, the Executive is not required to undertake any particular training. If any particular training is required or offered, details will be provided.

 

13. ABSENCE

 

13.1. Absence due to sickness or injury

 

If the Executive is absent from work due to sickness or injury he shall:

 

(a) immediately inform the CEO and the Head of Human Resources of his sickness or injury; and

 

(b) In respect of absence due to sickness, injury or accident that continues for more than 7 consecutive days (including weekends) the Executive must provide the Company with a note of fitness to work stating the reason for the absence. Thereafter notes of fitness to work must be provided to the Company to cover the remainder of the period of continuing sickness absence. Failure to follow these requirements may result in disciplinary action and loss of Statutory Sick Pay and/or sick pay pursuant to Clause 13.2.

 

13.2. Payment of salary during absence

 

(a) Subject to the Executive complying with the terms of Clause 13.1, the Company may, at its sole discretion continue to pay Basic Salary and other benefits during any period of absence due to sickness or injury for up to a maximum period of 4 weeks (according to the Company’s Staff Handbook) in any period of 12 consecutive months (the 12 month period referred to as the “Entitlement Period”) and thereafter a sum equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay only during any further period of absence due to sickness or injury in the same Entitlement Period for up to a maximum period of 13 weeks unless the Employment is terminated in terms of Clauses 3 or17. The first Entitlement Period will begin on the first day of absence and any subsequent Entitlement Period will start on the first day of any absence occurring outside an enduring Entitlement Period.

 

(b) Payment of the Basic Salary in terms of Clause 13.2(a) shall be made less:

 

(i) an amount equivalent to any Statutory Sick Pay payable to the Executive;

 

(ii) any sums which may be received by the Executive under any insurance policy effected by the Company; and

 

(iii) any other benefits or sums which the Executive receives (e.g. under a PHI or other insurance scheme) in connection with the Employment or under any relevant legislation.

 

(c) Once payment of Basic Salary under Clause 13.2(a) ceases, then the Executive shall have no right to any benefit or emolument from the Company.

 

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  13.3. Absence caused by third party negligence

 

If the Executive’s absence is caused by the negligence of a third party in respect of which damages are recoverable, then all sums paid by the Company during the period of absence shall constitute loans to the Executive who shall:

 

(a) immediately notify the Company of all the relevant circumstances and of any claim, compromise, settlement or judgment made or awarded; and

 

(b) if the Company so requires, refund to it an amount determined by the Company, not exceeding the lesser of:

 

(i) the amount of damages recovered by him in respect of loss of earnings during the period of absence under any compromise, settlement or judgment; and

 

(ii) the sums advanced to him by the Company in respect of the period of incapacity.

 

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14. OTHER INTERESTS

 

14.1. Disclosure of other interests

 

The Executive shall disclose to the Board any interest of his own (or that of his partner or of any child of his or of his partner under eighteen years of age):

 

(a) in any trade, business or occupation whatsoever which is in any way similar to any of those in which the Parent, the Company or any Group Company is involved; and

 

(b) in any trade, business or occupation carried on by any supplier or customer of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company whether or not such trade, business or occupation is conducted for profit or gain.

 

14.2. Restrictions on other activities and interests of the Executive

 

(a) During the Employment, the Executive shall not at any time, without the prior written consent of the Board, either alone or jointly with any other person, carry on or be directly or indirectly employed, engaged, concerned or interested in any business, prospective business or undertaking other than a Group Company. Nothing contained in this Clause shall preclude the Executive from being a Minority Holder unless the holding is in a company that is a direct business competitor of the Company or any Group Company in which case, the Executive shall obtain the prior consent of the Board to the acquisition or variation of such holding.

 

(b) If the Executive, with the consent of the Board, accepts any other appointment he must keep the Board accurately informed of the amount of time he spends working under that appointment.

 

14.3. Transactions with the Company

 

Subject to any regulations issued by the Group, the Executive shall not be entitled to receive or obtain directly or indirectly any discount, rebate, commission or any other form of gift or gratuity (any of these referred to as a “Gratuity”) as a result of the Employment or any sale or purchase of goods or services effected or other business transacted (whether or not by him) by or on behalf of the Company or any Group Company and if he (or any person in which he is interested) obtains any Gratuity he shall account to the Company for the amount received by him (or a due proportion of the amount received by the person having regard to the extent of his interest therein).

 

15. CONFIDENTIALITY AND COMPANY DOCUMENTS

 

15.1. Restrictions on disclosure and use of Confidential Information

 

The Executive must not either during the Employment (except in the proper performance of his duties) or at any time (without limit) after the Termination Date:

 

(a) divulge or communicate to any person;

 

(b) use for his own purposes or for any purposes other than those of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company; or

 

(c) through any failure to exercise due care and diligence, cause any unauthorised disclosure of;

 

any Confidential Information. The Executive must at all times use his best endeavours to prevent publication or disclosure of any Confidential Information. These restrictions shall cease to apply to any information which shall become available to the public generally otherwise than through the default of the Executive. These restrictions shall not apply to any use or disclosure authorised by the Board or required by law, or any protected disclosure within the meaning of section 43A of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

 

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15.2. Protection of Company documents and materials

 

All notes, records, lists of customers, suppliers and employees, correspondence, computer and other discs or tapes, data listings, codes, keys and passwords, designs, drawings and other documents or material whatsoever (whether made or created by the Executive or otherwise and in whatever medium or format) relating to the business of the Parent, the Company or any Group Company or any of its or their clients (and any copies of the same):

 

(a) shall be and remain the property of the Parent, the Company or the relevant Group Company or client; and

 

(b) shall be handed over by the Executive to the Parent, the Company or the relevant Group Company or client on demand by the Company and in any event on the termination of the Employment.

 

16. INVENTIONS AND OTHER WORKS

 

16.1. Executive to further interests of the Company

 

The Company and the Executive agree that the Executive may make or create Works in the course of the Employment and agree that in this respect the Executive is obliged to further the interests of the Company and any Group Company.

 

16.2. Disclosure and ownership of Works

 

The Executive must immediately disclose to the Company all Works and all Intellectual Property Rights. Both the Works and all Intellectual Property Rights will (subject to sections 39 to 43 Patents Act 1977) belong to and be the absolute property of the Company or any other person the Company may nominate.

 

16.3. Protection, registration and vesting of Works

 

The Executive shall immediately on request by the Company (whether during or after the Employment) and at the expense of the Company:

 

(a) apply or join with the Company or any Group Company in applying for any Intellectual Property Rights or other protection or registration (“Protection”) in the United Kingdom and in any other part of the world for, or in relation to, any Works;

 

(b) execute all instruments and do all things necessary for vesting all Intellectual Property Rights or Protection when obtained and all right, title and interest to and in the same absolutely and as sole beneficial owner in the Company or such Group Company or other person as the Company may nominate; and

 

(c) sign and execute any documents and do any acts reasonably required by the Company in connection with any proceedings in respect of any applications and any publication or application for revocation of any Intellectual Property Rights or Protection.

 

16.4. Waiver of rights by the Executive

 

The Executive hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives all rights under Chapter IV Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and any other moral rights which he may have in the Works, in whatever part of the world such rights may be enforceable including:

 

(a) the right conferred by section 77 of that Act to be identified as the author of any such Works; and

 

(b) the right conferred by section 80 of that Act not to have any such Works subjected to derogatory treatment.

 

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16.5. Power of Attorney

 

The Executive hereby irrevocably appoints the Company to be his attorney and in his name and on his behalf to execute any such act and to sign all deeds and documents and generally to use his name for the purpose of giving to the Company the full benefit of this Clause. The Executive agrees that, with respect to any third parties, a certificate signed by any duly authorised officer of the Company that any act or deed or document falls within the authority hereby conferred shall be conclusive evidence that this is the case.

 

16.6. Statutory rights

 

Nothing in this Clause 16 shall be construed as restricting the rights of the Executive or the Company under sections 39 to 43 Patents Act 1977.

 

17. TERMINATION

 

17.1. Termination events

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of Clauses 3 and 10, the Company shall be entitled, but not bound, to terminate the Employment with immediate effect (without a notice period or payment in lieu of any notice period) by giving to the Executive notice in writing at any time after the occurrence of any one or more of the following events (each being termination for “Cause”):

 

(a) if the Executive is guilty of any gross misconduct or behaviour which tends to bring himself or the Company or any Group Company into disrepute; or

 

(b) if the Executive commits any material or persistent breach of this Agreement (in the case of a non-material persistent breach, having been given notice in writing of the breach and a reasonable opportunity to rectify the breach) or fails to comply with any reasonable order or direction of the Board; or

 

(c) if he becomes insolvent or bankrupt or compounds with or grants a trust deed for the benefit of his creditors; or

 

(d) if his behaviour (whether or not in breach of this Agreement) can reasonably be regarded as materially prejudicial to the interests of the Company or any Group Company, including if he is found guilty of any criminal offence punishable by imprisonment (whether or not such sentence is actually imposed); or

 

(e) if he has an order made against him disqualifying him from acting as a company director; or

 

(f) if the Executive is found guilty of any offence of bribery under the Bribery Act 2010, or other bribery legislation in any other jurisdiction, breach of Clause 15 of this Agreement or the Company’s Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy; or

 

(g) if the Executive commits any material breach or persistent but non-material breach of the Articles of Association of the Company or any Group Company (in the case of a persistent but non-material breach, having been given notice in writing of the breach and a reasonable opportunity to rectify the breach).

 

17.2. Termination on resignation as director

 

If the Executive resigns as a director of the Company or any Group Company (otherwise than at the request of the Board), he shall be deemed to have voluntarily resigned from the Employment with effect from the date of his resignation, unless the Company agrees with the Executive that the Employment should continue, in which case the Employment may be subject to any terms and conditions stipulated by the Company in its absolute discretion.

 

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17.3. No damages or payment in lieu of notice

 

In the event of the Employment being terminated pursuant to Clause 17.1 the Executive shall not be entitled to receive any payment in lieu of notice nor make any claim against the Company or any Group Company for damages for loss of office or termination of the Employment. Regardless of this, the termination shall be without prejudice to the continuing obligations of the Executive under this Agreement.

 

17.4. Termination by the Company without Cause or resignation by the Executive for Good Reason (in connection with a Change in Control)

 

In the event that the Company terminates the Executive’s Employment without Cause or the Executive resigns for Good Reason, in either case, upon or within (12) twelve months following the effective date of a Change in Control (such period, the “Change in Control Measurement Period”) then the Executive shall be entitled to his salary and benefits pursuant to the terms of this Agreement through the Termination Date and, subject to the Executive (i) executing a Settlement Agreement; (ii) returning all Company property; (iii) complying with the Executive’s termination and post-termination obligations under this Agreement; (iv) complying with the terms of the Settlement Agreement, including without limitation any non-disparagement and confidentiality provisions contained therein; and (v) resigning from any other positions held with the Company or any Group Company, including any position on the Board, effective no later than the Termination Date (or such other date as requested by the Board), the Executive shall be eligible to receive the following severance benefits (collectively the “CIC Severance Benefits”):

 

(a) The Company will pay the Executive severance pay in the form of continuation of the Executive’s then-current Basic Salary (ignoring any decrease that forms the basis for the Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, if applicable) for twelve (12) months following the Termination Date (such period of time, the “CIC Severance Period”, and such aggregate Basic Salary amount payable, the “CIC Severance”). The CIC Severance will be paid in substantially equal instalments on the Company’s regular payroll schedule over the CIC Severance Period, subject to such deductions as the Company is required by law to make, shall be reduced by any Basic Salary received by the Executive during any period of Garden Leave and shall be inclusive of any PILON; provided, however that no portion of the CIC Severance (except for any PILON instalment which is due) will be paid prior to the date that the general release of claims in the Settlement Agreement becomes effective (the “Release Date”), and any such payments that are otherwise scheduled to be made prior to the Release Date shall instead accrue and be made on the first regular payroll date following the Release Date;

 

(b) The Company will pay to the Executive in monthly instalments, subject to such deductions as the Company is required by law to make, a fully taxable cash payment equal to: (i) the coverage premium for the Executive (and the Executive’s covered dependents, as applicable) health insurance coverage in effect on the Termination Date until the earliest of: (1) the close of the CIC Severance Period or; (2) the date when the Executive becomes eligible for substantially equivalent health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment; and (ii) the Company’s employer pension contributions that would have been received by the Executive during the CIC Severance Period had Employment continued, at the rate payable by the Company immediately prior to the Termination Date;

 

(c) The Company will make a lump sum cash payment to the Executive in an amount equal to one (1) times the Target Bonus for the year in which the Termination Date occurs, subject to such deductions as the Company is required by law to make, which will be paid in a lump sum on or before the 60th day following the Termination Date;

 

(d) Effective as of the Termination Date, the vesting and exercisability of all outstanding equity awards covering the Parent’s ordinary shares that are held by the Executive immediately prior to the Termination Date shall be accelerated in full.

 

The CIC Severance Benefits provided to the Executive pursuant to this clause 17.4 are in lieu of, and not in addition to, any benefits to which the Executive may otherwise be entitled under any Company severance plan, policy, or program.

 

Any damages caused by the termination of the Executive’s employment without Cause during the Change in Control Measurement Period would be difficult to ascertain; therefore, the CIC Severance Benefits for which the Executive is eligible pursuant to this clause 17.4 in exchange for the Settlement Agreement are agreed to by the parties as liquidated damages, to serve as full compensation, and not a penalty.

 

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17.5. Termination by the Company without Cause or resignation by the Executive for Good Reason (not in connection with a Change in Control)

 

In the event that the Company terminates the Executive’s Employment without Cause or the Executive resigns for Good Reason, in either case, outside a Change in Control Measurement Period then the Executive shall be entitled to his salary and benefits pursuant to the terms of this Agreement through the Termination Date and, subject to the Executive (i) executing a Settlement Agreement; (ii) returning all Company property; (iii) complying with the Executive’s termination and post-termination obligations under this Agreement; (iv) complying with the terms of the Settlement Agreement, including without limitation any non-disparagement and confidentiality provisions contained therein; and (v) resigning from any other positions held with the Company or any Group Company, including any position on the Board, effective no later than the Termination Date (or such other date as requested by the Board), the Executive shall be eligible to receive the following severance benefits (collectively the “Non-CIC Severance Benefits”):

 

(a) The Company will pay the Executive severance pay in the form of continuation of the Executive’s then-current Basic Salary (ignoring any decrease that forms the basis for the Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, if applicable) for twelve (12) months following the Termination Date (such period of time, the “Non-CIC Severance Period”, and such aggregate Basic Salary amount payable, the “Non-CIC Severance”). The Non-CIC Severance will be paid in substantially equal instalments on the Company’s regular payroll schedule over the Non-CIC Severance Period, subject to such deductions as the Company is required by law to make, shall be reduced by any Basic Salary received by the Executive during any period of notice that the Executive serves (whether worked or in respect of and period of Garden Leave) and shall be inclusive of any PILON; provided, however that no portion of the Non-CIC Severance (except for any PILON instalment which is due) will be paid prior to the date that the general release of claims in the Settlement Agreement becomes effective (the “Release Date”), and any such payments that are otherwise scheduled to be made prior to the Release Date shall instead accrue and be made on the first regular payroll date following the Release Date;

 

(b) The Company will pay to the Executive in monthly instalments, subject to such deductions as the Company is required by law to make, a fully taxable cash payment equal to the coverage premium for the Executive (and the Executive’s covered dependents, as applicable) health insurance coverage in effect on the Termination Date and/or provide the Executive with continued access to the Company’s health insurance scheme until the earliest of: (1) the twelve (12) month anniversary of the date on which notice to terminate the Employment is given in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or; (2) the date when the Executive becomes eligible for substantially equivalent health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment.

 

The Non-CIC Severance Benefits provided to the Executive pursuant to this clause 17.5 are in lieu of, and not in addition to, any benefits to which the Executive may otherwise be entitled under any Company severance plan, policy, or program.

 

Any damages caused by the termination of the Executive’s employment without Cause outside the Change in Control Measurement Period would be difficult to ascertain; therefore, the Non-CIC Severance Benefits for which the Executive is eligible pursuant to this clause 17.5 in exchange for the Settlement Agreement are agreed to by the parties as liquidated damages, to serve as full compensation, and not a penalty.

 

17.6. Death or Disability

 

(a) In the event of the Executive’s death while employed pursuant to this Agreement, all obligations of the parties hereunder and the Executive’s employment shall terminate immediately, but neither the Executive nor their legal representatives will receive the CIC Severance Benefits or the Non-CIC Benefits. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this clause or in this Agreement shall preclude the Executive from remaining eligible to receive any payments or  benefits pursuant to any life assurance or permanent health insurance policy under which the Executive participates, subject to and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such policy and applicable law.

 

(b) Subject to applicable law, the Company shall at all times have the right, upon written notice to the Executive, to terminate this Agreement based on the Executive’s Disability (as defined below). Termination by the Company of the Executive’s employment based on “Disability” shall mean termination because the Executive is unable due to a physical or mental condition to perform the essential functions of their position with or without reasonable adjustments for twelve (12) months in the aggregate during any eighteen (18) month period or based on the written certification by two qualified licensed physicians of the likely continuation of such condition for such period. In the event the Executive’s employment is terminated based on Disability, the Executive will not receive the CIC Severance Benefits or the Non-CIC Benefits. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this clause or in this Agreement shall preclude the Executive from remaining eligible to receive any payments or benefits pursuant to any life assurance or permanent health insurance policy under which the Executive participates, subject to and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, such policy and applicable law.

 

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18. EVENTS UPON TERMINATION

 

18.1. Obligations upon termination

 

Immediately upon the termination of the Employment howsoever arising or immediately at the request of the Board at any time after either the Company or the Executive has served notice of termination of the Employment, the Executive shall:

 

(a) deliver to the Company all Works, materials within the scope of Clause 15.2 and all other materials and property including credit or charge cards, mobile telephone, computer equipment, disks and software, passwords, encryption keys or the like, keys, security pass, letters, stationery, documents, files, films, records, reports, plans and papers (in whatever format including electronic) and all copies thereof used in or relating to the business of the Company or the Group which are in the possession of or under the control of the Executive;

 

(b) resign (without claim for compensation) as a director and from all other offices held by him in the Company or any Group Company or otherwise by virtue of the Employment. For the avoidance of doubt, such resignations shall be without prejudice to any claims the Executive may have against the Company or any Group Company arising out of the termination of the Employment; and

 

(c) transfer without payment, to the Company, or as the Company may direct, any shares or other securities held by the Executive as nominee or trustee for the Company or any Group Company;

 

and should the Executive fail to do so the Company is hereby irrevocably authorised to appoint some person to sign any documents and/or do all things in his name and on his behalf necessary to give effect thereto.

 

19. RESTRICTIONS AFTER TERMINATION

 

19.1. Definitions

 

Since the Executive is likely to obtain Confidential Information in the course of the Employment and personal knowledge of and influence over suppliers, customers, clients and employees of the Company and Group Companies, the Executive hereby agrees with the Company that in addition to the other terms of this Agreement and without prejudice to the other restrictions imposed upon him by law, he will be bound by the covenants and undertakings contained in Clauses 19.2 to 19.7. In this Clause 19, unless the context otherwise requires:

 

Customer means any person to which the Company distributed, sold or supplied Restricted Products or Restricted Services during the Relevant Period and with which, during that period either the Executive, or any employee under the direct or indirect supervision of the Executive, had material dealings in the course of the Employment, or about which the Executive had Confidential Information, but always excluding therefrom, any division, branch or office of such person with which the Executive and/or any such employee had no dealings during that period and about which the Executive had no Confidential Information;
Prospective Customer means any person with which the Company had discussions during the Relevant Period regarding the possible distribution, sale or supply of Restricted Products or Restricted Services and with which during such period the Executive, or any employee who was under the direct or indirect supervision of the Executive, had material dealings in the course of the Employment, or about which the Executive had Confidential Information, but always excluding therefrom any division, branch or office of that person with which the Executive and/or any such employee had no dealings during that period and about which the Executive had no Confidential Information;
Relevant Period means: (i) where the Employment is continuing, the period of the Employment; and (ii) where the Employment has terminated, the period of twelve months immediately preceding the Termination Date;
Restricted Area means:
 

(a)           England, Scotland and Wales;

 

(b)           the United States of America;

 

(c)           Japan; and

 

(d)        any other country in the world where, on the Termination Date, the Company dealt in Restricted Products or Restricted Services; 

 

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Restricted Employee means any person who was a director, employee or consultant of the Company at any time within the Relevant Period who by reason of that position and in particular his seniority and expertise or knowledge of Confidential Information or knowledge of or influence over the clients, customers or contacts of the Company is likely to cause damage to the Company if he were to leave the employment of the Company and become employed by a competitor of the Company;
Restricted Period means the period commencing on the Termination Date and, subject to the terms of Clause 19.4, continuing for 12 months;
Restricted Products means any products, equipment or machinery researched into, developed, manufactured, supplied, marketed, distributed or sold by the Company (on its own or in collaboration or partnership with others) and with which the duties of the Executive were materially concerned or for which he was responsible during the Relevant Period or about which he had Confidential Information, or any products, equipment or machinery of the same type or materially similar to those products, equipment or machinery;
Restricted Services means any services (including but not limited to technical and product support, technical advice and customer services) researched into, developed or supplied by the Company (on its own or in collaboration or partnership with others) and with which the duties of the Executive were materially concerned or for which he was responsible during the Relevant Period or about which he had Confidential Information, or any services of the same type or materially similar to those services;
Supplier means any supplier, agent, distributor or other person who, during the Relevant Period was in the habit of dealing with the Company and with which, during that period, the Executive, or any employee under the direct or indirect supervision of the Executive, had material dealings in the course of the Employment, or about which the Executive had Confidential Information.

 

19.2. Restrictive covenants

 

Both during the Employment and during the Restricted Period, the Executive will not, without the prior written consent of the Board, whether by himself, through his employees or agents and whether on his own behalf or on behalf of any person, directly or indirectly:

 

(a) so as to compete with the Company, solicit business from or canvas or approach any Customer or Prospective Customer or business partner in respect of Restricted Products or Restricted Services;

 

(b) so as to compete with the Company, accept orders from, act for or have any business dealings with, any Customer or Prospective Customer or business partner in respect of Restricted Products or Restricted Services;

 

(c) within the Restricted Area, be employed, engaged or interested in or provide Confidential Information to that part of a business or person which is involved in Restricted Products or Restricted Services, if the business or person is or seeks to be in competition with the Company. For the purposes of this sub-clause, acts done by the Executive outside the Restricted Area shall nonetheless be deemed to be done within the Restricted Area where their primary purpose is to distribute, sell, supply or otherwise deal with Restricted Products or Restricted Services in the Restricted Area;

 

(d) solicit or induce or endeavour to solicit or induce any person who was a Restricted Employee (and with whom the Executive had dealings during the Relevant Period) to cease working for or providing services to the Company, whether or not any such person would thereby commit a breach of contract;

 

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(e) employ or otherwise engage any Restricted Employee in the business of Restricted Products or Restricted Services if that business is, or seeks to be, in competition with the Company;

 

(f) solicit or induce or endeavour to solicit or induce or approach any Supplier to cease to deal with the Company and shall not interfere in any way with any relationship between a Supplier and the Company; or

 

(g) so as to compete with the Company or reduce the Company’s business, solicit, deal with, or attempt to solicit or deal with, any key business partners of the Company, including any entity with whom it has entered into a collaboration agreement (or with whom it is in discussions to enter into a collaboration agreement), and with which entity the Executive has had business dealings during the Relevant Period or about which the Executive has Confidential Information.

 

19.3. Application of restrictive covenants to other Group Companies

 

Clause 19.2 shall also apply as though references to the “Company” in Clauses 19.1 and 19.2 include references to each Group Company in relation to which the Executive has in the course of the Employment or by reason of rendering services to or holding office in such Group Company:

 

(a) acquired knowledge of its products, services, trade secrets or Confidential Information; or

 

(b) had personal dealings with, or Confidential Information about, its Customers or Prospective Customers; or

 

(c) supervised directly or indirectly employees having personal dealings with its Customers or Prospective Customers;

 

but so that references to the “Company” shall for this purpose be deemed to be references to the relevant Group Company. The obligations undertaken by the Executive pursuant to this Clause 19.3 shall, with respect to each Group Company, constitute a separate and distinct covenant in favour of and for the benefit of each Group Company and which shall be enforceable either by the particular Group Company or by the Company on behalf of the Group Company and the invalidity or unenforceability of any such covenant shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the covenants in favour of any other Group Company.

 

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19.4. Effect of suspension on Restricted Period

 

If the Company exercises its right to suspend the Executive’s duties and powers under Clause 5.2 after notice of termination of the Employment has been given, the aggregate of the period of the suspension and the Restricted Period shall not exceed 12 months and if the aggregate of the two periods would exceed 12 months, the Restricted Period shall be reduced accordingly.

 

Further undertakings

 

The Executive hereby undertakes to the Company that he will not at any time:

 

(a) during the Employment or after the Termination Date engage in any trade or business outside the Group or be associated with any person engaged in any trade or business using any trading names used by the Company or any Group Company including any of the names or incorporating any of the words “Exscientia” or “Kinetic Discovery”;

 

(b) after the Termination Date make any public statement in relation to the Company or any Group Company or any of their directors, officers or employees or any product or service being sold or developed by the Company or any Group Company; or

 

(c) after the Termination Date represent or otherwise indicate any association or connection with the Company or any Group Company or for the purpose of carrying on or retaining any business represent or otherwise indicate any past association with the Company or any Group Company.

 

19.5. Protection of Company reputation

 

The Executive undertakes that, he will not at any time during the Employment and at any time (without limit) after the Termination Date make or publish or cause to be made or published to anyone in any circumstances any disparaging remarks concerning the Company or any Group Company or any of its or their respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, consultants or agents or any product or service being sold or developed by the Company or any Group Company. However, this shall not apply to any protected disclosure by the Executive within the meaning of section 43A of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

 

19.6. Employment Offer

 

In the event that the Executive receives an offer of employment or request to provide services either during the Employment or during the terms of the Restricted Period, the Executive shall:

 

(a) provide immediately to such person, company or other entity making such an offer or request a full and accurate copy of the Restrictive Covenants set out at Clause 19 of this Agreement; and

 

(b) notify the Company within 5 working days of receipt of the offer and the identity of the person, company or other entity making the offer.

 

19.7. Severance

 

The restrictions in this Clause 19 (on which the Executive has had the opportunity to take independent advice, as the Executive hereby acknowledges) are separate and severable restrictions and are considered by the parties to be reasonable in all the circumstances. It is agreed that if any such restrictions, by themselves, or taken together, shall be adjudged to go beyond what is reasonable in all the circumstances for the protection of the legitimate interests of the Company or a Group Company but would be adjudged reasonable if some part of it were deleted, the relevant restriction or restrictions shall apply with such deletion(s) as may be necessary to make it or them valid and enforceable.

 

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20. RECONSTRUCTION AND AMALGAMATIONS

 

If the Company undergoes any process of reconstruction or amalgamation (whether or not involving the liquidation of the Company) and the Executive is offered employment by the successor or proposed successor to the Company or any Group Companies on terms not materially less favourable overall to those under this Agreement whether as to duties, responsibilities, remuneration or otherwise and the Executive does not accept the offer within one month of it being made, then the Executive shall have no claim in respect of termination of this Agreement and the Employment.

 

21. DISCIPLINARY AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

 

21.1. Disciplinary procedures

 

Any disciplinary action taken in connection with the Employment will usually be taken in accordance with the Company’s normal disciplinary procedures (which are workplace rules and not contractually binding) a copy of which is available from the Company’s Human Resources department.

 

21.2. Grievance procedure

 

If the Executive wishes to obtain redress of any grievance relating to the Employment or is dissatisfied with any reprimand, suspension or other disciplinary step taken by the Company, he shall apply in writing to the chairman of the Board, setting out the nature and details of any such grievance or dissatisfaction.

 

22. GENERAL

 

22.1. Provisions which survive termination

 

Any provision of this Agreement which is expressed or intended to have effect on, or to continue in force after, the termination of this Agreement shall have such effect, or, as the case may be, continue in force, after such termination.

 

22.2. No collective agreements

 

There are no collective agreements that directly affect the terms and conditions of the Employment.

 

22.3. Compliance

 

The Executive shall comply with the relevant obligations under prevailing law and regulation, including the Companies Act 2006, the requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requirements (in each case to the extent applicable) or other laws applicable to the Parent and the Company from time to time as may be notified to the Executive.

 

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23. DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY

 

23.1. Data Protection

 

The Company will hold, collect and otherwise process certain personal data as set out in the Company’s privacy notice, which is in the Company’s Staff Handbook. All personal data will be treated in accordance with applicable data protection laws and regulations.

 

24. AMENDMENTS, WAIVERS AND REMEDIES

 

24.1. Amendments

 

No amendment or variation of this Agreement or any of the documents referred to in it shall be effective unless it is in writing and (other than an alteration in the Basic Salary) signed by or on behalf of each of the parties.

 

24.2. Waivers and remedies cumulative

 

(a) The rights of each party under this Agreement:

 

(i) may be exercised as often as necessary;

 

(ii) are cumulative and not exclusive of its rights under the general law; and

 

(iii) may be waived only in writing and specifically.

 

(b) Delay in exercising or non-exercise of any right is not a waiver of that right.

 

(c) Any right of rescission conferred upon the Company by this Agreement shall be in addition to and without prejudice to all other rights and remedies available to it.

 

25. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

 

(a) This Agreement and the documents referred to in it constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties and supersede and extinguish all previous agreements, promises, assurances, warranties, representations and understandings between the parties, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.

 

(b) Each party acknowledges that in entering into this Agreement it does not rely on, and shall have no remedies in respect of, any statement, representation, assurance or warranty (whether made innocently or negligently) that is not set out in this Agreement.

 

(c) Each party agrees that it shall have no claim for innocent or negligent misrepresentation or negligent misstatement based on any statement in this Agreement.

 

(d) Nothing in this Clause shall limit or exclude any liability for fraud.

 

26. NO OUTSTANDING CLAIMS

 

The Executive hereby acknowledges that he has no outstanding claims of any kind against the Company or any Group Company (other than in respect of remuneration and expenses due to the date of this Agreement but not yet paid).

 

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27. SEVERANCE

 

If any provision of this Agreement is or becomes illegal, invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, that shall not affect:

 

(a) the legality, validity or enforceability in that jurisdiction of any other provisions of this Agreement; or

 

(b) the legality, validity or enforceability in any other jurisdiction of that or any other provision of this Agreement.

 

28. NOTICE

 

28.1. Notices and deemed receipt

 

Any notice hereunder shall be given by either party to the other either personally to the Executive or (where notice is to be given to the Company) the Chairman or the Head of Human Resources or sent in the case of the Company, to its registered office for the time being and, in the case of the Executive, to his address last known to the Company or sent by email to, in the case of the Company, the Company email address of the Chairman and the Head of Human Resources and, in the case of the Executive, his Company email address. Any such notice shall be in writing and shall be given by letter delivered by hand or sent by first class prepaid recorded delivery or registered post or by email transmission. Any such notice shall be deemed to have been received:

 

(a) if delivered personally, at the time of delivery;

 

(b) in the case of pre-paid recorded delivery or registered post, 48 hours from the date of posting;

 

(c) in the case of registered airmail, five days from the date of posting; and

 

(d) in the case of email, at the time of transmission;

 

provided that if deemed receipt occurs before 9am on a business day the notice shall be deemed to have been received at 9am on that day and if deemed receipt occurs after 5pm on a business day, or on a day which is not a business day, the notice shall be deemed to have been received at 9am on the next business day. For the purpose of this Clause, “business day” means any day which is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday in the place at or to which the notice is left or sent. This clause does not apply to the service of any proceedings or other documents in any legal action or, where applicable, any arbitration or other method of dispute resolution.

 

28.2. Electronic service

 

For the avoidance of doubt, notice given under this Agreement shall be validly served if sent by email.

 

29. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

 

29.1. Governing law

 

This Agreement is governed by and to be construed in accordance with English law.

 

29.2. Jurisdiction

 

Each party hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts as regards any claim, dispute or matter arising out of or in connection with this Agreement and its implementation and effect.

 

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IN WITNESS of which this Agreement has been executed and delivered as a deed on the first date written above.

 

EXECUTED as a Deed by EXSCIENTIA AI
LIMITED acting by ANDREW HOPKINS
  Director
   
Witness’s  
   
Signature:
   
Full Name:
   
Address:
 
 

 

EXECUTED as a Deed by
BEN TAYLOR in the presence of:
   
   
Witness’s  
   
Signature:
   
Full Name:
   
Address:
 
 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.4

 

Confidential

 

Certain information in this document, marked by brackets [****], has been excluded pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

COLLABORATION AGREEMENT

 

This Collaboration Agreement (Agreement) is made and entered into as of 28th March 2016 (Effective Date) by and between

 

Ex scientia, a Scottish corporation (registration number SC428761) having its principal office at Dundee Incubator, James Linsay Place, Dundee, DD1 SJJ, United Kingdom (ExS) and

 

Evotec International GmbH, a German corporation having its principal office at Essener Bogen 7, 22419 Hamburg, Germany (Evotec).

 

(ExS and Evotec may each be referred to herein individually as a Party and collectively as the Parties)

 

PREAMBLE

 

WHEREAS, the Parties desire to enter into a Collaboration Agreement supporting the “Adenosine A2A immuno-oncology” project.

 

WHEREAS, both parties further agree that they will work together both at their own cost to generate one or more immune-oncology pre-clinical development candidate(s) in line with an agreed Program Plan and any successor plan with the goal to partner or otherwise exploit this with a pharmaceutical or biotech company or to develop further together

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises and the mutual covenants set forth below, the Parties hereby agree as follows:

 

1. DEFINITIONS

 

1.1 Affiliate shall mean, with respect to any person or entity, any other person or entity, which directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such person or entity. A person or entity shall be regarded as in control of another person or entity if it owns, or directly or indirectly controls, more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting stock or other ownership interest of the other person or entity, or if it directly or indirectly possesses the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the other person or entity by any means whatsoever.

 

1.2 Background Improvement IP means any IP conceived, first reduced to practice or arising from the performance of the Program Plan that (i) constitutes an improvement of or enhancement to either Party’s Background IP introduced into the Program and (ii) does not specifically relate to the Program IP.

 

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1.3 Background IP means any and all IP conceived, first reduced to practice or rightfully acquired prior to the Effective Date or outside the performance of the Program Plan, including without limitation, the IP set forth in Exhibit B as amended from time to time, in each case to the extent necessary for the purpose of performing the activities under this Agreement (including the conclusion of Partnership Agreements).

 

1.4 Confidential Information means all information, including know-how and the subject-matter of any unpublished invention, or any material in tangible form that is disclosed or made available under this Agreement by the Disclosing Party to the Receiving Party and that is marked as “Confidential” at the time it is disclosed or delivered to the Receiving Party (or, if disclosed orally, is identified as confidential when disclosed and such disclosure is confirmed in writing within thirty (30) days by the Disclosing Party) or ought in good faith to be treated as confidential taking account of its content or the circumstances of disclosure. The term Confidential Information shall also include the existence and contents of this Agreement.

 

1.5 Continuing Party is defined in Section 10.2.

 

1.6 Disclosing Party is defined in Section 7.1.

 

1.7 Effective Date is defined in the introductory paragraph of this Agreement.

 

1.8 Indemnified Party is defined in Section 9.3.

 

1.9 Indemnifying Party is defined in Section 10.2.

 

1.10 IP means any and all Patent Rights, utility models, trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property rights, and any applications relating thereto, as well as any technical or scientific data, invention, information or know-how which is not publicly available.

 

1.11 Opt-out Party is defined in Section 10.2.

 

1.12 Partnering Plan is defined in Section 3.2.

 

1.13 Partnership Agreement means a license agreement to be concluded by the Parties with a Third Party under which such Third Party acquires an exclusive or nonexclusive (as the case may be) license or other right to the Program IP generated hereunder and assumes the obligation to further develop such Program IP with the goal of launching at least one therapeutic product based on such Program IP in at least the US and/or EU.

 

1.14 Patent Rights shall mean, with respect to any technology, (a) all patent applications heretofore or hereafter filed or having legal force in any country to the extent and only to the extent they claim or cover such technology or the use thereof; (b) all patents that have issued or in the future issue from such applications referenced in (a) above, including without limitation utility, model and design patents and certificates of invention; and (c) all divisionals, continuations, continuations-in-part, reissues, reexaminations, renewals, extensions, supplementary protection certificates or additions to any such patent applications and patents.

 

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1.15 Program means the collaborative program to be conducted hereunder for the research and development of immune-oncology pre-clinical development candidate(s) against the Program Target.

 

1.16 Program IP means any and all IP conceived, first reduced to practice or arising from the performance of the Program Plan other than Background Improvement IP.

 

1.17 Program Manager is defined in Section 5.5.

 

1.18 Program Plan means the written research work plan agreed between the Parties which describes the work, and the planned schedule for such work, to be performed under the Program. An initial Program Plan is attached hereto as Exhibit A.

 

1.19 Program Target(s) means Adenosine A2A antagonists (and bispecific A2A-”plus” antagonists) for the use as cancer immunotherapies.

 

1.20 Program Term is defined in Section 10.1.

 

1.21 Receiving Party is defined in Section 7.1.

 

1.22 Revenue means all revenue received by a Party from a Partnership Agreement, including without limitation all up-front, milestone and royalty payments, but excluding (i) any arms’ length research funding paid by the Third Party collaborator in consideration for research and development activities to be performed under the Partnering Agreement or to further advance the program or perform additional studies; and (ii) any value added or other taxes paid by the Third Party collaborator to such Party in connection with such Partnering Agreement. If a Party receives non-cash consideration in connection with a Partnering Agreement or in the case of transactions not at arm’s length, Revenue will be calculated based on the fair market value of such consideration or transaction, at the time of the transaction, assuming an arm’s length transaction made in the ordinary course of business.

 

1.23 Shared Cost is defined in Section 4.1(b).

 

1.24 Steering Committee is defined in Section 5.1.

 

1.25 Third Party means any person or entity other than the Parties and their Affiliates.

 

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2. CONDUCT OF PROGRAM

  

2.1 Goal of Program. The goal of the Program is to discover, research and develop one or more immune-oncology pre-clinical development candidate(s) against the Program Target for further commercialization in accordance with this Agreement.

 

2.2 Program Plan. An initial Program Plan describing the work to be performed by the Parties, is attached hereto as Exhibit A. ExS’s role will be to select the Program Target product profile, undertake fragment screening (where required, including GPCR biophysical fragment screening) and to design the synthetic target molecules (whether for single target or bispecific profiles) using its proprietary automated drug design platform. Evotec’s role will be to provide access to its comprehensive medicinal, synthetic chemistry and drug discovery platform and expertise. Each Party may recommend changes to the Program Plan at any time; provided, however, that such changes shall be effective only upon the approval of the Steering Committee.

 

2.3 General Obligations of the Parties. Each Party shall

 

(a) use its commercially reasonable efforts to successfully undertake the Program in accordance with the Program Plan, and

 

(b) contribute to the Program such personnel, equipment, facilities and other resources as reasonably necessary to perform its obligations under the Program and to achieve efficiently the objectives thereof, and

 

(c) perform its activities under the Program in good scientific manner, and in compliance in all material respects with all requirements of applicable laws and regulations, and

 

(d) keep the other Party fully informed as to its progress, results, status and plans in and for performing and implementing the Program through regular written reports to the Steering Committee (as requested by the Steering Committee or the other Party) and informal oral or written reports exchanged between the Program Managers of each Party.

 

2.4 Records. Each Party shall maintain records, in sufficient detail and in good scientific manner appropriate for patent purposes, which shall be complete and accurate and shall fully and properly reflect all work done and results achieved in its performance of the Program. Each Party shall make such records available to the other Party for inspection upon reasonable written request of the other Party (but not more than once per calendar year) for the purpose of ensuring the Party’s compliance with its research obligations hereunder. Upon request, each Party shall deliver to the other Party copies of all records described in this Section. Each Party shall reimburse the other Party for reasonable costs incurred in providing such copies.

 

2.5 Subcontracting. Each Party shall be entitled to subcontract any work to be performed by such Party to any Affiliate or, upon the other Party’s Program Manager’s or Steering Committee’s approval, any Third Party, provided that each Party shall remain responsible for the due performance of its obligations under this Agreement by the subcontractor(s) appointed by such Party.

 

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2.6 Exclusivity. From the Effective Date until the earlier of (i) the second anniversary of the Effective Date or (ii) both Parties’ discontinuation of the Program, neither Party shall without the other Party’s prior written consent perform internally (outside the Program Plan) and/or together with, or for the benefit of, any Third Party any research or development activities relating to the development of any therapeutic product against the Program Target. If a Party is approached during such exclusivity period by a Third Party regarding the performance of any such research and development activities, the Parties shall enter into discussions with such Third Party with the goal to conclude a Partnership Agreement. If the Third Party does not wish to enter into a Partnership Agreement, the Parties shall discuss in good faith whether and to what extent the Party that has been approached by the Third Party may be released from its exclusivity obligation hereunder. If a Party wishes to initiate an internal project using elements of the Program IP other than against the Program Target then it shall advise the other Party of its intentions. If the Parties so agree a further program will be agreed and pursued in accordance with this agreement. If the other Party does not wish to collaborate on the new program then the first Party may continue alone subject to agreement on royalties or other compensation to the non participating party for the use of the Program IP. For the avoidance of doubt this compensation shall reflect the parties contribution to the new program and shall not necessarily be at the rates set out herein.

 

2.7 In the event that the Parties agree that the injection of Third Party funds is desirable to complete the Program a new corporate entity shall be established which shall initially be equally owned by the Parties and into which the Third Party funding shall be received. The funding may be taken in in form of an equity investment. The new entity shall be a single purpose vehicle dedicated to the completion and commercial exploitation of the Program. It shall be governed by a share holder agreement which shall be generally reflective of the terms of this agreement but shall also include terms typical for a joint venture including preemption rights in favour of the Parties.

 

3. COMMERCIALIZATION OF PROGRAM IP

 

3.1 Commercialization. The Parties agree to use commercially reasonable efforts to commercialize any Program IP generated hereunder by entering into one or more Partnership Agreements with interested Third Parties in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3.

 

3.2 Partnering Plan. Each Party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to identify Third Parties which may be interested in concluding a Partnership Agreement and shall disclose such Third Parties to the other Party for further evaluation and discussion between the Parties and (ii) the Parties shall negotiate and agree in good faith on a partnering plan (Partnering Plan), setting out, inter alia

 

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(a) the strategy of the Parties to secure the conclusion of one or more Partnership Agreements,

 

(b) the tasks to be performed by the Parties in this regard as well as applicable timelines for such tasks, and

 

(c) a list of potential Third Party collaborators including the order in which they are to be approached.

 

The Partnering Plan may be amended from time to time by mutual agreement between the Parties.

 

3.3 Negotiation of Partnership Agreements. Unless otherwise agreed in the Partnering Plan, both Parties shall, at its own expense, be responsible for initiating and engaging in discussions with the potential Third Party collaborators (including without limitation all business and scientific meetings) and for negotiating the Partnership Agreements, provided that the Party engaged in the negotiations shall:

 

(a) keep the other Party at all times fully informed as to the status of any discussions or negotiations with any potential Third Party collaborator,

 

(b) notify the other Party reasonably in advance of any meetings (whether in person, per telephone or otherwise) with any potential Third Party collaborator and the other Party shall have the right (but not the obligation) to attend and participate in all such meetings at its own expense,

 

(c) closely cooperate with the other Party in the preparation and negotiation of all Partnership Agreements (and any term sheets or similar documents relating to any such potential Partnership Agreement),

 

(d) promptly provide the other Party with copies of all relevant drafts and markups of any Partnership Agreements (or any term sheets or similar documents relating to any such potential Partnership Agreement) that are exchanged in the course of the negotiations, and

 

(e) consult with the other Party as to the terms of each Partnership Agreement (or any term sheets or similar documents relating to any such potential Partnership Agreement) and incorporate any reasonable suggestions or requirements that the other Party may communicate to the negotiating Party.

 

No Party shall be entitled to conclude any such Partnership Agreement without the prior written approval of the other Party (which shall not be withheld unreasonably).

 

3.4 No Partnership Agreement at End of Program. If no Partnership Agreement is concluded after a six-month period following the completion of all activities to be performed under the Program Plan, the Parties agree to meet in order to discuss in good faith a possible extension of the Program Plan or any alternative options to commercialize the results obtained under the Program by such date.

 

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4. PROGRAM COSTS AND REVENUE SHARING

 

4.1 Allocation of Costs and Revenue. Unless otherwise set forth in this Agreement,

 

(a) each Party shall bear its own internal costs and external payments that it incurs in the course of the Program,

 

(b) all Revenue received by the Parties shall be accounted for by the Parties and shared equally between them.

 

4.2 Revenue Reports and Payment. Following the execution of the first Partnership Agreement, within fourteen (14) calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter, each Party who has entered into a Partnership Agreement shall deliver to the other Party a written report showing in reasonable detail (i) all Revenue it has received during such calendar quarter and (ii) the share of such Revenue due to the other Party under this Agreement. All Revenue sharing amounts due by one Party to the other shall be payable on the date such report is due.

 

4.3 Records and Audit. Each Party shall keep true and accurate records and books of account containing all data necessary for the calculation of any costs incurred or Revenues received by such Party. Those records and books of account shall be kept for three (3) years following the end of the calendar year to which they relate. Either Party shall have the right to cause a firm of independent certified public accountants that is acceptable to the other Party, such acceptance not to be unreasonably withheld, to inspect such records and books of account in order to verify that the costs and/or Revenues have been reported and calculated in accordance with this Agreement. Any such inspection shall occur no more than once per calendar year. Each Party initiating such audit shall pay all audit expenses; provided however, that in the event the audit reveals a greater than five percent (5%) shortfall in the amounts owed to by the other Party to such Party during the relevant audit period, the other Party shall pay all audit expenses. Each Party shall treat all financial information subject to review under this Section 4.3 as confidential, and shall cause its accounting firm to retain all such financial information in confidence under Section 7 below.

 

4.4 Dispute Resolution. In the event of any dispute between the Parties in relation to the determination of costs or Revenues or either Party’s Revenue share pursuant to Section 4.1(b) above, the Parties shall appoint a nationally recognized, independent accounting film as Third Party expert (Schiedsgutachter) to decide on the issue in dispute (and if the Parties cannot agree on such expert, each party shall appoint one accounting firm and both accounting firms so appointed shall select the relevant expert). The Third Party expert shall be entitled to request any information and documents from either Party that it deems relevant for rendering its decision, and each Party shall be obliged to provide such information and documents as quickly as possible. Prior to rendering a decision, the Third Party expert shall provide each Party with reasonable opportunity to comment on its preliminary findings. The decision of the Third Party expert shall be final and binding upon both Parties.

 

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5. CONTRACT GOVERNANCE

 

5.1 Steering Committee. Within thirty (30) days following the Effective Date, the Parties shall establish a joint steering committee (Steering Committee). The Steering Committee shall have a total of four (4) voting members. Two (2) members of the Steering Committee shall be appointed by Evotec, and two (2) members of the Steering Committee shall be appointed by ExS. Each Steering Committee member shall have sufficient authority to ensure acceptance and execution of Steering Committee decisions within its organization. Each Party may appoint substitutes or alternates for its Steering Committee members at any time by written notice the other Party. The Parties may mutually agree to change the size of the Steering Committee at any time.

 

5.2 Responsibilities of Steering Committee. The Steering Committee shall be responsible for directing, coordinating and supervising the research and development activities of the Parties under the Program. In particular, the Steering Committee shall

 

(a) establish the Program Plan and authorize necessary updates or amendments thereto,

 

(b) receive regular reports from each Party’s Program Manager on, and monitor, the conduct, progress and results of the Program,

 

(c) decide upon the strategy for the prosecution of Patent Rights relating to the Program IP, and

 

(d) resolve any issues referred to it by the Parties in accordance with Section 11.8.

 

Following the conclusion of the research and development activities under the Program, the Steering Committee shall only have an informatory role in relation to the commercialization efforts of the Parties under Section 3 and shall only be responsible for exchanging information and strategies regarding the commercialization of the Program IP.

 

5.3 Meetings. Meetings of the Steering Committee shall be scheduled from time to time by mutual agreement of the Parties or upon request of one Party, but in no event less than once every three (3) months. The meetings may be held in person or per telephone or video conference. The Steering Committee meetings shall be chaired alternately by a member of the Steering Committee employed by Evotec and by ExS. The chair shall draw up and submit to the other members written minutes of each Steering Committee meeting. Any such minutes shall become binding upon the Parties, unless the other Party raises objections to such minutes in writing within fifteen (15) days of its receipt of such minutes.

 

5.4 Decisions. Decisions of the Joint Steering Committee shall be unanimous. If the members of the Joint Steering Committee cannot agree on a particular issue, the issue shall be escalated pursuant to Section 11.8. The Steering Committee shall have no authority to amend or modify the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

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5.5 Program Managers. Each Party shall appoint a person to coordinate its part of the activities under the Program (Program Manager). The Program Managers shall be the primary contacts between the Parties with respect to all activities performed under the Program. Either Party may change its Program Manager upon written notice to the other Party. The Program Managers as of the Effective Date shall be Dr Craig Johnstone for Evotec, and Dr Andy Bell for ExS. The Program Managers shall have no authority to amend or modify the terms and conditions of the Program Plan or of this Agreement.

 

5.6 Costs. Each Party shall be responsible for its own personnel, travel and other expenses relating to Program Managers and Joint Steering Committee meetings.

 

6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 

6.1 Background IP. Each Party shall exclusively own all right, title and interest in and to (i) its Background IP, and (ii) any Background Improvement IP related to the Background IP of such Party. To the extent that a Party is a (co-)owner of any IP owned by the other Party under Section 6.1 (ii), such Party hereby assigns to the other Party all right, title and interest in such IP.

 

6.2 Program IP. The Parties shall jointly own (in equal shares) all right, title and interest in and to the Program IP. Each Party shall be responsible for remunerating its own employees with respect to any employees’ invention made. Without the other Party’s prior written consent and subject to Section 2.6, the Parties may not

 

(a) use the Program IP for any purpose other than performing their obligations under this Agreement or

 

(b) make the Program IP available to any Third Party except as agreed under any Partnership Agreement concluded pursuant to Section ___.

 

6.3 Licenses.

 

(a) Research License. Each Party hereby grants to the other Party a non-exclusive, non-sublicensable (except to permitted subcontractors for the purposes of this Agreement), worldwide, royalty-free license under its Background IP and any Background Improvement IP for the purposes of performing the activities assigned to such other Party under this Agreement.

 

(b) Commercialization License. For the purpose of a Party to negotiate and conclude any Partnership Agreements and subject to Section ___, each Party hereby grants to other Party the right to grant to any Third Party collaborator in a Partnership Agreements the following rights and/or licenses:

 

(i) any rights in any Program IP, whether by transfer of ownership, a nonexclusive or exclusive license or otherwise, as agreed in the Partnership Agreement, and/or

 

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(ii) a non-exclusive worldwide license (with the right to grant sublicenses) under the licensing Party’s Background IP and Background Improvement IP to develop, make, use, sell, offer for sale or import any therapeutic product based on Program IP targeting the Program Target.

 

Each Party agrees to assist the other Party, at the requesting Party’s expense, to obtain and to execute all documents reasonably necessary for the requesting Party or any designee to transfer ownership, or grant a non-exclusive or exclusive license to a Third Party Collaborator.

 

6.4 Patent Matters.

 

(a) Background IP and Background Improvement IP. Each Party shall have the right (but not the obligation), at its sole expense and sole discretion, to control the preparation, filing, prosecution, maintenance and enforcement of all Patent Rights relating to any Background IP or Background Improvement IP owned by such Party.

 

(b) Prosecution of Program IP. The Parties shall discuss in good faith and mutually agree on the best strategy for the prosecution of Patent Rights relating to Program IP, including without limitation the patent claims and the territorial scope of patent protection. Unless otherwise agreed between the Parties, ExS shall control the preparation, filing, prosecution and maintenance of such Patent Rights and shall (i) provide Evotec with written notice as early as possible in advance of any undertaking to prepare, file, prosecute and maintain any patent application or patents for any of such Patent Rights, (ii) provide Evotec with any draft of patent application as early as possible in advance of filing and incorporate reasonable comments by Evotec thereon; (iii) not file any patent application or make any substantive filing in relation to any such Patent Rights without Evotec’s prior written consent, (iv) provide Evotec with any patent application after such filing; (v) provide Evotec with copies of all substantive communications received from any patent office(s) with respect to such filings and coordinate with Evotec any response relating thereto; and (vi) notify Evotec of any interference, opposition, reexamination request, nullity proceeding, appeal or other interparty action and coordinate with Evotec any response relating thereto.

 

Unless otherwise agreed between the Parties, (i) all filings of any such Patent Rights shall be made in the name of both Evotec and ExS, (ii) any such Patents Rights shall be prepared, filed, prosecuted and maintained at least in the countries set forth in Exhibit C, and (iii) all costs and expenses incurred by either Party in connection with any such preparation, filing, prosecution and maintenance of such Patent Rights shall be shared equally between the Parties.

 

(c) Enforcement of Program IP. In the event that either Party is of the opinion that any Program IP may be infringed by a Third Party, such Party shall promptly inform the other thereof and the Parties shall meet within thirty (30) days to discuss possible options to abate any such infringement and to determine whether or not both Parties wish to enforce such Program IP.

 

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(i) If both Parties wish to enforce such Program IP, the Parties shall agree on the actions to be taken and all costs and expenses incurred by the Parties in connection with the enforcement as well as all monies recovered upon the final judgment or settlement of any such suit to enforce such Patent Rights shall be shared equally between the Parties;

 

(ii) If either Party does not wish to enforce such Program IP, the other Party shall have the right (but not the obligation), at its sole discretion, on its own costs and expense, to control the enforcement of the Program IP, provided that all monies recovered upon the final judgment or settlement of any such suit to enforce the Patent Rights (following deduction of the enforcing Party’s costs and expenses incurred in connection with such enforcement) shall be shared between the Parties in the ratio of [****], with the enforcing Party receiving [****]% of the monies.

 

(d) Patent Assistance. Each Party shall perform or procure to be performed such lawful acts and execute or procure to be executed such documents as requested by the other Party from time to time in order to reasonably assist the other Party in the preparation, filing, prosecution, maintenance and enforcement activities described in this Section 6.4.

 

(e) To the extent the assignment of inventions is not covered by statutory law (e.g. the German Employees’ Inventions Act), each Party will maintain valid and enforceable written agreements with all persons acting by or on behalf of such Party or its Affiliates which require such person to assign to such Party their entire right, title and interest in and to all Program IP and Background Improvement IP. Each Party agrees to claim and keep valid and enforceable any invention relating to any Program IP and the other Party’s Background Improvement IP conceived, reduced to practice, developed, made or created in the conduct of the activities under this Agreement. If either Party is obliged by law to make a payment to one of its employees or consultants in respect of that person’s contribution to any invention then that Party employing or engaging that person shall be solely responsible for settling that liability and shall not deduct such costs from the share of the Revenues due to the other Party

 

7. CONFIDENTIALITY

 

7.1 Confidentiality and Restricted Use. Each Party (Receiving Party) shall protect the Confidential Information of the other Party (Disclosing Party) from unauthorized use or disclosure and use it solely for the purposes of this Agreement.

 

7.2 Disclosure to Third Parties. Neither Party shall, except with the express prior written consent of the Disclosing Party, disclose any Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party to any person or entity other than its officers, directors, employees, agents and consultants who need to know such information for the performance of this Agreement and who are bound by a written confidentiality agreement not less stringent than the terms of this Agreement or by professional rules of secrecy.

 

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7.3 Exceptions. The above confidentiality obligations shall not apply to information which, as can be established by the Receiving Party,

 

(a) was communicated to the Receiving Party from a Third Party entitled to make such a disclosure; or

 

(b) was already in the public domain or subsequently entered the public domain through no fault of the Receiving Party; or

 

(c) was already known by the Receiving Party or developed independently by the Receiving Party without reference to or reliance upon information provided by the Disclosing Party; or

 

(d) is to be disclosed pursuant to any legal, regulatory or stock exchange requirement (but only to the extent such information needs to be disclosed).

 

7.4 Ownership of Confidential Information. Subject to Section 6.1 and 6.2 and unless specifically described otherwise in this Agreement, (a) as between the Parties, the Disclosing Party owns all Confidential Information disclosed by it, and (b) no sharing of information between the Parties will serve to transfer any right, title or interest in or to the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information.

 

7.5 Press releases, references. Upon execution of this Agreement, the Parties shall issue a joint press release. In addition, each Party shall be entitled to disclose the other Party’s name as collaboration partner under this Agreement to Third Parties and use the other Party’s name and logo for such purposes. All other use of the other Party’s name in any advertising or promotional material, or any other publicity relating to this Agreement, shall require the other Party’s prior written consent.

 

7.6 Prior Agreements. As of the Effective Date, the above confidentiality obligations shall supersede any oral or written confidentiality agreements concluded between the Parties prior to this Agreement. As far as under such prior confidentiality agreement information has already been exchanged, the above provisions of this Section 7 shall apply also to such information

 

8. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

8.1 Mutual Representations. Each Party hereby represents and warrants to the other Party that

 

(a) it has the legal right to enter into and deliver this Agreement;

 

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(b) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement as well as the licenses granted hereunder do not conflict with any agreement, instrument or understanding, oral or written, to which such Party may be bound;

 

(c) to its knowledge, no Third Party IP would be infringed by practicing in accordance with this Agreement any process or method covered by each Party’s Background IP listed in Exhibit B. Each Party shall promptly notify the other if it becomes aware of any actual or suspected infringement of any Third Party IP by the use of its Background IP or Background Improvement IP in accordance with this Agreement or by the manufacture, use, sale or import of any therapeutic product based on Program IP targeting the Program Target.

 

8.2 Disclaimers. The Parties acknowledge and agree that the research and development to be conducted under this Agreement is experimental in nature, and that neither Party can guarantee a successful outcome thereof. Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, neither Party makes any representations or extends any warranties of any kind, either express or implied, to the other Party, and each Party hereby disclaims all implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

 

9. LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

 

9.1 No Liability for Indirect Losses. Neither Party shall be liable to the other, whether in tort, contract or otherwise, for any consequential, indirect, punitive, exemplary or incidental damages, loss or expenses (including, without limitation, lost profits and lost business opportunities).

 

9.2 Exceptions. The provisions of this Section 9 shall not apply to cases of wilful misconduct, any breach of any warranty set forth in Section 8, or any breach of Section 7.

 

9.3 Indemnification. Each Party shall indemnify, hold harmless and defend the other Party, its Affiliates and its directors, officers, employees and agents (performing activities related to Program Plan) of the Indemnified Party (as defined below in 9.4) and its Affiliates, from and against any and all losses, expenses, cost of defense (including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees, witness fees, damages, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement) and any amounts the Indemnified Party or its Affiliates become legally obligated to pay because of any claim or claims against it by any Third Party to the extent that such claim or claims arise out of: (a) activities related to the Program Plan conducted by or on behalf of the Indemnifying Party (as defined below in 9.4) and its Affiliates; or (b) any material breach by the Indemnifying Party of its obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent such losses, expenses, costs and amounts are due to the negligence, gross negligence or willful misconduct or failure to act of the Indemnified Party.

 

9.4 Procedure. In the event of a claim by a Third Party against a Party entitled to indemnification under this Agreement (“Indemnified Party”), the Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the other party (“Indemnifying Party”) in writing of the claim and the Indemnified Party shall permit the Indemnifying Party to assume direction, undertake and solely manage and control, at its sole expense, the defense of the claim (including the right to settle the claim solely for monetary consideration). The Indemnified Party shall cooperate with the Indemnifying Party as reasonable requested in the defense of the claim and may, at its option and expense, be represented in any such action or proceeding by counsel of its choice. The Indemnifying Party shall not settle any such claim unless such settlement fully and unconditionally releases the Indemnified Party from all liability relating thereto and does not impose any cost or restriction on the Indemnified Party, unless the Indemnified Party otherwise agrees in writing, which agreement shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

 

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10. TERM, TERMINATION AND OPT-OUT

 

10.1 Term. This Agreement shall become effective on 28th March 2016 and shall continue until all Revenue sharing payments due hereunder have been made, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the provisions of this Section 10. The term for the initial Program Plan shall be two (2) years from the Effective Date with an option for a mutual extension (“Program Term”).

 

10.2 Opt-out Options. At completion of the Program Term, each Party (the Opt-out Party) shall have the right to notify the other Party in writing that it is no longer able or willing to contribute to the Program as agreed hereunder. Upon such notice, the other Party shall, within thirty (30) days following its receipt of the opt-out notice, decide whether it wishes to continue the Program or to terminate this Agreement and shall notify the Opt-out Party accordingly in writing. If the other Party does not notify the Opt-out Party in writing within such thirty (30) days time period that it wishes to continue the Program, this Agreement shall be deemed terminated.

 

If the other Party (the Continuing Party) decides to continue the Program, the following shall apply:

 

(a) Release of Opt-out Party. The Opt-out Party shall be released from any further obligation to perform activities under the Program Plan or the Partnering Plan or to contribute to any costs.

 

(b) Program Continuation. Sections 2.2 to 2.5 shall no longer apply. The Continuing Party shall be entitled to continue the Program (and any subsequent development activities) in its sole discretion, provided that the Continuing Party shall promptly inform the Opt-out Party in writing if it has decided to discontinue the Program or upon achievement on relevant data points. The Opt-out Party hereby grants to the Continuing Party a non-exclusive, sublicensable subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 10.2(c), worldwide, royalty-free license under the Opt-out Party’s Background IP and Background Improvement IP solely for such purpose.

 

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(c) Support by Opt-out Party. To the extent the Continuing Party wishes to outsource any of its activities under the Program to any entity other than an Affiliate of the Continuing Party and the Opt-out Party has the capability to provide such activity, the Continuing Party shall offer such activity to the Opt-out Party and the Opt-out Party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide such activity as research or development service at reasonable service fees to be negotiated in good faith from time to time. The Continuing Party shall only be entitled to use any Third Party for such activity if (i) the Opt-out Party has declined to provide the requested activity or (ii) the Parties have not been able to agree in good faith on the terms of the engagement of the Opt-out Party within a reasonable period of time (of at least sixty (60) days).

 

(d) Conclusion of Partnership Agreements. Sections 3.2 to 3.4 shall no longer apply. The Continuing Party shall be free to negotiate and conclude any Partnership Agreements in its own discretion without any involvement of the Opt-out Party. For such purpose, the Opt-out Party hereby grants to the Continuing Party the right to grant to any Third Party collaborator with whom the Continuing Party has concluded a Partnership Agreement the following rights and/or licenses:

 

(i) any rights in any Program IP, whether by transfer of ownership, a non-exclusive or exclusive license or otherwise, as decided by the Continuing Party in its sole discretion, and (ii) a non-exclusive worldwide license (with the right to grant sublicenses) under the Opt-out Party’s Background IP and Background Improvement IP to develop, make, use, sell, offer for sale or import any therapeutic product based on Program IP targeting the Program Target.

 

The Continuing Party shall promptly provide to the Opt-out Party a copy of all Partnership Agreements concluded with any Third Party.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, the above rights are granted only for the purposes of concluding one or more Partnership Agreements. If the Continuing Party wishes to commercialize any Program IP without entering into any Partnership Agreement (i.e. alone or with Affiliates), the Parties shall negotiate and agree in good faith on a royalty rate to be paid by the Continuing Party to the Opt-out Party that shall reflect the Revenue share that the Opt-out Party would otherwise have received under a Partnership Agreement.

 

(e) Cost and Revenue Sharing. The rights of the Opt-out Party in relation to Revenue sharing under Sections 4.1(b) shall be amended as follows:

 

All Revenue received by Continuing Party shall be shared between the Parties equal to the Applicable Percentage of Revenue from any Partnership Agreement as defined in the Table 1.0 below

 

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Percentage of aggregate
Research Costs incurred by
the Opt-out Party:
Applicable Percentage
to the Opt-out Party:
>50% [****]
40-49% [****]
35-39% [****]
30-34% [****]
25-29% [****]
20-24% [****]
10-19% [****]
<10% [****]

 

“Research Costs” means the actual costs and expenses that are incurred by or on behalf of a Party or any Affiliates of a Party in undertaking the activities in the course of the Program and that are attributable to the conduct of research activities with respect to the Program. For purposes of clarity, such costs and expenses shall include (a) any internal costs incurred by a Party in connection with the conduct of internal research activities with respect to the Program, which internal costs, in any case, shall be determined by multiplying the standard FTE rate by the number of FTEs utilized to conduct such activities, (b) any screening related costs for access to screening technology which are not related to FTE’s; (c) any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the filing, prosecution, and/or maintenance of the Patent Rights relating to Program IP as allocated according to Section 6.4(c); and (d) the actual amounts paid to a Third Party for specific external research activities applicable to the Program and/or for obtaining supplies of raw materials or intermediates for the conduct of the activities in the course of the Program.

 

The rights of the Opt-out Party under Sections 4.2 to 4.4 shall continue to apply.

 

(f) Contract Governance. Section 5 shall no longer apply and the Steering Committee shall be dissolved. Within thirty (30) days following the end of any calendar year, the Continuing Party shall provide to the Opt-out Party a written report on the status, results and plans of its development activities as well as Partnership Agreement discussions with potential Third Party collaborators.

 

(g) Intellectual Property. Any Program IP conceived, first reduced to practice or arising from activities following the opt-out notice shall no longer be governed by Section 6.2 and shall be owned exclusively by the Continuing Party. For the avoidance of doubt, all Program IP conceived, first reduced to practice or arising from activities prior to the opt-out notice shall continue to be governed by Section 6.2. Sections 6.4 (b) and 6.4(c) shall no longer apply and the Continuing Party shall have the sole right to decide on the preparation, prosecution, filing enforcement and maintenance of any Program IP in its sole discretion and on its own costs.

 

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10.3 Termination for Convenience. Notwithstanding the opt-out options set forth in Section 10.2, following the Program Term either Party may terminate this Agreement upon three (3) months prior written notice to the end of any calendar month. In the event of any such termination for convenience, all rights and obligations of the Parties shall end, except as set forth below or otherwise provided in this Agreement:

 

(a) Sections 10.2(b), 10.2(d), 10.2(e) and 10.2(f) shall apply accordingly (with the non-terminating Party assuming the rights and obligations attributed to the Continuing Party and the terminating Party assuming the rights and obligations of the Opt-out Party), except that the Revenue share of the terminating Party as calculated pursuant to Section 10.2(e) shall be reduced by five (5) percentage points.

 

(b) All ownership rights of the terminating Party relating to any Program IP shall automatically transfer to the other Party. The terminating Party shall be obliged to perform or procure to be performed such lawful acts and execute or procure to be executed such documents as requested by the other Party from time to time in order to have the transfer of ownership recorded in the relevant patent offices.

 

10.4 Termination for Breach. Either Party may terminate this Agreement at any time by written notice to the other with immediate effect if the other Party materially breaches any provision of this Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) days following its receipt of written notice thereof from the terminating Party. In the event of any such termination for breach, all rights and obligations of the Parties shall end, except as set forth below or otherwise provided in this Agreement:

 

(a) Sections 10.2(b), 10.2(d), 10.2(e) and 10.2(f) shall apply accordingly (with the terminating Party assuming the rights and obligations attributed to the Continuing Party and the breaching Party assuming the rights and obligations of the Opt-out Party), except that the Revenue share of the breaching Party as calculated pursuant to 10.2(e) shall be reduced by ten (10) percentage points. In addition, the terminating Party may off-set any damage claims that it may have due to contract breach of the breaching Party from such Revenue share payments.

 

(b) All ownership rights of the breaching Party relating to any Program IP shall automatically transfer to the terminating Party. The breaching Party shall be obliged to perform or procure to be performed such lawful acts and execute or procure to be executed such documents as requested by the terminating Party from time to time in order to have the transfer of ownership recorded in the relevant patent offices.

 

10.5 Survival. Sections 1, 2.5, 4.3, 4.4, 6.1, 6.4(a), 6.4(d), 6.4(e), 7, 8, 9 and 11 shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement. Sections, 6.2, 6.4(b) and 6.4(c) shall survive only in the event of an expiration of this Agreement (but not in the event of a termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 10.3 or 10.4).

 

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11. GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

11.1 Notices. All notices, requests and other formal communications shall be made in writing and shall be delivered or sent in each case to the respective address specified below:

 

If to Evotec:          Evotec International GmbH
Chief Scientific Officer
Essener Bogen 7
22419 Hamburg
Fax: 040 - 560 81 222

 

With a copy to:
General Counsel (same address)

 

If to ExS:               Chief Executive Office
Ex Scientia Ltd
Dundee Incubator
James Lindsay Place
Dundee
Scotland
DD1 5JJ
United Kingdom

 

With copy to:
General Counsel
Patricia Barclay
31 Merchiston Park
Edinburgh
Scotland
EH10 3PW
United Kingdom

 

Each Party shall immediately notify the other Party in the event of any changes of its address set forth above.

 

11.2 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including the Exhibits to this Agreement, represents the entire understanding between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all previous oral or written communication or agreements, and all contemporaneous oral communication and agreements between the Parties.

 

11.3 Form Requirement. This Agreement may only be amended, modified or supplemented by the Parties in writing. The same applies to this Section 11.3.

 

18

 

 

11.4 Assignment. Neither Party may assign its contractual rights and obligations or parts thereof without the prior written consent of the other, provided, however, that either Party may, without such consent, assign this Agreement and all of its rights and obligations hereunder (i) to any Affiliate or (ii) in connection with the transfer or sale of all or substantially all of its business to which this Agreement relates, or in the event of its merger, consolidation, or other similar transaction.

 

11.5 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is found to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, in whole or in part, the validity of the remainder of the Agreement shall not be affected. Furthermore, the Parties agree that the invalid or unenforceable provision or part thereof shall be superseded by an adequate provision that, to the legally permitted extent, comes closest to what the Parties would have desired at the time of conclusion of the Agreement had they considered the issue concerned.

 

11.6 No Solicitation. During the term of this Agreement, and for a period of one (1) year thereafter, each Party shall not actively solicit for hire as an employee, or engage as an independent contractor, any employee of the other Party which has been involved in the other Party’s performance of its obligations under this Agreement, without the prior written consent of the other Party. For the avoidance of doubt, the preceding sentence shall not prohibit either Party from soliciting employment by placement of general advertisements for employees in newspapers or other media of general circulation or hiring any Person who initiates contact with such Party without any solicitation or encouragement by such Party or on its behalf.

 

11.7 Independent Contractor. Nothing in this Agreement shall create, or be deemed to create, a partnership, joint venture, or the relationship of principal and agent or employer and employee between the Parties. Each Party agrees to perform under this Agreement solely as independent contractor.

 

11.8 Dispute Resolution. Any dispute arising between the Parties in connection with this Agreement shall be referred to the Steering Committee. If the Steering Committee is unable to negotiate in good faith and settle the dispute within sixty (60) days after being requested to do so, either Party may submit the dispute to the Parties’ executive officers who shall meet in order to attempt to resolve the dispute. If the dispute is not settled, at the latest, within thirty (30) days from the date that the dispute has been escalated to the executive officers, either Party may pursue legal action in accordance with to Section 11.9 below.

 

11.9 Governing Law, Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of England without reference to its conflict of laws provisions. The courts of Oxford, UK, shall have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to all disputes arising out of or in connection with this Agreement.

 

[End of Agreement — Signatures on the following page]

 

19

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, authorized representatives of the Parties have duly executed this Agreement as of the Effective Date

 

For Evotec:   For ex scientia:
     
By: /s/ M. Polywka, C. [Dayel]   By: /s/ Andrew L. Hopkins
     
Name: M. Polywka, C. [Dayel]   Name: Andrew L. Hopkkins
         (Print or Type)     (Print or Type)
     
Title: C.O.O.                        SVP   Title: CEO

 

20

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

- Program Plan -

 

21

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION EVT02926

 

A2A ANTAGONISTS FOR IMMUNOONCOLOGY

 

FOR

 

exScientia LTD

 

hereinafter (exScientia)

 

[****]

 

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

- Background IP -

 

[****]

 

 

 

EXHIBIT C

 

- Countries in which Program IP shall be prosecuted -

 

- EU

- USA

- Japan

 

All via PCT route

 

 

 

Certain information in this document, marked by brackets [****], has been excluded pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

First Amendment to Collaboration Agreement

 

(the “First Amendment”)

 

Effective Date 1st October 2017

 

WHEREAS; Evotec International GmbH, a company incorporated under the laws of Germany whose principal office is at Manfred Eigen Campus, Essener Bogen 7, 22419 Hamburg, Germany (“EVOTEC”); and Ex Scientia Ltd., a Scottish corporation (registration number SC428761) having its principal office at Dundee Incubator, James Llnsay Place, Dundee, DD1 5JJ, United Kingdom (ExS) have concluded a Collaboration Agreement effective as of 28th March 2016 (altogether the “Collaboration Agreement”)

 

WHEREAS; EVOTEC and ExS intend to extend the Collaboration Agreement by this First Amendment;

 

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

 

1. The Parties hereby agree that in addition to the current Evotec resources, consisting of [****] FTEs assigned to this Collaboration Agreement, an additional 2 FTEs will be added effective from 1st October 2017 until 30 June 2018. ExS will pay Evotec a total of [****] GBP for these additional [****] FTEs. This amount will be invoiced monthly in arrears, i.e [****] GBP per month and shall be payable within 30 days as of the date of invoice.

 

2. The Parties hereby agree that for Evotec resources over and above the [****] FTEs assigned to this Collaboration Agreement, as agreed by the joint steering committee, ExS will compensate Evotec at a FTE rate of [****] GBP per FTE per year. The number of incremental FTEs will be calculated on a monthly basis using the actual hours worked by Evotec as part of this Collaboration Agreement and using a yearly number of hours per FTE of 1650 for mainland Europe and 1760 for UK, USA and any other non-European country. This comes into effect from 1st October 2017 and any amount due will be invoiced monthly in arrears and shall be payable within 30 days as of the date of invoice.

 

1

 

 

3. This First Amendment is hereby attached to and forms part of the Collaboration Agreement, In the event of any Inconsistency between the provisions of this First Amendment end those contained In the Collaboration Agreement to which this First, Amendment Is annexed, the provisions of this First Amendment shall govern and be binding.

 

4. The Collaboration Agreement Is hereby Ratified by the Parties, and the terms and conditions of the Collaboration Agreement as supplemented by this First Amendment shall remain In full force and effect.

 

In witness of the foregoing, EVOTEC and ExS have executed the First Amendment as of the date first written above.

 

Ex Scientia Ltd    
     
     
By: /s/ Andrew L. Hopkins   By: /s/ Hima Pilarova
Name: Andrew L. Hopkins   Name: Hima Pilarova
Title: CEO   Title: Executive Accountant
Date: 4/12/2017   Date: 4/12/2017
     
     
Evotec International GmbH:    
     
     
By: /s/ Dr. C. Dargel   By: /s/ A. Bosler
Name: Dr. C. Dargel   Name: A. Bosler
Title: EVP Legal   Title: SVP Group Accounting
Date: December 6, 2017   Date: December 6, 2017

 

2

 

 

Certain information in this document, marked by brackets [****], has been excluded pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

Second Amendment to Collaboration Agreement

 

(the “Second Amendment”)

 

Effective Date: 1st October 2018

 

WHERAS; Evotec International GmbH, a company incorporated under the laws of Germany whose principal office is at Manfred Eigen Campus, Essener Bogen 7, 22419 Hamburg, Germany (“EVOTEC”); and Exscientia, a Scottish corporation (registration number SC428761) having its principal office at Dundee Incubator, James Linsay Place, Dundee, DD1 5JJ, United Kingdom (“ExS”) have concluded a Collaboration Agreement effective as of 28th March 2016 (altogether the “Collaboration Agreement”).

 

WHEREAS; EVOTEC and ExS intend to extend the Collaboration Agreement by this Second Amendment;

 

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

 

1. The Parties hereby agree to extend the Program Term pursuant to Section 10.1 of the Collaboration Agreement by 10 months from 1st July 2018 until 31st January 2019 to allow the development of a pre-clinical candidate (the “Extension Term”).

 

2. The Parties hereby agree to focus the Program on the A2a inhibitor, i.e. the A2a selective antagonist compound. A revised Program Plan for the Extension Term is attached hereto as Exhibit A-2.

 

3. The Parties further agree that EVOTEC exercise its Opt-Out rights pursuant to Section 10.2 of the Collaboration Agreement for any further project as conducted under the initial Program Plan during the initial Program Term that is not covered by the revised Program Plan in Exhibit A-2 hereto (the “Opted-Out Projects”).

 

4. ExS will continue the Opted-Out Projects on the dual A2a-CD73 inhibitor and the CD73 selective inhibitor with minimum EVOTEC 10 FTEs for one year until 30 June 2019. ExS will pay Evotec a total of [****] GBP/FTE for these 10 FTEs. This amount will be invoiced monthly in arrears, i.e [****] GBP per month and shall be payable within 30 days as of the date of invoice.

 

1

 

 

5. The Parties agree that Section 10.2 (e) of the Collaboration Agreement shall be amended for the Opted-Out Projects as follows:

 

All Revenue received by Continuing Party shall be shared equally (50/50) between the Parties except for any upfront payment that shall be shared as per the following formula:

 

A 50/50 split of the upfront Revenues minus 2x any further Research Costs incurred by or on behalf of either Party for the relevant Opt-Out Project from July 2018 onwards.

 

[Example calculation: ExS invests a further £1M in CD73 and then enter into a Partnership Agreement for £20M upfront plus milestone royalties. The split would be (£20m-(2x£1M))/2 = £18M/2 = £9M each to Exscientia and Evotec plus to £2M to Exscienta (ie £9M upfront to Eotec and £11M to Exscientia). Then all down stream milestone and royalties are sprit equally 50/50.]

 

For clarity, EVOTEC’s share in the continued Program in the A2a inhibitor as per the revised Program Plan attached hereto as Exhibit A-2 shall remain at 50% pursuant to Section 4.1 of the Collaboration Agreement.

 

6. This Second Amendment is hereby attached to and form part of the Collaboration Agreement. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Second Amendment and those contained in the Collaboration Agreement to which this Second Amendment is annexed, the provisions of this Second Amendment hall govern and be binding.

 

7. The Collaboration Agreement is hereby ratified by the Parties and the terms and conditions of the Collaboration Agreement as supplemented by this Second Amendment shall remain in full force and effect.

 

In witness of the foregoing, EVOTEC and ExS have executed this Second Amendment as of the date written above.

 

Exscientia    
     
     
By: /s/ Andrew Hopkins   By: /s/ Mark Swindells
Name: Andrew Hopkins   Name: Mark Swindells
Title: CEO   Title: COO
Date: 1/10/2018   Date: 1/10/2018

 

2

 

 

Evotec International GmbH:    
     
     
By: /s/ Dr. C. Dargel   By: /s/ A. Bosler
Name: Dr. C. Dargel   Name: A. Bosler
Title: EVP Legal   Title: SVP Group Accounting
Date: October 15, 2018   Date: October 15, 2018

 

3

 

 

EXHIBIT A-2

 

Revised Program Plan

 

4

 

 

Certain information in this document, marked by brackets [****], has been excluded pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

Third Amendment to Collaboration Agreement

 

(the “Third Amendment”)

 

Effective Date: 26/10/2018

 

WHERAS; Evotec International GmbH, a company incorporated under the laws of Germany whose principal office is at Manfred Eigen Campus, Essener Bogen 7, 22419 Hamburg, Germany (“EVOTEC”); and Exscientia, a Scottish corporation (registration number SC428761) having its principal office at Dundee Incubator, James Linsay Place, Dundee, DD1 5JJ, United Kingdom (“ExS”) have concluded a Collaboration Agreement effective as of 28th March 2016 (altogether the “Collaboration Agreement”).

 

WHEREAS; EVOTEC and ExS intend to extend the activities under the Collaboration Agreement by this Third Amendment;

 

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

 

1. The Parties have signed a Proposal ZNA75040 between ExS and EVOTEC’s affiliate Aptuit (Verona) Srl as attached hereto as Appendix 1. The work performed under this Proposal is part of ongoing Program on the A2a inhibitor, i.e. the A2a selective antagonist compound, that is continued under the Collaboration Agreement as a joint Program.

 

2. The Parties agree that all fees due under the Proposal ZNA75040 (and any related Change Order, as the case may be) shall be [****] between the Parties. As a consequence EVOTEC will invoice ExS [****]% of the fees stated in the Proposal ZNA75040 (and related Change Orders) and contribute the remaining [****]% itself.

 

3. If there is any inconsistency between the Proposal ZNA75040 and the Terms and Conditions attached to it and the Collaborations Agreement, the Collaboration Agreement shall apply instead of the Terms and Conditions

 

4. This Third Amendment is hereby attached to and forms part of the Collaboration Agreement. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Third Amendment and those contained in the Collaboration Agreement to which this Third. Amendment is annexed, the provisions of this Third Amendment shall govern and be binding.

 

1

 

 

5. The Collaboration Agreement is hereby ratified by the Parties, and the terms and conditions of the Collaboration Agreement as supplemented by this Third Amendment shall remain in full force and effect.

 

In witness of the foregoing, EVOTEC and ExS have executed this Third Amendment as of the date written above.

 

Exscientia    
     
     
By: /s/ M.B. Swindells   By: /s/ Andrew Hopkins
Name: M.B. Swindells   Name: Andrew Hopkins
Title: C.O.O.   Title: CEO
Date: 17 DEC 2018   Date: 17/12/2018
     
     
Evotec International GmbH:    
     
     
By: /s/ Dr. Mario Polywka   By: /s/ Kamran Bashir
Name: Dr. Mario Polywka   Name: Kamran Bashir
Title: COO   Title: FD (OC)
Date: 20/12/2018   Date: 20/12/2018

 

2

 

 

APPENDIX 1

 

Proposal ZNA75040

 

3

 

 

Certain information in this document, marked by brackets [****], has been excluded pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

Fourth Amendment to Collaboration Agreement

 

(the "Fourth Amendment")

 

Effective Date: 1 January 2019

 

WHEREAS; Evotec International GmbH, a company incorporated under the laws of Germany whose principal office is at Manfred Eigen Campus, Essener Bogen 7, 22419 Hamburg, Germany ("EVOTEC"); and Exscientia, a Scottish corporation (registration number SC428761) having its principal office at Dundee Incubator, James Linsey Place, Dundee, DD1 5JJ, United Kingdom ("ExS") have concluded a Collaboration Agreement effective as of 28th March 2016 (altogether the "Collaboration Agreement").

 

WHEREAS; EVOTEC and ExS intend to extend the Collaboration Agreement by this Fourth Amendment;

 

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

 

1. The Parties hereby agree to further extend the Program Term pursuant to Section 10.1 of the Collaboration Agreement until December 2019 (the "2nd Extension Term").

 

2. The Parties hereby agree to EVOTEC Opting back in, from 1st January 2019, with respect to the dual Ala-CD73 inhibitor and the CD73 selective inhibitor, reverting to what was stated in the 2nd Amendment with effect from 1st January 2019. Therefore and for the avoidance of doubt, all projects covering the A2a inhibitor and the dual A2a-CD73 inhibitor and the CD73 selective inhibitor will again form part of the Collaboration Agreement.

 

3. The Parties hereby agree that for Evotec resources over and above the 10 FTEs assigned to this Collaboration Agreement, as agreed by the joint steering committee, ExS will compensate Evotec at an FTE rate of [****] GBP per FTE per year. The number of incremental FTEs will be calculated on a monthly basis using the actual hours worked by Evotec as part of this Collaboration Agreement and using a yearly number of hours per FTE of 1650. This comes into effect from 1st January 2019 and any amount due will be invoiced monthly in arrears and shall be payable within 30 days as of the date of invoice. For the avoidance of doubt, any amount due for services provided by Evotec for the previously Opted-Out Projects (as defined in the Second Amendment) between 1st July 2018 and 31st December 2018 will be invoiced and paid as agreed in the Second Amendment.

 

1

 

 

4. The Parties agree that Section 10.2 (e) of the Collaboration Agreement shall be amended for the previously Opted-Out Projects, as described in the Second Amendment, but now under the following guidelines:

 

All Revenue received by Continuing Party shall be shared equally (50/50) between the Parties except for any upfront payment that shall be shared as per the following formular:

 

A 50/50 split of the upfront Revenues minus 1x any further Research Costs incurred by or on behalf of either Party for the previously relevant Opt-Out Project from July 2018 till December 2018.

 

[Example calculation: ExS invests a further £1M in CD73 and then enters into a Partnership Agreement for £2OM upfront plus milestone and royalties. The split would be (£20m-(1x£1M) = £19M/2 = £9.5M each to Exscientia and Evotec plus to £1M to Exscienta (ie £9.5M upfront to Evotec and £10.5M to Exscientia). Then all downstream milestone and royalties are split equally 50/50.]

 

For clarity, EVOTEC's share in the continued Program on the A2a inhibitor shall remain at 50% pursuant to Section 4.1 of the Collaboration Agreement.

 

5. This Fourth Amendment is hereby attached to and forms part of the Collaboration Agreement. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Fourth Amendment and those contained in the Collaboration Agreement to which this Fourth. Amendment is annexed, the provisions of this Fourth Amendment shall govern and be binding.

 

6. The Collaboration Agreement is hereby ratified by the Parties, and the terms and conditions of the Collaboration Agreement as supplemented by this Fourth Amendment shall remain in full force and effect.

 

2

 

 

In witness of the foregoing, EVOTEC and ExS have executed this Second Amendment as of the date written above.

 

Exscientia Ltd.    
     
     
By:  /s/ Andrew L. Hopkins   By: /s/ G. Egorov
Name: Andrew L. Hopkins   Name: G. Egorov
Title: CEO   Title: CFO
Date: 20/12/2018   Date: 20/12/2018
     
     
Evotec International GmbH:    
     
     
By: /s/ Dr. C. Dargel   By: /s/ A. Bosler
Name: Dr. C. Dargel   Name: A. Bosler
Title: EVP Legal   Title: SVP Group Accounting
Date: December 20, 2018   Date: December 20, 2018

 

3

 

 

Certain information in this document, marked by brackets [****], has been excluded pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

Fifth Amendment to Collaboration Agreement

 

(the “Fifth Amendment”)

 

Effective Date: January 1st, 2020

 

WHERAS; Evotec International GmbH, a company incorporated under the laws of Germany whose principal office is at Manfred Eigen Campus, Essener Bogen 7, 22419 Hamburg, Germany (“EVOTEC”); and Exscientia, a Scottish company (registration number SC428761) having its principal office at Dundee One, River Court, 5 West Victoria Dock Road, Dundee, DD1 3JT, United Kingdom (“ExS”) have concluded collaboration agreement effective as of 28th March 2016 and which has been amended from time to time (together with its amendments) altogether the “Collaboration Agreement”).

 

WHEREAS; EVOTEC and ExS wish to extend the Collaboration Agreement by this Fifth Amendment;

 

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

 

1. The Parties hereby agree to further extend the Program Term pursuant to Section 10.1 of the Collaboration Agreement until 31 December 2021 (the “3rd Extension Term”). This extension and the terms hereof shall be effective as of 1st January 2020 notwithstanding the date or dates hereof.

 

2. The Parties hereby agree to focus the Program solely on the A2a inhibitor, i.e. the A2a selective antagonist compound.

 

3. For any work performed on the A2a inhibitor program in January 2020 Evotec will cover [****] FTE assigned to the Collaboration and for any Evotec resources over and above the [****] FTEs, as agreed by the joint steering committee, ExS will compensate Evotec at a FTE rate of [****] GBP per FTE per year. The number of incremental FTEs will be calculated on a monthly basis using the actual hours worked by Evotec as part of this Collaboration Agreement and using a yearly number of hours per FTE of 1650. ExS shall not be obliged to compensate Evotec for any work performed on the A2a inhibitor program in February and March 2020.

 

1

 

 

4. From 1st April 2020 Evotec and ExS will share all Research Costs for the A2a inhibitor program 50/50, including without limitation any Evotec resources assigned to the program, as agreed by the joint steering committee, at a FTE rate of [****] GBP per FTE per year using a yearly number of hours per FTE of 1650. The amounts due will be invoiced monthly in arrears and shall be payable within 30 days as of the date of invoice.

 

5. The Parties further agree that both Parties hereby jointly exercise their Opt-Out rights pursuant to Section 10.2 of the Collaboration Agreement for any further project as conducted under the initial Program Plan during the initial Program Term and any extension thereto that is not covered by the revised Program Plan in Exhibit A-2 hereto, i.e. the dual A2a-CD73 inhibitor and the CD73 inhibitor (the “Opted-Out Projects”).

 

6. The Parties agree that for the Opted-Out Projects the Agreement shall not terminate but Section 10.2 of the Collaboration Agreement shall continue to apply amended as follows:

 

Neither Party shall continue the Opted-Out Project without notification to the other Party.

 

Program IP related to the Opted-Out Projects shall remain jointly owned by the Parties.

 

Each Party shall neither use the Program IP related to the Opted-Out Projects for any purpose nor make such Program IP available to a Third Party or negotiate Partnership Agreements without the other Party’s prior written consent, not to be unreasonably withheld.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither Party shall be restricted on any activities with regard to CD73 to the extent it does not use any Program IP.

 

In case, a Party elects to continue one (or more) of the Opted-Out Projects it shall notify the other Party. Upon written consent of such other Party, Section 10.2 shall continue to apply as set out in the Agreement.

 

For clarity, each Party’s share in the continued Program on the A2a inhibitor shall remain at 50% pursuant to Section 4.1 of the Collaboration Agreement.

 

7. This Fifth Amendment is hereby attached to and forms part of the Collaboration Agreement. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Fifth Amendment and those contained in the Collaboration Agreement to which this Fifth Amendment is annexed, the provisions of this Fifth Amendment shall govern and be binding.

 

2

 

 

8. The Collaboration Agreement is hereby ratified by the Parties, and the terms and conditions of the Collaboration Agreement as supplemented by this Fifth Amendment shall remain in full force and effect.

 

In witness of the foregoing, EVOTEC and ExS have executed this Fifth Amendment as of the date written above.

 

Exscientia Ltd    
     
     
By: /s/ M.B. Swindells   By: /s/ David J. Hallett
Name: M.B. Swindells   Name: David J. Hallett
Title: CC0   Title: COO
Date: 13 June 2020   Date: 12-6-2020
     
     
Evotec International GmbH:    
     
     
By:     By:  
Name:   Name:
Title:   Title:
Date:   Date:

 

3

 

 

Certain information in this document, marked by brackets [****], has been excluded pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

Sixth Amendment to Collaboration Agreement

 

(the “Sixth Amendment”)

 

Effective Date: 15 April 2021

 

WHEREAS; Evotec International GmbH, a company incorporated under the Iaws of Germany whose principal office is at Manfred Eigen Campus, Essener Bogen 7, 22419 Hamburg, Germany ("EVOTEC"); and Exscientia, a Scottish company (registration number SC428761) having its registered office at Dundee One, River Court, 5 West Victoria Dock Road, Dundee, DD1 3JT, United Kingdom (“ExS”) have concluded a collaboration agreement effective as of 28th March 2016 and which has been amended from time to time, together with its amendments, the “Collaboration Agreement”).

 

WHEREAS; EVOTEC and ExS wish to amend the Collaboration Agreement by this Sixth Amendment.

 

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

 

1. Capitalised terms used, but not defined, in this Sixth Amendment have the meaning given to them in the Collaboration Agreement.

 

2. The Parties agree not to extend the Program Term and agree that whilst the term of the Agreement still subsists. The initial Program Plan is hereby terminated.

 

3. The Parties hereby agree that Evotec exercises its Opt-Out rights pursuant to Section 10.2 of the Agreement in respect of the A2a inhibitor, i.e. the A2a selective antagonist compound (“A2a”). For the avoidance of doubt, ExS is the Continuing Party in respect of A2a.

 

4. The Parties further agree that section 10.2(e) of the Agreement (as previously amended by the Fourth Amendment to the Agreement) be further amended in respect of A2a (in relation to which Evotec is opting-out pursuant to this Sixth Amendment) such that all Revenue sharing under clause 4.1(b) of the Collaboration Agreement be amended in accordance with the below table as regards A2a:

 

Trigger event ExS Revenue
Share
Evotec Revenue
Share
Start of clinical trial in healthy volunteers (Phase 1a) [****] [****]
Publication of headline results (e.g. PR) from Phase 1a study [****] [****]
Dosing of 5th patient in first efficacy study (Phase 1b/2a) [****] [****]
Publication of headline results (e.g. PR) from Phase 1b/2a [****] [****]
Dosing of 5th patient in a registrational study [****] [****]

 

1.

 

 

5. This Sixth Amendment is hereby attached to and forms part of the Collaboration Agreement. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Sixth Amendment and those contained in the Collaboration Agreement to which this Sixth Amendment is annexed, the provisions of this Sixth Amendment shall govern and be binding.

 

6. The Collaboration Agreement is hereby ratified by the Parties, and the terms and conditions of the Collaboration Agreement as supplemented by this Sixth Amendment shall remain in full force and effect.

 

In witness of the foregoing, EVOTEC and ExS have executed this Sixth Amendment as of the date written above.

 

Exscientia Ltd    
     
     
By: /s/ Ben Taylor   By: /s/ David Hallett
Name: Ben Taylor   Name: David Hallett
Title: CFO   Title: COO
Date: 4/18/2021   Date: 4/20/2021
     
     
Evotec International GmbH    
     
     
By: /s/ Enno Spillner   By: /s/ Christian Dargel
Name: Enno Spillner   Name: Christian Dargel
Title: CFO   Title: EVP Legal & Compliance
Date: 4/16/2021   Date: 4/15/2021

 

2.

 

Exhibit 10.5

 

Certain information in this document, marked by brackets [****], has been excluded pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

THIS AGREEMENT is effective the first day of January 2019 notwithstanding the date or date hereof

 

The University of Dundee, established by Royal Charter dated 20 July 1967 and a Scottish registered charity registered under number SC015096, whose principal address is at 149 Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4HN ("the Assignor")

 

and

 

ExScientia Limited, a company registered in Scotland under number SC428761 and having its registered office at Dundee Incubator, James Lindsay Place, Dundee, United Kingdom, DD1 5JJ ("the Assignee")

 

together "the Parties"

 

WHEREAS:

 

(1) The Parties entered into a licence dated 10 September 2012 (the Licence") whereby the Assignor licensed certain IPR as defined therein to the Assignee. In the Licence the Assignee is designated by its former name Ex Scientia Limited and at its previous registered office of 14 City Quay, Dundee, DD1 3JA

 

(2)            The IPR includes the patent estate detailed in Schedule 1 (the "Patents")

 

(3)            The Assignee wishes to acquire the IPR by way of an assignation

 

(4)            The Assignor wishes to assign the IPR to the Assignee subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

IT IS AGREED as follows.

 

1. Definitions and Interpretation

 

1.1 In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the following meanings:

 

  "Affiliate"   means, in relation to a body corporate, any subsidiary or holding company of the body corporate and any subsidiary of any such holding company;
       
  "Effective Date"   means 1st January 2019; and
       
  "Fee"   means the sum of [****] payable in consideration of the assignation in accordance with clause 3 below

 

  1  

 

 

1.2 Unless the context otherwise requires, each reference in this Agreement to:

 

1.2.1 "writing", and any cognate expression, includes a reference to any communication effected by electronic or facsimile transmission or similar means;

 

1.2.2 a statute or a provision of a statute is a reference to that statute or provision as amended or re-enacted at the relevant time;

 

1.2.3 "this Agreement" is a reference to this Agreement and each of the Schedules as amended or supplemented at the relevant time;

 

1.2.4 a Schedule is a schedule to this Agreement;

 

1.2.5 a Clause or paragraph is a reference to a Clause of this Agreement (other than the Schedules) or a paragraph of the relevant Schedule; and

 

1.2.6 a "Party" or the "Parties" refer to the parties to this Agreement.

 

1.3 The headings used in this Agreement are for convenience only and shall have no effect upon the interpretation of this Agreement.

 

1.4 Words imparting the singular number shall include the plural and vice versa.

 

2. Assignation

 

Subject to the timely payment and receipt of the Fee in accordance with Clause 3, the Assignor hereby assigns to the Assignee as of the Effective Date with full title guarantee all rights, title and interest in and to the IPR including, but not limited to:

 

2.1 the right to bring any proceedings and obtain any remedy in respect of any infringement of the Patents which has occurred prior to the date of this Agreement;

 

2.2 all other intellectual property rights subsisting in the Patents including, but not limited to, copyright and design rights;

 

2.3 the full entitlement to any applications comprised in the Patents or which may be made based on the IPR and to patents arising therefrom, for the full term thereof;

 

2.4 the right to apply for patent protection or any other form of registered protection for any and all inventions comprised in the IPR including, but not limited to, the right to claim priority with respect to the Patents.

 

3. Fee and Payment

 

3.1 The Assignee shall pay to the Assignor the Fee in consideration for the assignment of the Patent(s) under this Agreement exclusive of any value added tax or other tax payable on the assignation of the IPR under this Agreement on receipt by the Assignee of an invoice for the Fee from the Assignor

 

3.2 Payment of the Fee shall not discharge the Assignee from payment of royalties and any reimbursement of costs due under the Licence accrued prior to the Effective Date. The Assignee agrees to pay all such sums to the Assignor within 60 days of execution hereof.

 

3.3 Subject to 3.2 above, on payment of the Fee the Licence shall be deemed terminated as of the Effective Date.

 

  2  

 

 

4. Proceedings

 

4.1 The Assignor shall, on request, provide the Assignee with reasonable assistance in relation to any legal action which may be brought by the Assignee in accordance with its rights under sub-Clause 2.1 or be brought against the Assignee in respect of the IPR.

 

4.2 The Assignee shall reimburse the Assignor for any reasonable costs or expenses (including legal costs) incurred by the Assignor in providing assistance under this Clause 4.

 

4.3 The rights under sub-Clause 2.1 and the provisions of this Clause 4 shall apply notwithstanding any warranty given by the Assignor under Clause 6.

 

5. Further Assistance

 

5.1 Subject to receipt of the Fee, the Assignor shall, at the Assignee's reasonable expense, provide all reasonable assistance that may be reasonably required by the Assignee in order to:

 

5.1.1 perfect or confirm the assignation of the IPR including, but not limited to, performing all acts and executing all documents required to vest the Patents and all relevant associated rights in the Assignee;

 

5.1.2 give the Assignee the full benefit of this Agreement;

 

5.1.3 assist the Assignee or its licensees to take legal action against third parties in respect of any infringement of the Patent(s);

 

5.1.4 assist the Assignee or its licensees to defend any legal proceedings brought by third parties in relation to the use of the IPR by the Assignee or its licensees.

 

5.1.5 The Assignee shall reimburse the Assignor for any reasonable costs or expenses (including legal costs) incurred by the Assignor in complying with the requests of the Assignee under sub-Clause 5.1.

 

5.2 Within thirty days of execution of this Agreement, the Assignor shall deliver up to the Assignee originals (or copies if originals are not available) of any and all correspondence, documents, evidence and legal advice which relates to:

 

5.2.1 the creation of the IPR;

 

5.2.2 any and all previous transfers of ownership of the IPR); or

 

5.2.3 any ongoing matters relating to the Patent(s) where the same are within the power, possession, custody or control of the Assignor or of an Affiliate.

 

5.3 Nothing within this Agreement shall be interpreted as prohibiting the Licensor from using the IPR in pursuit of its own non-commercial research and teaching activities.

 

6. Assignor's Warranties

 

6.1 The Assignor hereby warrants and represents that:

 

6.1.1 the IPR is owned solely, exclusively and absolutely by the Assignor and that the Assignor is free to assign it/them absolutely to the Assignee;

 

  3  

 

 

6.1.2 the Patents exist and, but for the assignment to the Assignee under this Agreement, would be fully enforceable by the Assignor against any third party;

 

6.1.3 no third party has any right, title or interest in the IPR nor has claimed the same at any time prior to the Effective Date;

 

6.1.4 to the best of its current knowledge and belief after due and diligent enquiry, the Patents are free from any and all charges and encumbrances;

 

6.1.5 to the best of its current knowledge and belief after due and diligent enquiry, the Patents are not being infringed (nor threatened to be so) by any third party as at the Effective Date;

 

6.1.6 to the best of its current knowledge and belief after due and diligent enquiry, no third party has infringed the Patent(s) at any time prior to the Effective Date.

 

6.2 The Assignor gives neither warranties nor makes any representations beyond those detailed in sub-Clause 6.1 with respect to the IPR and any other matters arising out of this Agreement.

 

6.3 The Assignor hereby acknowledges that, in entering into this Agreement, it does not rely on any warranty, representation or undertaking other than those expressly set out in this Agreement and further waives any claim for breach of any representation which is not specifically contained in this Agreement as a warranty, save for those made fraudulently.

 

7. Assignee's Warranties

 

7.1 The Assignee hereby warrants and represents that:

 

7.1.1 it has the right to enter into this Agreement;

 

7.1.2 it shall pay the Fee in accordance with Clause 3; and

 

7.1.3 it shall not exceed the rights granted by this Agreement;

 

7.1.4 from the Effective Date it is solely responsible with the costs of protection and maintenance of the IPR

 

7.2 The Assignee hereby acknowledges that, in entering into this Agreement, it does not rely on any warranty, representation or undertaking other than those expressly set out in this Agreement and further waives any claim for breach of any representation which is not specifically contained in this Agreement as a warranty, save for those made fraudulently.

 

  4  

 

 

8. Indemnity

 

8.1 The Assignee shall indemnify and hold harmless the Assignor against any claim, loss, damage, proceedings, settlement, costs or expenses howsoever arising, directly or indirectly, as a result of any breach or non-performance by the Assignee of any of its obligations, undertakings or warranties as set out in this Agreement.

 

8.2 The Assignee shall indemnify and hold harmless the Assignor against any claim, loss, damage, proceedings, settlement, costs or expenses howsoever arising, directly or indirectly, as a result of its use of the Patents including, but not limited to, manufacture, use, sale or other dealing in any product made under the Patents.

 

8.3 The Indemnities in sub-Clauses 8.3 and 8.4 shall apply provided that in all cases the Indemnitee shall:

 

8.3.1 notify the Indemnitor as soon as is reasonably possible of any claim, loss or damage;

 

8.3.2 consult with the Indemnitor as to the action to be taken in dealing with any such matters; and

 

8.3.3 make no agreement with any third party for the payment of any sum without the prior agreement of the Indemnitor, such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld.

 

8.5. To the extent permitted by law, the maximum limit of the Assignor's liability to the Assignee, whether in contract, tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise shall be limited to [****].

 

9. Assignment of Agreement

 

The Assignee shall have the right to assign, transfer, sub-contract, or in any other manner make over to any third party the benefit and/or burden of this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Assignor.

 

10. Notices

 

10.1 All notices under this Agreement shall be in writing and be deemed duly given if signed by the Party giving the notice or by a duly authorised officer thereof, as appropriate.

 

10.2 Notices shall be deemed to have been duly given:

 

10.2.1 when delivered, if delivered by courier or other messenger (including registered mail) during the normal business hours of the recipient; or

 

10.2.2 on the second business day following mailing, if mailed by first class ordinary mail, postage prepaid;

 

10.3 All notices under this Agreement shall be addressed to the most recent address notified to the other Party.

 

  5  

 

 

11. Force Majeure

 

Neither Party to this Agreement shall be liable for any failure or delay in performing their obligations where such failure or delay results from any cause that is beyond the reasonable control of that Party. Such causes include, but are not limited to: power failure, Internet Service Provider failure, industrial action, civil unrest, fire, flood, storms, earthquakes, acts of terrorism, acts of war, governmental action or any other event that is beyond the control of the Party in question.

 

12. No Waiver

 

The Parties agree that no failure by either Party to enforce the performance of any provision in this Agreement shall constitute a waiver of the right to subsequently enforce that provision or any other provision of this Agreement. Such failure shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any preceding or subsequent breach and shall not constitute a continuing waiver.

 

13. Severance

 

The Parties agree that, in the event that one or more of the provisions of this Agreement is found to be unlawful, invalid or otherwise unenforceable, that those provisions shall be deemed severed from the remainder of this Agreement. The remainder of this Agreement shall be valid and enforceable.

 

  6  

 

 

14. Law and Jurisdiction

 

14.10 This Agreement (including any non-contractual matters and obligations arising therefrom or associated therewith) shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Scotland.

 

14.11 Any dispute, controversy, proceedings or claim between the Parties relating to this Agreement (including any non-contractual matters and obligations arising therefrom or associated therewith) shall fall within the jurisdiction of the courts of Scotland.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF this Agreement comprising of this ad the preceding five pages together with the Schedule attached has been duly executed the day and year first before written

 

SIGNED in Dundee for and on behalf of the University of Dundee by Karen Sullivan Director Research and Innovation Services

 

/s/ Karen Sullivan                         18.09.19
    date

 

In the presence of this witness

 

/s/ I. Van Der Toorn                                                          
signature  
   
IRENE VAN DER TOORN                                      
name  
   
UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE  
   
RESEARCH & INNOVATION SERVICES, DUNDEE         
address  
   
PA to the Director                                   
occupation  

 

 

SIGNED for and on behalf of Exscientia Limited by                              
one of its directors in Oxford

 

/s/   01/10/2019
    date

In the presence of this witness

 

In the presence of this witness

 

/s/ Ben Ashwell-Fryer                                                            
signature  
   
BEN ASHWELL-FRYER                                               
name  
   
15 SIMMONS FIELDS, READING,  
   
BERKS, RG10 9WW                                                                
address  
   
ACCOUNTANT                                          

occupation

 

  7  

 

 

This is the Schedule to which reference is made in the Assignation between the University of Dundee and Exscientia Limited

 

SCHEDULE 1

 

TABLE 1

 

Territory   Application No   Filed   Title   Publication No   Priority
EP   10801225.3   2010-11-22   Design of Molecules   2502173   2009-11-20
IN   1329/MUMNP/2012   2012-05-29   Design of Molecules   50/2013   2009-11-20
US   14/986516   2015-12-31   Design of Molecules   2016/0196412   2009-11-20

 

  8  

 

 

Exhibit 10.6

 

Certain information in this document, marked by brackets [****], has been excluded pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

2021

 

SHARE SALE, TRANSFER AND MERGER AGREEMENT

REGARDING ALLCYTE GMBH

 

(1) SELLERS

 

(2) EXSCIENTIA LIMITED

 

 

 

Cooley (UK) LLP, Dashwood, 69 Old Broad Street, London EC2M 1QS, UK
T: +44 (0) 20 7583 4055 F: +44 (0) 20 7785 9355 www.cooley.com

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

Clause   Page
     
1. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION 1
2. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT 11
3. AGREEMENT FOR SALE AND MERGER 12
4. CONSIDERATION 13
5. PERIOD BEFORE MERGER COMPLETION 13
6. TERMINATION 15
7. COMPLETION AND MERGER 16
8. CONSIDERATION SHARES 18
9. COMPLETION ACCOUNTS AND ADJUSTMENT TO THE AMOUNT PAID AT COMPLETION 18
10. RETENTION 19
11. LOCK-UP 22
12. KEY PERSON EQUITY CLAWBACK 22
13. RELEASE OF ASSURANCES 23
14. WARRANTIES 23
15. TAXATION 26
16. PROTECTION OF THE INTERESTS OF THE PARENT AND THE BUYER 26
17. REINVESTMENT OF CASH CONSIDERATION 28
18. GUARANTEE 28
19. PAYMENTS AND INTEREST 28
20. FURTHER ASSURANCE 29
21. ASSIGNMENT AND NOVATION 30
22. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CONFIDENTIALITY 30
23. COSTS 32
24. THE SELLERS' REPRESENTATIVE 32
25. NOTICES 33
26. THIRD PARTY RIGHTS 34
27. WAIVER 34
28. SEVERANCE 34
29. CUMULATIVE RIGHTS 35
30. LIABILITY 35
31. NO MERGER 35
32. ENTIRE AGREEMENT AND FRAUD 35
33. APPLICABLE LAW AND JURISDICTION 36
Schedule 1 Sellers' Shareholdings and Entitlements 37
Schedule 2 Details of the Company 42
Schedule 3 covenants between signing and MERGER Completion 43
Schedule 4 Completion Obligations 45

 

i

 

 

Table of Contents 

(continued)

 

Page

 

Schedule 5 Warranties 46
Part 1 – Title and Capacity 46
Part 2 – Intellectual Property 48
Part 3 – General 54
Schedule 6 Taxation 68
Part 1 – Tax Definitions and Interpretation 68
Part 2 – Tax Warranties 72
Part 3 - Tax Covenant 78
Schedule 7 LEASES 85
Schedule 8 Limitations on Sellers' Liability 86
Schedule 9 Completion Accounts 90
Part 1 – Preparation of the Completion Accounts 90
Part 2 – Basis of Preparation of the Completion Accounts 92
Part 3 – Completion Statement 93
Part 4 – Completion Accounts' Pro forma Format 94
Schedule 10 Appointment of Independent Accountant 95
Schedule 11 STRUCTURE OVERVIEW 97

 

Agreed Form Documents

 

Disclosure Letter 

Service Agreements 

Grant letter of equity incentives granted to Key Persons

Clawback Power of Attorney

 

ii

 

 

THIS AGREEMENT is executed as a deed and delivered on 2021

 

BETWEEN:

 

(1) THE PERSONS whose names and addresses are set out in column (A) of Schedule 1 (together "Sellers" and each a "Seller"); and

 

(2) EXSCIENTIA LIMITED, a company incorporated in Scotland (registered number SC428761) whose registered office is at Level 3, Dundee One River Court, 5 West Victoria Dock Road, Dundee, United Kingdom ("Parent"),

 

(each “Party” and collectively, the “Parties”).

 

RECITALS:

 

(A) Allcyte GmbH is a limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) incorporated in Austria, having its registered office in Vienna and its business address at Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria, with registered number FN 465200 v (the "Company"). Further details about the Company are set out in Schedule 2.

 

(B) At the date of this Agreement, the Parent is the ultimate holding company of the Buyer's Group. The Buyer's Group envisages the acquisition of the Company's business.

 

(C) Therefore, the Parties envisage the sale and transfer of shares in the Company from the Sellers to the Buyer and the merger of the Company as transferring entity into the Buyer as absorbing entity, on the terms of this Agreement.

 

IT IS AGREED as follows:

 

1. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

 

1.1 In this Agreement, the following words and expressions shall have the following meanings:

 

"Accounts" means the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ended on the Accounts Date;

 

"Accounts Date" means 31 December 2020;

 

"Acquisition Instrument" means the acquisition instrument pursuant to which the Sale Shares are sold by, assigned and transferred from the Sellers holding such Sale Shares to the Buyer in the form to be agreed in good faith between the Buyer and the Sellers as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement;

 

"Affiliate" means, with respect to any specified person, any other person that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by, controls or is under common control with such first person. For purposes of this definition, "control" shall include (i) the ownership of more than 50 per cent. of the legal or beneficial interest in any person, (ii) the legal power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, (iii) the ability to appoint, directly or indirectly, the majority of its directors or executive officers, (iv) the ability to exercise, directly or indirectly, a majority of the votes exercisable at a general meeting and (v) the right to receive, directly or indirectly, a majority of the proceeds arising from: (a) any declaration of a dividend, or (b) a distribution arising in the course of winding up, whether solvent or insolvent, or any return of capital to shareholders or members; the expressions "controlled" and "controls" shall be construed accordingly;

 

1

 

 

"Associate" means (a) in relation to an individual, any person who at any relevant time is connected with that individual within the meaning of section 32 para 1 of the Austrian Insolvency Code (Insolvenzordnung) and (b) in relation to a corporation, partnership, association or other public or private legal entity of whatsoever nature, any Affiliate of that corporation, partnership, association or other public or private legal entity at any relevant time;

 

"Assurance" means any indemnity, guarantee or similar commitment;

 

"Austrian GAAP" means the generally accepted accounting principles, policies and practices applied in Austrian and applicable to the Company, as in effect from time to time, applied by the Company on a basis consistent with past practice;

 

"Austrian Regulatory Condition" means the approval of the Transaction being granted by the Austrian Ministry for Digitalization and Economic Affairs (Bundesministerium für Digitalisierung und Wirtschaftsstandort) in accordance with the Austrian Investment Control Act (Investitionskontrollgesetz, Austrian Federal Gazette I 87/2020) or any waiting or other time or limitation period in relation to the Transaction under the Austrian Investment Control Act having expired, lapsed, waived or otherwise terminated;

 

AWS Amount” means €700,000, being the amount of the grant received by the Company from Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH and which will become repayable upon Completion;

 

Bad Leaver” means a Key Person who gives or receives notice to cease to be employed or otherwise engaged by the Buyer’s Group (including where such Key Person is placed on garden leave by the relevant member of the Buyer’s Group in accordance with his employment agreement pending termination of his employment on a date that has been specified):

 

(a) as a result of termination by the relevant employing entity for a Good Reason; or

 

(b) as a result of his voluntary resignation other than (i) as a result of death, long-term ill health or disability of the Key Person or a close family member of the Key Person resulting in such Key Person’s inability to perform their role or duties as required by their Service Agreement, or (ii) for cause in accordance with section 26 of the Austrian Employees Act (Angestelltengesetz);

 

Bad Leaver Date” means the earlier of the date upon which the Bad Leaver (i) ceases to be employed or otherwise engaged by the Buyer’s Group or (ii) is placed on garden leave by the relevant member of the Buyer’s Group in accordance with his employment agreement pending termination of his employment on a date that has been specified;

 

"Business" means the business operations of the Company as conducted at the date of this Agreement;

 

2

 

 

"Business Day" means a day that is not a Saturday or Sunday or a public holiday in England, Austria or the State of New York, United States of America;

 

"Buyer" means an Austrian limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) having a share capital of at least EUR 70,000.00 to be incorporated by the Parent pursuant to clause 5.10;

 

"Buyer Accession Deed“ means a deed of accession to this agreement to be executed in the form to be agreed in good faith between the Parent and the Sellers as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement

 

"Buyer’s Austrian Counsel" means Kunz Wallentin Rechtsanwälte GmbH;

 

"Buyer's Group" means the Parent, the Buyer and their Affiliates at any relevant time (and, following the Parent Reorganisation, the New Parent Holdco and any intermediate holding company);

 

"Buyer's Solicitors" means Cooley (UK) LLP;

 

"Cash Consideration" means:

 

(a) the Cash Sum;

 

(b) less the Phantom Rights Amount;

 

(c) plus the Completion Accounts Adjustment Amount;

 

"Cash Consideration Percentage" means the percentage of the Cash Consideration for the Relevant Sale Share receivable by the relevant Seller, as set out in column (C) of Schedule 1;

 

Cash Sum” means €25,002,098;

 

"CeMM License Agreement" means the license agreement dated 22 December 2020 between CeMM – Forschungszentrum für Molekulare Medizin GmbH and the Company;

 

"CeMM Payment" means the payment to be made by the Company to CeMM – Forschungszentrum für Molekulare Medizin GmbH pursuant to the CeMM License Agreement as a consequence of the performance of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (exclusive of VAT, if any);

 

Clawback Period” has the meaning given in clause 12.4;

 

Clawback Power of Attorney” means a power of attorney granted by each Key Person to the Parent for the purpose of enforcing its rights under Clause 12, in the agreed form;

 

Clawback Release Date” has the meaning given in clause 12.1;

 

Clawback Shares” has the meaning given in clause 12.2;

 

"Competition Law" means all applicable competition, state aid, antitrust or merger control laws in any jurisdiction in which the Company has material assets or carries on business;

 

3

 

 

"Completion" means completion of the sale, transfer and assignment of all the Sale Shares in accordance with section 3.1 of this Agreement;

 

"Completion Accounts" means the balance sheet of the Company as at the Completion Date and the profit and loss account of the Company for the period from the Accounts Date to the Completion Date, as agreed or determined in accordance with Schedule 9, in each case drawn up using the format set out in Part 4 of Schedule 9;

 

"Completion Accounts Adjustment Amount" means an amount (which may be positive or negative) equal to the amount (if any) by which the Completion Working Capital exceeds the Target Working Capital or (as the case may be) the amount (if any) by which the Completion Working Capital is less than the Target Working Capital;

 

"Completion Date" has the meaning set out in clause 7.1;

 

"Completion Statement" means the statement of the Completion Working Capital in the format set out in Part 3 of Schedule 9 and as agreed or determined in accordance with Part 1 of Schedule 9;

 

"Completion Working Capital" means the aggregate value of the current assets of the Company as at the Completion Date, less the aggregate value of the current liabilities (including for the avoidance of doubt any liabilities for or in respect of Tax, but excluding the Phantom Rights Amount, the AWS Amount, and the amounts of any investments made or agreed to be made by the Company after the date of this Agreement with the prior written consent of the Parent (for which purposes the consent procedure pursuant to clause 5.2 shall apply)) of the Company as at the Completion Date, in each case as derived from the Completion Accounts and stated in the Completion Statement;

 

"Condition" means the Austrian Regulatory Condition and the Parent Reorganisation Condition;

 

"Consideration Shares" has the meaning given in clause 8;

 

Covenant Incompliance” means a violation by a Key Person of any non-compete and non-solicitation covenants imposed by the relevant Key Person’s Service Agreement but only to the extent that the actions and/or circumstances giving rise to such violations would, if they had occurred immediately following the cessation of such Key Person’s employment or engagement by the Buyer’s Group, have constituted a breach of the post-contractual non-compete and non-solicitation covenants imposed by the relevant Key Person’s Service Agreement;

 

"Data Room" means the electronic data room made available by the Company to the Parent via Brainloop Secure Dataroom Solutions until 5pm on the date falling two Business Days prior to the Completion Date;

 

"Deed of Adherence" means a deed of adherence to the shareholders’ agreement in respect of the Parent or, to the extent that Completion occurs after the completion of the Parent Reorganisation and prior to the IPO, a deed of adherence to the shareholders’ agreement in respect of the New Parent Holdco;

 

4

 

 

"Disclosed" means disclosed in the Disclosure Letter or the Data Room in sufficient detail to identify the nature and scope of that matter and the Warranties qualified by it;

 

"Disclosure Documents" means the documents (i) listed in the index of documents attached to the Disclosure Letter and (ii) contained in the Data Room;

 

"Disclosure Letter" means the disclosure letter in the agreed form to be issued from the Key Persons to the Parent, dated with the date of this Agreement;

 

"Due Amount" means the amount (if any) due for payment by the Sellers to the Parent in respect of a Notified Claim that has been Resolved;

 

"Employee" means any person employed or engaged by the Company on the Completion Date or any other person who held such a position at the Company at any time during the period of 12 months ending on the Completion Date;

 

"Encumbrance" means a mortgage, charge, pledge, lien, option, restriction, right of first refusal, right of pre-emption, retention of title arrangement or other third party right, interest or claim of any kind or any agreement or commitment to create or give any of the foregoing, unless provided by the articles of association of a person;

 

"ESOP Payment" means the aggregate amount of payments to be made by the Company pursuant to the Company's phantom share participation plan dated 7 February 2021 and the individual allocation agreements related thereto as a consequence of the performance of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, for the avoidance of doubt, all Payroll Tax for which the Company is liable to account in connection therewith;

 

"Estimated Adjustment Amount" means the amount (if any) by which the Estimated Completion Working Capital exceeds the Target Working Capital or (as the case may be) the amount (if any) by which the Estimated Completion Working Capital is less than the Target Working Capital, which may be a positive or a negative number;

 

"Estimated Cash Consideration" means:

 

(a) the Cash Sum;

 

(b) less the Estimated Phantom Rights Amount;

 

(c) plus the Estimated Adjustment Amount;

 

"Estimated Completion Working Capital" means the Sellers' estimate of the Completion Working Capital as set out in the notice given by the Sellers' Representatives (acting jointly) under clause 5.7;

 

"Estimated Phantom Rights Amount" means the Sellers' estimate of the Phantom Rights Amount (considering the Retention Amount) as set out in the notice given by the Sellers' Representatives (acting jointly) under clause 5.7;

 

"Event" has the meaning in part 1 of Schedule 6;

 

5

 

 

"Exchange Rate" means with respect to the conversion of a particular currency into another currency on a particular date, the closing mid-point rate for conversion of the first currency into that other currency on that date or, if that date is not a Business Day, on the first Business Day after that date, in both cases as set out in the London edition of the Financial Times containing exchange rates applicable to the relevant Business Day;

 

"Founders" has the meaning ascribed to it in clause 24.1;

 

"Founders' Representative" means Dr Nikolaus Krall or any other Founder appointed as a replacement in accordance with clause 24.3;

 

"General Warranties" means each of the Warranties in parts 2 and 3 of Schedule 5;

 

"General Warranty Claim" means a claim for breach of any of the General Warranties;

 

Good Leaver” means a Key Person who gives or receives notice to cease to be employed or otherwise engaged by the Buyer’s Group (including where such Key Person is placed on garden leave by the relevant member of the Buyer’s Group in accordance with his employment agreement pending termination of his employment on a date that has been specified) and who is not a Bad Leaver;

 

Good Reason” means:

 

(a) fraud, dishonesty, misconduct or other material or persistent breach by the Key Person of his Service Agreement or any general policies of the Buyer’s Group applicable to all employees of the Buyer's Group (including him), which would permit the relevant employing entity to terminate the Key Person’s employment for cause (aus wichtigem Grund) in accordance with such Key Person's Service Agreement, Art 27 paragraph 1 and paragraphs 3 to 6 of the Austrian Employees Act (Angestelltengesetz); or

 

(b) any Covenant Incompliance by a Key Person prior to cessation of his employment with the Buyer's Group,

 

and, for the avoidance of doubt, Good Reason shall not include a Key Person being made redundant by the employing entity;

 

"Investors" has the meaning ascribed to it in clause 24.1;

 

"Investors' Representative" means Air Street Capital I LP or any other Investor appointed as a replacement in accordance with clause 24.3;

 

"IP Warranties" means the warranties set out in Part 2 of Schedule 5;

 

"IP Warranty Claim" means a claim for breach of any of the IP Warranties;

 

"IPO" means an initial public offering of shares or securities representing shares of the Parent (or the New Parent Holdco) on a stock exchange or the listing of its shares or securities representing its shares on a stock exchange or a listing through any other method including by way of a direct listing or a de-spac transaction;

 

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"ITEPA" means the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003;

 

"Key Person" means Dr Nikolaus Krall and Dr Gregory Vladimer;

 

"Leases" means the leases listed in Schedule 7;

 

"Liability Percentage" means, with respect to a specified Seller, the percentage set out in column (G) of Schedule 1;

 

"Losses" means in relation to any matter, any positive damages (positiver Schaden), including reasonable legal costs for the adequate prosecution of claims (zweckentsprechende Rechtsverfolgung);

 

"MedUni Payment" means the payment to be made by the Company to Medizinische Universität Wien pursuant to the exit bonus and dividend participation agreement entered into by Medizinische Universität Wien, the Company, Dr Giulio Superti-Furga, Dr Gregory Vladimer, Dr Berend Snijder and Dr Nikolaus Krall dated 9 August 2017 as a consequence of the performance of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

"Merger" has the meaning ascribed to it in clause 7.9;

 

"Merger Completion" means completion of the Merger in accordance with the Merger Instrument;

 

"Merger Completion Date" means the date on which the Merger becomes effective;

 

"Merger Instrument" means the merger instrument in relation to the Merger to be entered into between the Buyer and the Company in the form to be agreed in good faith between the Buyer and the Sellers as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement;

 

"Merger Shares" means such parts of Outstanding Shares (Geschäftsanteile) as listed in column (B3) of Schedule 1, each such part of an Outstanding Share being a "Merger Share";

 

"New Parent Holdco" means a newly formed holding company (or ultimate holding company) of the Buyer incorporated in England and Wales which has become the parent (or ultimate parent) company of the Parent as a result of the Parent Reorganisation;

 

"New Parent Holdco Accession Deed" means a deed of accession to this agreement to be executed in form of an Austrian notarial deed in the form to be agreed in good faith between the Parent and the Sellers as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement, pursuant to which New Parent Holdco will accede to this Agreement and undertake to take certain actions including issuing the Consideration Shares to the Sellers in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement;

 

"Notified Claim" means a Warranty Claim or a Tax Claim that is notified by the Parent to the Sellers in accordance with the relevant provision of paragraph 2 of Schedule 8 on or before the Release Date;

 

"Outstanding Claim" means a Notified Claim which has not been Resolved on or before the Release Date;

 

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"Outstanding Shares" means all issued and outstanding share quotas (Geschäftsanteile) in the Company, corresponding to a fully-paid up share capital contribution (Stammeinlage) of in aggregate EUR 66,646.00; each individual share quota (Geschäftsanteil) held by a Seller and corresponding to a fully-paid up capital contribution (Stammeinlage) in the respective amount as listed in column (B1) of Schedule 1, being an "Outstanding Share";

 

Parent Reorganisation” means the proposed issuance of shares by a new holding company to the shareholders of the Parent in exchange for the transfer of their shares in the Parent to the new holding company with the intention of inserting the New Parent Holdco above the Parent as its parent (or ultimate parent) company;

 

"Parent Reorganisation Condition" has the meaning given in clause 2.1(b);

 

Payroll Tax” has the meaning in part 1 of Schedule 6;

 

"Phantom Right" means any right to receive any amount in respect of securities or in connection with the sale or disposal of securities (including any right pursuant to any phantom option arrangement in respect of securities) in the Company (including for the avoidance of doubt the ESOP Payment, the MedUni Payment and the CeMM Payment);

 

"Phantom Rights Amount" means the sum of [****];

 

"Properties" means the properties occupied by the Company under the Leases and a reference to a "Property" is a reference to any one of them;

 

"Purchase Price" has the meaning given in clause 4.1;

 

"Release Date" means the date on which the Completion Accounts become final and binding on the Parties in accordance with Schedule 9;

 

"Relevant Sale Share" means in respect of a Seller, that Sale Share (Geschäftsanteil) set against that Seller's name in column (B2) of Schedule 1;

 

"Relief" has the meaning given in part 1 of schedule 6;

 

"Resolved" means, in respect of a Notified Claim: (a) agreed in writing between the Parent and the Sellers as to both liability and quantum; (b) finally determined (as to both liability and quantum) by a court of competent jurisdiction with no right of appeal or where such right of appeal has lapsed, or (c) unconditionally withdrawn by the Parent in writing;

 

"Retention Account" means the account held in the name of the Retention Agent details of which are provided by the Retention Agent to the Parent and the Sellers’ Representatives no later than 5 Business Days prior to the Completion Date;

 

"Retention Agent" means Dr Rudolf Kaindl, Austrian notary public of Kaindl, Dürr, Schuller-Köhler & Partners, Donaustadtstraße 1, A-1220 Vienna;

 

"Retention Amount" means €500,000.00;

 

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Retention Letter” means the letter to be entered into between the Parties and the Retention Agent in respect of the management of the Retention Account in the form to be agreed in good faith between the Buyer and the Sellers as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement;

 

"Sale Shares" means such parts of Outstanding Shares (Geschäftsanteile) as listed in column (B2) of Schedule 1, each such part of an Outstanding Share being a "Sale Share";

 

"Sellers' Account" has the meaning given in clause 19.1;

 

Seller Liability Cap” means the amount set out next to the relevant Seller’s name in column (F) of Schedule 1 minus any payments made by such Seller pursuant to clause 9.2(a) or 9.3(a) (if any) plus any payments received by such Seller pursuant to clause 9.2(b) or 9.3(b) (if any);

 

"Sellers' Representatives" means the Founders' Representative and the Investors' Representative;

 

"Sellers' Solicitors" means BRANDL TALOS Rechtsanwälte GmbH;

 

Series D Shareholders’ Agreement” means the amended and restated shareholders' agreement relating to the Parent entered into in connection with the Parent's series D financing round by the Parent, its existing shareholders, the manager and certain investors dated 27 April 2021;

 

Series D Subscription Agreement” means the subscription agreement in relation to the Series D financing round of the Parent entered into by the Parent and certain investors, dated 27 April 2021;

 

"Service Agreements" means the service agreements in the agreed form between the Company and each of the Key Persons respectively;

 

"Surviving Provisions" means clauses 1, 2.6, 17, 21 to 28, 32 and 33;

 

"Target Working Capital" means €[****], being the amount agreed by the Parties to be the target working capital of the Company at Completion;

 

"Tax" or "Taxation" has the meaning given in Part 1 of Schedule 6;

 

"Tax Authority" has the meaning given in Part 1 of Schedule 6;

 

"Tax Claim" means a claim under the Tax Covenant or a Tax Warranty Claim;

 

"Tax Covenant" means the tax covenants given in favour of the Parent set out in Part 3 of Schedule 6;

 

"Tax Warranties" means the warranties set out in Part 2 of Schedule 6;

 

"Tax Warranty Claim" means a claim for breach of any of the Tax Warranties;

 

"Title and Capacity Warranties" means the warranties set out in Part 1 of Schedule 5;

 

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"Transaction" means the Buyer becoming the holder of the entire business of the Company by way of the acquisition of the Sale Shares and the Merger, pursuant to the terms of this Agreement;

 

Unreleased Percentage” has the meaning given in clause 12.1;

 

"VAT" means value added tax and any similar tax on sales or turnover;

 

"Warranties" means the warranties set out in Schedule 5, and the Tax Warranties; and

 

"Warranty Claim" means a claim for breach of any of the Warranties, other than a Tax Warranty Claim.

 

1.2 In this Agreement, unless the context requires otherwise, or otherwise stated:

 

(a) use of the singular includes the plural and vice versa, and use of any gender includes the other genders; and

 

(b) a reference to any specific legislation includes a reference to that legislation as re-enacted, consolidated, replaced or amended; any previous legislation of which it is a re-enactment, consolidation, replacement or amendment; and any subordinate legislation made under any of the same (and "legislation" in this clause 1.2(b) includes any statute, statutory provision, regulation, rule or subordinate legislation).

 

1.3 In this Agreement, unless otherwise stated:

 

(a) any reference to the Parties or a recital, clause or schedule (or part thereof) is to the Parties (and permitted assignees) or the relevant recital, clause or schedule (or part thereof) of or to this Agreement;

 

(b) any reference in a schedule to a part or a paragraph is to a part or a paragraph of that schedule or, where relevant, to a paragraph of that part of that schedule;

 

(c) any reference to a "person" includes an individual, firm, partnership, body corporate, corporation, association, organisation, government, state, foundation and trust, in each case whether or not having separate legal personality;

 

(d) “to the extent that” means “if and to the extent that”;

 

(e) any reference to an individual includes a reference to his personal representatives, on whom this Agreement shall be binding;

 

(f) the clause, schedule and paragraph headings are included for convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement;

 

(g) schedules and recitals form part of this Agreement and shall have effect as if set out in full in the body of this Agreement and any reference to this Agreement includes the schedules and recitals;

 

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(h) any reference in this Agreement to a document being "in the agreed form" means a document in a form agreed by the Parties before the signing of this Agreement and either entered into on the date of this Agreement by the relevant Parties or initialled by the Parties (or on their behalf) and where that document is not entered into on the date of this Agreement, with such amendments as the Buyer and the Sellers’ Representatives (on behalf of the Sellers) may subsequently agree;

 

(i) the words "other", "including", "includes", "include", "in particular" and any similar words shall not limit the general effect of words that precede or follow them;

 

(j) any sum in any currency which is required to be construed, for the purposes of this Agreement, as a sum in any other currency (for example, in construing for the purposes of Schedule 8 the amount of a Warranty Claim which is not denominated in Euros) shall, unless expressly stated otherwise, be regarded as converted into that other currency at the Exchange Rate on the date of this Agreement;

 

(k) “Euros” and “€” shall each mean the lawful currency of the Eurozone monetary union; and

 

(l) any reference in this Agreement to a time of day, shall be to the time of day on the relevant date in Vienna, Austria.

 

2. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

 

2.1 Completion is conditional on the satisfaction or, in case of the Parent Reorganisation Condition, waiver by the Sellers' Representatives pursuant to clause 2.3 of:

 

(a) the Austrian Regulatory Condition; and

 

(b) the condition that: (i) the Parent Reorganisation has been completed and such fact has been notified by the Parent to the Sellers' Representatives; or (ii) the shareholders of the Parent have decided not to implement the Parent Reorganisation and such fact has been notified by the Parent to the Sellers' Representatives (the "Parent Reorganisation Condition").

 

2.2 The Parent shall use all reasonable endeavours (including in relation to any conditions imposed by any competent authority) to ensure that the Austrian Regulatory Condition is satisfied as soon as reasonably practicable, and shall notify the Sellers' Representatives, with appropriate supporting documentation, as soon as reasonably practicable after it becomes aware that the Austrian Regulatory Condition is satisfied or has become, or is likely to become, incapable of being satisfied. The Parent shall file the relevant notification with the Austrian Ministry for Digitalization and Economic Affairs (Bundesministerium für Digitalisierung und Wirtschaftsstandort) as soon as reasonably practicable but in any case within 10 Business Days following the date of this Agreement.

 

2.3 The Parent shall use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that the Parent Reorganisation Condition is satisfied as soon as reasonably practicable, and shall notify the Sellers' Representatives, with appropriate supporting documentation, as soon as reasonably practicable after it becomes aware that the Parent Reorganisation Condition is satisfied. The Sellers' Representatives (acting jointly) may, in their sole discretion, at any time waive the Parent Reorganisation Condition.

 

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2.4 The Sellers’ Representatives and the Sellers shall provide such assistance, information and documentation as may reasonably be required to enable the Parent to comply with its obligations under clause 2.2.

 

2.5 The Parent shall promptly notify the Sellers' Representatives sufficiently in advance of any notification, submission, response or other communication (excluding communications of an administrative nature) which it proposes to make or submit to any regulatory authority in connection with the process relating to the Austrian Regulatory Condition and at the same time provide the Sellers' Representatives with copies thereof and any supporting documentation or information reasonably requested by the Sellers' Representatives provided that the Parent shall not be required to provide the Sellers' Representatives with any confidential information or business secrets; such information to be provided to Sellers’ Solicitors on a counsel-to-counsel basis only. The Parent shall to take into account the reasonable comments of the Sellers' Representatives in relation to any such notification, submission, communication or response to a request for further information prior to making the relevant notification, submission, communication or response. The Parent further agrees to keep the Sellers' Representatives reasonably informed as to the material progress of any process or notification in relation to the Austrian Regulatory Condition and shall permit the Sellers' Solicitors to attend all material meetings and conference calls with any regulatory authority or other persons or bodies (unless prohibited by the authority or other person) in connection with the transactions contemplated herein and to make oral submissions at such meetings and conference calls.

 

2.6 If the Conditions are not satisfied or, in case of the Parent Reorganisation Condition, waived pursuant to clause 2.3 on or before 5.30 p.m. on 30 November 2021, this Agreement shall automatically terminate (other than the Surviving Provisions which shall remain binding on the Parties in accordance with their terms). In such event, neither party shall have a claim against the other except for any rights and liabilities which have accrued before termination or under the Surviving Provisions.

 

3. AGREEMENT FOR SALE AND MERGER

 

3.1 Each Seller agrees to sell and transfer and the Parent agrees to procure that the Buyer buys and takes over that Seller's Relevant Sale Share pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, provided that the transfer and assignment of all Sale Shares shall become effective immediately upon the execution of the Acquisition Instrument. Each Seller shall sell his Relevant Sale Share free from all Encumbrances and with all rights attaching to them at Completion, including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid after Completion.

 

3.2 Immediately following Completion, the Parent, the Buyer and the Sellers holding Merger Shares shall implement the Merger in accordance with clause 7.9.

 

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3.3 Each Seller herewith unconditionally and irrevocably, in form of a circular resolution, (i) approves the execution and performance of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein (including the sale, transfer and assignment of the Sale Shares), and (ii) waives any rights of pre-emption or similar rights conferred on it by the articles of association of the Company or otherwise existing in respect of any of the Sale Shares.

 

3.4 The Buyer shall not be obliged to complete the purchase of any of the Sale Shares unless the purchase of all the Sale Shares is completed simultaneously.

 

4. CONSIDERATION

 

4.1 The consideration for (i) the Sale Shares and (ii) the other transactions to be performed by the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement (the “Purchase Price”) shall be:

 

(a) the Cash Consideration;

 

(b) plus the Consideration Shares,

 

and shall be allocated between the Sellers in accordance with Schedule 1.

 

4.2 Any amount paid by or on behalf of any Seller in respect of any claim for any breach of this Agreement or pursuant to any indemnity or undertaking to pay any amount under this Agreement shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed to reduce the Purchase Price attributable to such Seller by, and be a repayment of, that amount.

 

5. PERIOD BEFORE MERGER COMPLETION

 

5.1 Each Seller shall, to the extent legally possible and permissible and in so far as it is within each of its respective power to control the same, procure that during the period beginning on the signing of this Agreement and ending at Completion and the Parties shall, to the extent legally possible and permissible and in so far as it is within each of its respective power to control the same, procure that from Completion until Merger Completion:

 

(a) the Company shall not take any action set out in Schedule 3 without the prior written consent of the Parent;

 

(b) neither the Company nor the shareholders shall declare, make or pay any dividend or other distribution by the Company without the prior written consent of the Parent;

 

(c) subject to (i) clause 5.3 and (ii) the Sellers' right to exclude the Parent from any information, (internal) discussions or meeting relating to this Agreement (and any ancillary agreements) and the Transaction, the Parent receives notice of and is allowed to be present as an observer, through any duly authorised representative, at any meeting of the shareholders of the Company held during that period; and

 

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(d) subject to (i) clause 5.3 and (ii) the Sellers' right to exclude the Parent from any information, (internal) discussions or meeting relating to this Agreement (and any ancillary agreements) and the Transaction, to the extent permitted under Competition Law, the Parent and its agents and representatives are, upon reasonable prior notice to the Sellers' Representatives:

 

(i) given reasonable access during normal business hours to the books, records and Key Persons of the Company and to the Properties;

 

(ii) permitted to make copies of any documents and records of the Company reasonably required by the Parent in connection with this Agreement;

 

(iii) subject to clause 22, given reasonable prior notice of any press release or other public announcement relating to the Company; and

 

(iv) provided with any information relating to the business and affairs of the Company as any of them may from time to time reasonably require.

 

5.2 In case the Parent fails to respond to a request to consent to a specific transaction issued by a Seller or the Company in accordance with clause 5.1(a) within 10 Business Days, such consent shall be deemed granted. For purposes of clauses 5.1(a) and 5.2, consent requests issued by e-mail to and approvals given by CFO Ben Taylor on behalf of the Parent via e-mail (btaylor@exscientia.co.uk) shall be sufficient.

 

5.3 The Parent’s rights pursuant to clauses 5.1(c) and 5.1(d) shall be subject to the Sellers' and the Company's right to limit disclosures pursuant to good faith efforts to preserve (i) business secrets, know-how or other confidential information of the Company and (ii) their rights under this Agreement.

 

5.4 During the period beginning on the signing of this Agreement and ending at Merger Completion, no Seller shall dispose of any interest in or otherwise grant an Encumbrance in respect of any of his relevant Outstanding Share other than pursuant to this Agreement.

 

5.5 Each Seller shall promptly notify the Parent in writing of any matter which becomes known to him before Completion and which constitutes, or might reasonably be expected (either immediately or after the lapse of time) to constitute, a breach of any of the Warranties given by that Seller as at the date of this Agreement, a breach of any of the Warranties to be given by that Seller when given as at Completion, or a material adverse change in the financial or trading position, operations or prospects of the Company.

 

5.6 The Parent shall promptly notify the Sellers’ Representatives in writing following the completion of the Parent Reorganisation and/or an IPO, in each case to the extent that the relevant event occurs prior to Completion.

 

5.7 As soon as reasonably practicable following completion of the Parent Reorganisation, the Parent shall procure that the New Parent Holdco accedes to this Agreement by the execution of the New Parent Holdco Accession Deed.

 

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5.8 The Sellers’ Representatives (acting jointly) shall, on the third Business Day before the Completion Date, notify the Parent of the Estimated Adjustment Amount and the Estimated Phantom Rights Amount.

 

5.9 The notice given under clause 5.8 shall be given in good faith, as soon as reasonably practicable after 5.30pm on the relevant date and shall be accompanied by a breakdown of the items comprised within the estimate and any relevant supporting documentation. The Sellers' Representatives shall provide any information in relation to such estimate as the Parent or the Buyer may from time to time reasonably require.

 

5.10 The Parent shall incorporate the Buyer as soon as reasonably practicable but in any case within six weeks following the date of this Agreement. As soon as reasonably practicable following the incorporation of the Buyer, the Parent shall procure that the Buyer accedes to this Agreement by the execution of the Buyer Accession Deed.

 

6. TERMINATION

 

6.1 If at any time before Completion:

 

(a) the Parent becomes aware of any breach of any of the Title and Capacity Warranties given as at the date of this Agreement or of any matter which would constitute a breach of any of the Title and Capacity Warranties if repeated as at Completion (reading, for the purposes of this clause 6.1, references in the Warranties (whether express or implied) to the date of this Agreement as references to the Completion Date); or

 

(b) the Parent becomes aware of any breach of any of the Warranties (other than the Title and Capacity Warranties) given as at the date of this Agreement or of any matter which would constitute a breach of any of such Warranties if repeated as at Completion (reading, for the purposes of this clause 6.1, references in such Warranties (whether express or implied) to the date of this Agreement as references to the Completion Date

 

where, in either case, the effect of that breach (or the cumulative effect of those breaches if there is more than one):

 

(i) has, will or would reasonably be expected to result in Losses of the Buyer or the Company in excess of €5,000,000; or

 

(ii) would prevent any of the Sellers from transferring and assigning any Sale Share to the Buyer in accordance with the terms of this Agreement,

 

the Parent may, without prejudice and in addition to any other right or remedy it may have, by notice to the Sellers' Representatives, postpone Completion for a period not exceeding 20 Business Days, elect to proceed to Completion, or elect not to complete the sale and purchase of the Sale Shares. If Completion is so postponed by the Parent on any occasion, this clause 6.1 shall continue to apply, as appropriate, with respect to each occasion to which it is postponed.

 

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6.2 If the Parent elects not to complete the sale and purchase of the Sale Shares in accordance with clause 6.1, the Parties shall have no further rights or obligations under this Agreement, other than accrued rights and obligations at the time of that election and for those purposes the Surviving Provisions shall remain binding on the Parties in accordance with their terms.

 

7. COMPLETION AND MERGER

 

7.1 Subject to clause 6, Completion shall take place at midday remotely or at the offices of the Buyer's Austrian Counsel on the fifth Business Day after the Conditions are both satisfied or, in case of the Parent Reorganisation Condition, waived in accordance with clause 2.3, or any other day and time the Parties may agree (the “Completion Date”).

 

7.2 At Completion, the Sellers and the Parent shall comply, and the Parent shall procure that the Buyer complies, with their respective obligations set out in Schedule 4.

 

7.3 Subject to and immediately after the Sellers, the Parent and the Buyer having complied with their obligations set out in Schedule 4, at Completion the Parent shall procure that the Buyer shall pay an amount equal to the sum of: (i) the Estimated Cash Consideration; and (ii) the Estimated Phantom Rights Amount to the Retention Account maintained with the Retention Agent with the instruction to release the funds on the Merger Completion Date in accordance with clause 10.12. To finance the payments by the Buyer pursuant to item (ii) of the preceding sentence, the Parent shall pay an unconditional and irrevocable shareholder contribution (Gesellschafterzuschuss) to the Buyer.

 

7.4 Immediately following Merger Completion but in any event within 2 Business Days thereafter, the Parent shall: (i) cause the Consideration Shares to be allotted and issued to or for the account of the Sellers, credited as fully paid in such amounts as are set out against each such Seller’s name in columns (D) and (E) of Schedule 1; and (ii) deliver to each Seller duly executed certificates of the relevant Consideration Shares to be allotted to such Seller.

 

7.5 Immediately following receipt of the payments pursuant to section 7.3 by the Retention Agent, the Buyer and the Sellers shall at Completion enter into the Acquisition Instrument. The transfer and assignment of the Relevant Sale Share from the relevant Seller to the Buyer shall become effective immediately upon execution of the Acquisition Instrument. Immediately following Completion, the Parties shall execute a closing memorandum confirming that: (i) the Conditions have been satisfied or, as the case may be, waived; (ii) all actions pursuant to Schedule 4, clauses 7.3 and 7.5 have been performed or waived; and (iii) that Completion has occurred.

 

7.6 If either: (i) the Sellers; or (ii) the Parent or the Buyer (referred to in this clause 7 as the "defaulting party") do not or are unable to fulfil any of their respective obligations set out in Schedule 4 or clauses 7.3 or 7.5 at the time when Completion is due to take place under clause 7.1, the other Party (referred to in this clause 7 as the "non-defaulting party") may, without prejudice and in addition to any other right or remedy the non-defaulting party may have, by notice to the defaulting party:

 

(a) postpone Completion for a period not exceeding 20 Business Days; or

 

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(b) elect to proceed to Completion, in which case the defaulting party shall be obliged to fulfil those obligations set out in Schedule 4 or clauses 7.3 or 7.5 which the defaulting party is then able to fulfil and to fulfil the remaining obligations on or before any later date specified for the purpose in the notice; or

 

(c) if having already given notice under clause 7.6(a) and the period of postponement so notified having elapsed without each unfulfilled obligation in question having been fulfilled, elect not to complete the sale and purchase of the Sale Shares,

 

and for the purposes of this clause 7.6, notices to be given by or to the Sellers shall be given by or to the Sellers' Representative.

 

7.7 If Completion is postponed on any occasion under clause 7.6(a), this clause 7 shall apply with respect to each occasion to which it is so postponed.

 

7.8 If the non-defaulting party elects not to complete the sale and purchase of the Sale Shares in accordance with clause 7.6(c), the Parties shall have no further rights or obligations under this Agreement, other than accrued rights and obligations at the time of that election and for those purposes the Surviving Provisions shall remain binding on the Parties in accordance with their terms.

 

7.9 Immediately following Completion:

 

(a) the Parent as shareholder of the Buyer shall hold a shareholders meeting in the form to be agreed in good faith between the Parent and the Sellers holding Merger Shares as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement pursuant to which, inter alia, the Merger is approved;

 

(b) the Buyer and the Sellers holding Merger Shares as shareholders of the Company shall hold a shareholders meeting in the form to be agreed in good faith between the Parent and the Sellers holding Merger Shares as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement pursuant to which, inter alia, the Merger is approved;

 

(c) the Sellers holding Merger Shares and the Buyer shall procure that the Company enters into and the Buyer shall enter into the Merger Instrument, pursuant to which: (i) the Company as transferring entity shall be merged into the Buyer as absorbing entity; (ii) all assets and liability of the Company are transferred by way of universal succession to the Buyer; and (iii) the Sellers holding Merger Shares waive their right to receive exchange shares in the Buyer in accordance with section 224 para 2 no 2 of the Austrian Stock Corporation Act (Aktiengesetz) in connection with section 96 para 2 of the Austrian Act on Limited Liability Companies (GmbH-Gesetz) (the "Merger"); and

 

(d) the Buyer shall file, and the Sellers holding Merger Shares and the Buyer shall procure that the Company files, the Merger with the respective competent commercial registries pursuant to the filing documentation in the form to be agreed in good faith between the Buyer and the Sellers holding Merger Shares as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement.

 

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7.10 Schedule 11 contains an overview of the shareholder structure in the Company following completion of certain transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

8. CONSIDERATION SHARES

 

8.1 The Consideration Shares to be issued pursuant to clause 7.4 shall be, in the event that Completion occurs:

 

(a) prior to completion of the Parent Reorganisation and prior to an IPO, ordinary class A shares, each having a nominal value of £0.001 in the capital of the Parent; or

 

(b) after completion of the Parent Reorganisation but prior to an IPO, ordinary class A shares with a nominal value to be determined in the capital of the New Parent Holdco with at least the same economic value, rights and privileges as those shares described in paragraph (a) above; or

 

(c) after completion of the Parent Reorganisation and after an IPO, ordinary shares with a nominal value to be determined in the capital of the New Parent Holdco with at least the same economic value, rights and privileges as those shares described in paragraph (a) above,

 

or such other class of shares of no lesser value which rank no lower than those shares listed in paragraphs (a) to (c) above as may be agreed by the Parent and the Sellers (the “Consideration Shares”).

 

8.2 The Consideration Shares shall be credited as fully paid up and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing shares of the same class in the same entity, including the right to receive all dividends declared, made or paid after the date on which they are issued (save that they shall not rank for any dividend or other distribution declared, made, or paid before the date on which they are issued).

 

8.3 Each Seller shall be entitled to direct that its respective Consideration Shares be issued and registered in the name of any nominee or custodian holding such shares on its behalf as bare nominee and the provisions of clauses 7.4 and 8 shall be construed accordingly.

 

9. COMPLETION ACCOUNTS AND ADJUSTMENT TO THE AMOUNT PAID AT COMPLETION

 

9.1 The Buyer and the Sellers shall comply with their respective obligations under Schedule 9 pursuant to which the Completion Statement is to be prepared and become final and binding on the Parties.

 

9.2 Subject to clause 9.5, on the date falling five Business Days after the Completion Statement becomes final and binding on the Parties:

 

(a) if the Estimated Cash Consideration exceeds the Cash Consideration, then the Buyer shall be entitled to payment of such excess from all Sellers (in their Liability Percentage); or

 

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(b) if the Estimated Cash Consideration is less than the Cash Consideration, then the Buyer shall pay an amount equal to the shortfall to the Sellers apportioned between the Sellers in their Liability Percentage,

 

in each case, such payments shall be made in cash in accordance with clause 19.1.

 

9.3 On the date falling five Business Days after the Completion Statement becomes final and binding on the Parties:

 

(a) if the Phantom Rights Amount exceeds the Estimated Phantom Rights Amount, then the Buyer shall be entitled to payment of such excess from all Sellers (in their Liability Percentage); or

 

(b) if the Phantom Rights Amount is less than the Estimated Phantom Rights Amount, then the Buyer shall pay an amount equal to the shortfall to the Sellers apportioned between the Sellers in their Liability Percentage,

 

in each case, such payments shall be made in cash in accordance with clause 19.1.

 

9.4 Further, in case the Phantom Rights Amount exceeds the Estimated Phantom Rights Amount, the Parent shall, within 5 Business Days after the Completion Statement becomes final and binding on the Parties, pay an irrevocable and unconditional shareholder contribution (Gesellschafterzuschuss) in an amount equal to such difference to the Buyer.

 

9.5 No payment pursuant to clause 9.2 shall be required to be made unless the amount of that payment exceeds €[****] in which circumstances the whole of that amount shall be payable and not merely the excess over €[****].

 

9.6 Notwithstanding any provision of Schedule 9, the agreement or determination of the Completion Working Capital and any consequential payment made pursuant to clause 9.2, to the extent not taking into account or fully taking into account any matter then or subsequently giving rise to a Warranty Claim, a Tax Claim or any other claim under this Agreement, shall not prevent the Buyer from asserting that claim, or limit the damages recoverable.

 

10. RETENTION

 

10.1 The Parent and the Sellers shall procure the establishment of the Retention Account prior to the Completion Date and payment shall be made in accordance with clause 7.3 and the Retention Amount shall be held in the Retention Account in accordance with the terms of this clause 10 and the Retention Letter.

 

10.2 Any interest accruing on the credit balance on the Retention Account from time to time shall be credited to the Retention Account and form part of the Retention Amount and any payment of principal out of the Retention Account shall include a payment of the interest earned on that principal sum.

 

10.3 The liability to Tax on any interest on any amount in the Retention Account shall be borne by the party ultimately entitled to that interest.

 

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10.4 The Parent and the Sellers (acting by the Sellers’ Representatives) shall promptly provide such instructions to the Retention Agent (where relevant in the form specified by the Retention Letter) and take all other actions in relation to the Retention Account as are necessary to give effect to the provisions of this clause 10.

 

10.5 Nothing in this clause 10 shall prejudice, limit or otherwise affect any right or remedy the Buyer or the Parent may have against the Sellers from time to time, whether arising under this Agreement.

 

10.6 No amount shall be released from the Retention Account otherwise than in accordance with this clause 10 and the terms of the Retention Letter.

 

10.7 If a payment is due to the Buyer under clause 9.2 that is:

 

(a) less than the Retention Amount, the Parent and the Sellers’ Representatives (acting jointly) shall instruct the Retention Agent to release to the Buyer from the Retention Account the amount due to the Buyer pursuant to clause 9.2; or

 

(b) equal to or greater than the Retention Amount, the Parent and the Sellers’ Representatives (acting jointly) shall instruct the Retention Agent to release to the Buyer the full amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account.

 

10.8 If a payment that is due to the Buyer under clause 9.2 or 9.3 is not satisfied in full by a payment to the Buyer from the Retention Account, nothing in this Agreement shall prevent or otherwise restrict the Buyer’s right to recover the balance from the Sellers in proportion to their Liability Percentage, and the Completion Accounts Adjustment Amount due to the Buyer (to the extent not so satisfied from the Retention Account) shall remain fully enforceable against the Sellers in proportion to their Liability Percentage.

 

10.9 If a Notified Claim which is not a Tax Claim arises and is Resolved on or before the Release Date, the Parent and the Sellers’ Representatives shall instruct the Retention Agent to release to the Buyer out of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account the Due Amount in respect of that Notified Claim or, if lower, the amount of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account.

 

10.10 If a Notified Claim which is a Tax Claim arises and is Resolved on or before the Release Date, the Parent and the Sellers’ Representatives may (at the election of the Parent) instruct the Retention Agent to release to the Buyer out of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account the Due Amount in respect of that Tax Claim or, if lower, the amount of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account.

 

10.11 For the avoidance of doubt:

 

(a) any Notified Claim which is not a Tax Claim that arises and is Resolved on or before the Release Date must be claimed out of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account before any further claim can made against the Sellers in proportion to their Liability Percentage; and

 

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(b) any Notified Claim which is a Tax Claim that arises and is Resolved on or before the Release Date may be claimed out of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account or directly against the Sellers in proportion to their Liability Percentage at the sole election of the Parent.

 

10.12 The Parent and the Sellers’ Representatives shall instruct the Retention Agent to pay on the Merger Completion Date:

 

(a) to the Sellers an amount equal to the Estimated Cash Consideration standing to the credit of the Retention Account less the Retention Amount in proportion to their Cash Consideration Percentage; and

 

(b) to the Buyer, who has by way of the Merger assumed the respective obligations of the Company to make the relevant payments underlying the Phantom Rights Amount, an amount equal to the Estimated Phantom Rights Amount.

 

10.13 On the Release Date, the Parent and the Sellers’ Representatives shall instruct the Retention Agent to pay to the Sellers out of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account an amount (if any) equal to the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account at that time, less the following sums:

 

(a) in respect of each Outstanding Claim (if any) an amount equal to the Parent’s reasonable estimate (acting in good faith) of the Sellers’ liability in respect of that Outstanding Claim or, if lower, the amount of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account; and

 

(b) in respect of each Due Amount, to the extent that it has not been satisfied in accordance with Clause 10.9 or otherwise on or before the Release Date, the amount of the Due Amount or, if lower, the amount of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account,

 

such payment to be paid to the Sellers in accordance in their Liability Percentage.

 

10.14 If following the Release Date, the Retention Amount (or any part of it) continues to be held in the Retention Account pending resolution of any Outstanding Claims, the following provisions shall apply:

 

(a) upon an Outstanding Claim being Resolved, the Parent and the Sellers’ Representatives shall instruct the Retention Agent to release to the Buyer out of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account any unpaid Due Amount in respect of that Outstanding Claim or, if lower, the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account (less any applicable bank charges); and

 

(b) after all Outstanding Claims have been Resolved and all Due Amounts (if any) have been paid to the Parent in full, the Parent and the Sellers’ Representatives shall instruct the Retention Agent to release to the Sellers (in proportion to their Liability Percentage) the remaining balance (if any) of the Retention Amount standing to the credit of the Retention Account (together with any accrued interest on the amount so paid but less any applicable bank charges).

 

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10.15 All payments made from the Retention Account in connection with a Notified Claim to the Buyer or the Parent under this clause 10 shall (to the extent permitted at law) be treated as a reduction of the Purchase Price.

 

10.16 For the purpose of calculating any payment out of the Retention Account in Euros, where the underlying amount is incurred or paid in another currency, the applicable Euro amount shall be determined using the Exchange Rate.

 

11. LOCK-UP

 

11.1 The Sellers agree that, in the event of an IPO, their Consideration Shares shall be subject to a lock-up of a duration of 180 days following the date of the IPO.

 

11.2 The Sellers agree:

 

(a) to execute any documents relating to the lock-up required in connection with an IPO, provided that the terms are no more onerous than those imposed on the holders of any class of shares in the Parent or the New Parent Holdco, as applicable, that benefits from a liquidation preference immediately prior to any conversion to ordinary shares in connection with such IPO and subject always to the lock-up period referred to in clause 11.1; and

 

(b) that the Parent or the New Parent Holdco, as applicable, shall not be required to register any transfer that would be in breach of such lock-up.

 

11.3 Each Seller hereby irrevocably appoints any director of the Parent to act as his duly authorised agent and attorney (“IPO Attorney”) to take such actions where a party fails to comply with the provisions of clauses 11.1 and 11.2 within five Business Days of being requested by the Parent to do so (“IPO Defaulting Party”), but only for as long as the IPO Defaulting Party continues to fail to comply with its obligations under clauses 11.1 and 11.2. The IPO Attorney is (as security for the performance of the IPO Defaulting Party’s obligations) irrevocably appointed and authorised to be the true and lawful attorney for the IPO Defaulting Party and in its name and on its behalf to exercise in the absolute discretion of the IPO Attorney all voting rights attaching to the Consideration Shares of the IPO Defaulting Party. The power of attorney set out in this clause 11.3 is granted to secure the performance by the Sellers of their obligations under clause 11.3 and shall be irrevocable.

 

12. KEY PERSON EQUITY CLAWBACK

 

12.1 For the purposes of this Clause, the “Clawback Release Date” and associated “Unreleased Percentage” and shall have the meanings given in the following table:

 

Clawback Release Date Unreleased Percentage
From the Completion Date until the first anniversary of the Completion Date [****]

On and from the first anniversary of the Completion Date until (but excluding) the second anniversary of the Completion Date [****]
On and from the second anniversary of the Completion Date until (but excluding) the third anniversary of the Completion Date [****]
On and from the third anniversary of the Completion Date [****]

 

 

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12.2 For the purposes of this clause “Clawback Shares” means [****].

 

12.3 Where a [****].

 

12.4 If, during the period beginning on the Merger Completion Date and ending on the third anniversary of the Completion Date (the “Clawback Period”) [****].

 

12.5 If the Parent or the New Parent Holdco (as applicable) elects to exercise its rights under clause 12.4 in respect to [****].

 

12.6 [****].

 

12.7 [****].

 

13. RELEASE OF ASSURANCES

 

Each Seller shall, at the cost of that Seller, execute and deliver all documents, and use all reasonable endeavours to take all other actions as the Parent or the Buyer may reasonably request from time to time after Completion, in order to effect the release and discharge in full (on a non-recourse basis to the Parent, the Buyer and the Company) of any Assurance given by the Company to any person in respect of any obligation of that Seller or any Associate of that Seller. Pending each such release and discharge, the relevant Seller shall pay to the Buyer on demand the amount of all Losses incurred by the Company arising directly or indirectly from or in connection with any such Assurance given by the Company to any person in respect of any obligation of that Seller or any Associate of that Seller.

 

14. WARRANTIES

 

14.1 Subject to this clause 14 (including clause 14.8) and Schedule 8, each Seller severally and not jointly (einzelschuldnerisch) warrants by means of an independent guarantee within the meaning of Article 880a second part (zweiter Halbsatz) ABGB to the Parent that, save as Disclosed, each of the Title and Capacity Warranties is true and accurate as at the date of this Agreement and again as at Completion solely in respect of such Seller and its Relevant Sale Share.

 

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14.2 Subject to this clause 14 (including clause 14.8), Schedule 6 and Schedule 8, each Key Person severally and not jointly (einzelschuldnerisch) warrants by means of an independent guarantee within the meaning of Article 880a second part (zweiter Halbsatz) to the Parent that, save as Disclosed, each of the General Warranties and the Tax Warranties is true and accurate as at the date of this Agreement and again as at Completion (except where expressly made with reference to a specific point in time, in which case such Warranty is given at such point in time only).

 

14.3 Each of the Warranties is separate and is to be construed independently of, and without reference to qualifications contained in, the other Warranties.

 

14.4 The Sellers acknowledge that the Parent is entering into this Agreement and that the Buyer will accede to this Agreement in reliance on the Warranties and will have the benefit of the Warranties as if such Warranties were given both to the Buyer and the Parent.

 

14.5 The Sellers do not represent or warrant or make any representation or warranties other than the Warranties. Save for the Warranties, the Sellers shall not be liable for any other, expressed or implied, representation and warranties and each of the Parent and the Buyer confirms that it does not rely on any other representation and warranties other than the Warranties.

 

14.6 Where any statement in the Warranties is qualified by the expression “to the best of the knowledge, information and belief of the Key Persons” or “so far as the Key Persons are aware” or any similar expression, the Key Persons shall be deemed to have knowledge of all facts, matters and circumstances of which any Key Person is actually aware.

 

14.7 Each Seller unconditionally and irrevocably waives any rights that Seller may have (in each case whether founded in negligence or otherwise) against the Company, or any director, employee, officer or agent of the Company, on whom that Seller has or may have relied in connection with preparing the Disclosure Letter or agreeing to any terms of this Agreement or any document to be entered into pursuant to it. Nothing in this clause 14.7 shall apply to restrict the ability of any Seller to make any claim against any person for fraud, nor shall it apply to preclude any Seller from claiming against any other Seller by virtue of any right of contribution or indemnity to which he might be entitled.

 

14.8 Paragraph 2 of Part 3 of Schedule 6 (in the case of a Tax Claim) and Schedule 8 (in the case of a Warranty Claim and, where specified, a Tax Claim) shall apply to limit or exclude, in accordance with their respective terms, any liability which the Sellers might otherwise have in respect of any Warranty Claim or any Tax Claim.

 

14.9 The Parent warrants by means of an independent guarantee within the meaning of Article 880a second part (zweiter Halbsatz) ABGB to each of the Sellers as at the date of this Agreement and, except for the warranty pursuant to clause 14.9(b), again as at Completion that:

 

(a) the Parent is duly incorporated under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation;

 

(b) the Parent is the ultimate holding company of the Buyer's Group;

 

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(c) the Parent has and, upon their respective incorporation, each of the Buyer and New Parent Holdco will have the right, power and authority to enter into (or accede to) and perform its respective obligations under this Agreement (or will have at the time such obligations are to be performed) and the provisions of this Agreement will, when executed, constitute valid and binding obligations on the Parent, and, upon their respective accession to this Agreement, the Buyer and New Parent Holdco;

 

(d) the execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Parent, the Buyer and New Parent Holdco of its respective obligations under this Agreement will neither:

 

(i) result in a breach of any provision of its memorandum or articles of association or any document, order or judgment that applies to or binds it or any of its assets; nor

 

(ii) result in a breach of any order, judgment or decree of any court or governmental entity to which it is a party or by which it is bound;

 

(e) except as expressly provided in this Agreement, all permits or filings with any governmental entity and all agreements of any other person which are necessary for the Parent, the Buyer and New Parent Holdco to obtain in order to enter into (or accede to) and perform its respective obligations under this Agreement in accordance with their respective terms have been obtained in writing (or will have been at the time such obligations are to be performed);

 

(f) the Parent has not received notice in writing of any claim in respect of the warranties given by the Parent to certain investors pursuant to the Series D Subscription Agreement;

 

(g) the Consideration Shares (i) will, when issued and allotted in accordance with this Agreement, be validly issued and allotted to the respective Seller in accordance with applicable law and be fully paid in compliance with all applicable laws, and (ii) are not subject to any Encumbrances (other than as set forth in the Series D Shareholders’ Agreement) or the shareholders’ agreement relating to the New Parent Holdco on substantially similar terms to the Series D Shareholders’ Agreement;

 

(h) upon an IPO the Consideration Shares will convert 1:1 into publicly listed common stock (in the same manner as all other shares of the Parent or the New Parent Holdco (as applicable);

 

(i) at Completion, the Parent holds 100% of the outstanding share capital in the Buyer and, except for the transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Buyer has not conducted any business; and

 

(j) there are no:

 

(i) judgments, orders, injunctions or decrees of any governmental entity or court or arbitration tribunal outstanding against or affecting the Parent;

 

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(ii) law suits, actions or proceedings outstanding or have been threatened, or so far as the Parent is aware, pending against or affecting Buyer's Group; or

 

(iii) investigations by any governmental entity which are outstanding or have been threatened or, so far as the Parent is aware, are pending against Buyer's Group,

 

in each case that will, or is reasonably likely to have, an adverse effect on the ability of the Parent to execute and deliver, or perform, its obligations under this Agreement.

 

14.10 The Parent does not represent or warrant or make any representation or warranties other than the warranties set out in clause 14.9. Save for the warranties set out in clause 14.9, the Parent shall not be liable for any other, expressed or implied, representation and warranties and each of the Sellers confirms that it does not rely on any other representation and warranties other than the warranties set out in clause 14.9.

 

15. TAXATION

 

15.1 The provisions of parts 1 and 2 of Schedule 6 shall apply with effect from the date of this Agreement save that the provisions in part 3 of Schedule 6 shall apply with effect from Completion.

 

15.2 The Disclosure Letter shall not qualify the Tax Covenant or otherwise limit the liability of the Sellers in respect of any claim brought by the Parent under the Tax Covenant.

 

16. PROTECTION OF THE INTERESTS OF THE PARENT AND THE BUYER

 

16.1 Each of the Founders (other than Dr Werner Lanthaler, Dr Gustav Ammerer and W.LAN Holding GmbH) acknowledges that the Buyer is buying the Sale Shares in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and that the Buyer is therefore entitled to protect the goodwill of the Company. Accordingly, each of the Founders (other than Dr Werner Lanthaler, Dr Gustav Ammerer and W.LAN Holding GmbH) agrees with the Parent and the Buyer that he shall not, directly or indirectly, alone or jointly with any other person, and whether as a shareholder, partner, director, principal, consultant or agent or in any other capacity (save for the purposes only of any continuing employment or engagement of that Founder (other than Dr Werner Lanthaler, Dr Gustav Ammerer and W.LAN Holding GmbH) by the Company or any member of the Buyer’s Group):

 

(a) for a period of 24 months starting on the Completion Date, employ or engage the services of any Employee; or

 

(b) for a period of 24 months starting on the Completion Date induce, or endeavour to induce, any Employee to leave his position, whether or not that person would commit a breach of his contract by so leaving.

 

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16.2 Nothing in clause 16.1 shall prohibit the placing of a public advertisement for any post if the advertisement is not specifically targeted at any Employee, nor shall it prohibit the employment of any Employee who applies for a post so advertised.

 

16.3 No Seller shall, at any time after Completion, disclose or use any confidential information relating to the Company or the Company's customers or suppliers, save for the purposes only of any continuing employment or engagement of that Seller by the Company or any member of the Buyer’s Group, and each of the Sellers shall use all reasonable endeavours to prevent the publication or disclosure of any such confidential information. This clause shall not prohibit the use or disclosure of any such confidential information to the extent permitted by clause 22.

 

16.4 No Seller shall at any time after the Completion Date:

 

(a) use in any manner in the course of any business, or (so far as within his power) permit or encourage to be so used (other than by the Company) the name “Allcyte”, or any other trade name, business name, mark, sign or logo used by the Company (or any confusingly similar name, mark, sign or logo); or

 

(b) present himself or permit himself to be presented as in any way connected with the Company or interested in any of the Sale Shares,

 

other than in relation to references to being a former shareholder of the Company or holder of the relevant Consideration Shares. Further, the Sellers shall be entitled to communicate the IRR and other relevant KPIs of their investment in the Company to its shareholders, (potential) investors and financing sources.

 

16.5 Each of the Sellers shall ensure that none of his Associates takes or omits to take any action which, if taken or omitted by that Seller, would constitute a breach of clause 16.3 or 16.4 and each of the Founders (other than Dr Werner Lanthaler, Dr Gustav Ammerer and W.LAN Holding GmbH) shall ensure that none of his Associates takes or omits to take any action which, if taken or omitted by that Seller, would constitute a breach of clause 16.1.

 

16.6 Since the Sellers have confidential information relating to the Company and a detailed awareness of the Company’s client and supplier connections, and since the purchase price payable for the Sale Shares has been calculated on the basis that the Sellers would assume the obligations set out in this clause 16, the Parties acknowledge that each of those obligations is reasonable as to subject matter, area and duration and is necessary to protect the Buyer's legitimate interest in the goodwill of the Company.

 

16.7 Without prejudice to any other remedy which may be available to the Parent or the Buyer, the Parties agree that the Parent or the Buyer shall be entitled to seek injunctive or other equitable relief in relation to any breach of clauses 16.1, 16.3, 16.4 and 16.5, it being acknowledged that an award of damages might not be an adequate remedy if there is such a breach.

 

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16.8 Each of the Sellers and the Parent acknowledges that he/it has entered into this Agreement on an arm's length basis and that he/it has taken independent legal advice in so doing.

 

17. REINVESTMENT OF CASH CONSIDERATION

 

The Parent shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide each Seller with the opportunity to participate in the book building process with respect to the IPO and reinvest its respective portion of the Cash Consideration in the IPO.

 

18. GUARANTEE

 

The Parent guarantees by means of an independent guarantee within the meaning of Article 880a second part (zweiter Halbsatz) ABGB and without objections to each of the Sellers, the due and punctual performance of the Buyer's obligations under this Agreement and the documents and agreements referred to herein, and fully indemnifies each Seller and its Associates against any Losses that such Seller or any of its Associates incurs arising from or in connection with the Buyer's failure to fulfil any of its obligations under this Agreement or the documents and agreements referred to herein.

 

19. PAYMENTS AND INTEREST

 

19.1 Payments to be made in cash to the Sellers (or any of them) under this Agreement shall be made in Euros by electronic transfer of immediately available funds to any single account of which the Sellers’ Representatives (acting jointly) give the Buyer at least three prior Business Days' written notice from time to time (the "Sellers' Account").

 

19.2 Payments to be made in cash to the Buyer under this Agreement shall be made in Euros by electronic transfer of immediately available funds to the Buyer's Solicitors or to any other single account of which the Buyer gives the Sellers’ Representatives at least three prior Business Days' written notice from time to time.

 

19.3 Payment of any sum to the Buyer's Solicitors or otherwise in accordance with clause 19.1 or clause 19.2 will discharge the obligations of the paying party to pay the sum in question and the paying party shall not be concerned to see the application of the monies so paid.

 

19.4 All payments to be made under this Agreement shall be made free and clear of all deductions, withholdings, counterclaims or set-off of any kind except for those required by law.

 

19.5 If the Buyer, the Parent, the New Parent Holdco or the Company has from time to time any obligation to account for any Tax arising in respect of or connection with any other Party in relation to any payment to be made to such other Party pursuant this Agreement (including pursuant to any Consideration Shares), or in relation to any other matter pursuant to this Agreement involving such Party (including any issue of Consideration Shares to any Seller or any shares in the New Parent Holdco which are issued to any Seller in exchange for the transfer to the New Parent Holdco of any Consideration Shares), the Buyer, the Parent, the New Parent Holdco or the Company shall be entitled, if and to the extent that the Buyer, the Parent, the New Parent Holdco or the Company has not otherwise recovered, or been made whole in respect of, such amount pursuant to this Agreement, to deduct or withhold an amount equal to such Tax from any payment to the receiving Party, provided that any such amount so deducted or withheld shall be treated as being received by the relevant receiving Party.

 

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19.6 If:

 

(a) any deduction or withholding is required by law to be made from any sum payable by the Sellers (or any of them) to the Parent, the Buyer or to the New Parent Holdco under this Agreement, the Sellers (or the relevant Seller as the case may be) shall be obliged to pay such increased sum as will, after the deduction or withholding has been made, leave the Parent, the Buyer or the New Parent Holdco with the same amount as it would have been entitled to receive in the absence of such requirement to make a deduction or withholding; and

 

(b) any sum paid or payable to the Parent, to the Buyer or to the New Parent Holdco under this Agreement ("original sum") is or will be chargeable to Tax, the Sellers (or the relevant Seller as the case may be) shall be obliged to pay on demand such additional sum to the Parent, the Buyer or to the New Parent Holdco as will ensure that, after payment of the Tax, the Parent, the Buyer or the New Parent Holdco is left with an amount equal to the original sum, and for these purposes a sum shall be regarded as chargeable to Tax in circumstances where it would have been chargeable to Tax but for some Relief available to the Parent, the Buyer or the New Parent Holdco,

 

save that if any Seller makes an increased payment pursuant to clause 19.6(a) in respect of which the Parent, the Buyer or the New Parent Holdco receives or is granted any credit against, relief for, or repayment of, any Tax payable by the Parent, the Buyer or the New Parent Holdco, which credit, relief, or repayment the Parent, the Buyer or the New Parent Holdco would not otherwise have received or been granted, the Parent shall reimburse such Seller such amount as shall leave the Parent, the Buyer or the New Parent Holdco in no worse position than it would have been in had there been no such deduction or withholding.

 

20. FURTHER ASSURANCE

 

20.1 The Sellers shall at their own cost execute all such documents and do or cause to be done all such other things as the Parent or the Buyer may from time to time reasonably require in order to vest in the Buyer legal title to and the full benefit of the Sale Shares and otherwise to give full effect to this Agreement.

 

20.2 The Parent shall at its own cost execute all such documents and do or cause to be done all such other things as each Seller may from time to time reasonably require in order to vest in the relevant Seller legal title to and the full benefit of the relevant Consideration Shares and otherwise to give full effect to this Agreement.

 

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21. ASSIGNMENT AND NOVATION

 

21.1 This Agreement shall be binding on and enure for the benefit of the successors and permitted assignees of the Parties.

 

21.2 Except as provided in clause 21.3, no party may assign or otherwise dispose of any rights under this Agreement, at law or in equity, including by way of declaration of trust. Any purported assignment in breach of this clause shall be void and confer no rights on the purported assignee.

 

21.3 The Parent and the Buyer may assign all or any of its rights under this Agreement to its bankers by way of security and to any member of the Buyer's Group, provided that (i) the Parent or Buyer (as applicable) shall remain jointly and severally (solidarisch) liable for its obligations under this Agreement, and (ii) any such member of the Buyer's Group shall cease to be entitled to exercise those rights, and shall reassign those rights to the Parent or Buyer (as applicable), on ceasing to be a member of the Buyer's Group. If there is any such assignment, references to the Parent or the Buyer (other than in this clause) shall be construed as references to the holder, at any relevant time, of the Parent’s or the Buyer's rights under this Agreement.

 

22. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CONFIDENTIALITY

 

22.1 No Party may make or permit any other person to make any press release or other public announcement about this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by it.

 

22.2 Clause 22.1 shall not apply to:

 

(a) the press release that may be issued by the Parties; or

 

(b) any other public announcement of the sale and acquisition of the Sale Shares made by a Party or any of such Party's Associates, including any announcement to the customers or suppliers of (a) the Company or (b) any other member of the Buyer’s Group, which contains no material information relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by it that is not in that press release; or

 

(c) any announcement required to be made by applicable law or regulation or the rules of any stock exchange.

 

22.3 Subject to clauses 22.4 and 22.6, each Party shall treat the following information as confidential and shall not disclose or use it:

 

(a) details of the provisions of this Agreement and any agreement, document or arrangement entered into in connection with this Agreement;

 

(b) information relating to the negotiations leading to the execution of this Agreement and any agreement, document or arrangement entered into in connection with this Agreement; and

 

(c) (to the extent obtained as a result of or in connection with entering into, or fulfilling obligations under, this Agreement) non-public information relating to the Parent or the Buyer or any member of the Buyer's Group or to any of the Sellers or any Associate of any of the Sellers.

 

30

 

 

22.4 Any Party may disclose or use information otherwise required by clause 16.3 or clause 22.3 to be treated as confidential:

 

(a) if and to the extent included in the press release referred to in clause 22.2(a);

 

(b) if disclosed to or used by (i) that Party's insurers, professional advisers, auditors, bankers, shareholders, partners, managers or investors (at any relevant time); any Associate of such Party; or the insurers, professional advisers, auditors, bankers, shareholders, partners, managers or investors (at any relevant time) of any Party's Associates;

 

(c) if and to the extent required for the purpose of any legal (including arbitration and regulatory) proceedings arising out of this Agreement or any other agreement, document or arrangement entered into in connection with this Agreement;

 

(d) if disclosure is made to a Tax Authority, in connection with the tax affairs or reporting obligations of the disclosing party;

 

(e) if and to the extent the information is or comes into the public domain through no fault of that Party; or

 

(f) if disclosed to or used by any permitted assignee, or any prospective buyer of any of the Sale Shares or any material assets of the Company, or any prospective investor in the Buyer's Group after Completion.

 

22.5 Each Party shall ensure that any person to whom confidential information is disclosed pursuant to clause 22.4(b) or 22.4(f) is made aware of the obligations of confidentiality contained in this clause and complies with clause 16.3 and clause 22.3 as if binding on it directly.

 

22.6 Any party may disclose or use information otherwise required by clause 16.3 or clause 22.3 to be treated as confidential, or may make, or permit any person to make, any press release or other public announcement:

 

(a) if and to the extent required by applicable law, regulation or the rules of any stock exchange in any relevant jurisdiction; and

 

(b) if and to the extent required or requested by any court, competent regulatory or governmental body (other than a Tax Authority) or securities exchange in any relevant jurisdiction, whether or not the requirement or request has the force of law;

 

and, provided that any party using such information or making or permitting such disclosure, press release or announcement shall take all such steps as are reasonably practicable in the circumstances and permitted by law, to notify the other Parties before the relevant disclosure, release or announcement is made.

 

31

 

 

23. COSTS

 

Each party shall bear his/its own costs and expenses in connection with the preparation, negotiation, execution and performance of this Agreement and the documents referred to in it. All fees and charges resulting from the execution of this Agreement and the Acquisition Instrument, including, but not limited to, notarial fees, registration fees and stamp duties, and any filing fees relating to the Austrian Regulatory Condition shall be borne by the Buyer. The costs of the Retention Agent as well as the notarial fees relating to the implementation of the Merger shall be split 50/50 between the Buyer on the one hand and the Sellers on the other hand; the Sellers shall share their part of the costs in proportion to the Liability Percentages. For the avoidance of doubt, this clause 23 is without prejudice to the provisions of Schedule 6.

 

24. THE SELLERS' REPRESENTATIVE

 

24.1 Any notice to be given under this Agreement to or by any of the following Sellers may be given to or by the Founders' Representative in accordance with clause 25: (i) Dr Giulio Superti-Furga, (ii) Dr Gregory Vladimer, (iii) Dr Berend Snijder, (iv) Dr Nikolaus Krall, (v) Dr Gustav Ammerer, (vi) Dr Werner Lanthaler, (vii) W.LAN Holding GmbH and (viii) Krall Privatstiftung (such persons together the "Founders").

 

24.2 Any notice to be given under this Agreement to or by any of the following Sellers may be given to or by the Investors' Representative in accordance with clause 25: (i) PUSH Ventures GmbH & Co KG, (ii) 42CAP III GmbH & Co. KG, (iii) Air Street Capital I LP, (iv) Dr Valentin Piëch and (v) Amino Collective I GmbH & Co. KG (such persons together the "Investors").

 

24.3 The Founders may notify the Parent that they have chosen a different Founder to be the Founders' Representative to replace the Founder then acting as such. Further, the Investors may notify the Parent that they have chosen a different Investor (or any representative of such Investor) to be the Investors' Representative to replace the person then acting as such. Any such notice shall, notwithstanding clause 24.1, be valid only if signed by (or on behalf of) each Founder (in case of a replacement of the Founders' Representative) or, as the case may be, each Investor (in case of a replacement of the Investors' Representative) and otherwise shall be given in accordance with clause 25. The change in identity of any of the Sellers' Representatives shall take effect five Business Days after notice of the change is received by the Parent or (if later) on the date (if any) specified in the notice. Until any such notice is received by the Parent, the Parent shall continue to be entitled to give notices to, and to rely on notices given (and other actions taken) by, the last Founders' Representative or Investors' Representative, as the case may be, of whom it had actual knowledge.

 

24.4 The Sellers agree that the Parent and the Buyer shall be entitled to (a) rely on notices given to and by (i) the Founders' Representatives under this Agreement as if given to and by each of the Founders (or the relevant Founder, as appropriate) or (ii) the Investors' Representative under this Agreement as if given to and by each of the Investors (or the relevant Investor, as appropriate and (b) to rely on the exercise by the Sellers' Representatives of any of the other rights and powers conferred on them by this Agreement irrespective of whether the exercise of any of those rights or powers in a particular way, or at all, is consented to or not by any Seller. The appointment of the Founders' Representative shall be conclusively binding on each Founder in favour of the Parent and the Buyer and the appointment of the Investors' Representative shall be conclusively binding on each Investor in favour of the Parent and the Buyer.

 

32

 

 

25. NOTICES

 

25.1 Any notice, consent or other communication given under this Agreement shall be in writing and in English and signed by or on behalf of the Party giving it, and shall be delivered by hand or sent by prepaid recorded or special delivery post (or prepaid international recorded airmail if sent internationally) in accordance with the details set out below (and, for the avoidance of doubt, may not be given by email except (i) as expressly set out in this Agreement or (ii) by attaching a scan copy of a document signed by or on behalf of the Party and delivered by e-mail):

 

to the Parent or the Buyer:

 

For the attention of: Ben Taylor

 

at

Exscientia Limited, The Schrödinger Building, Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GE, United Kingdom

 

btaylor@exscientia.ai

 

with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to each of:

 

(a) Michal Berkner at mberkner@cooley.com; and

 

(b) the legal department at legal@exscientia.com.

 

to the Founders (or any of them) and the Founders' Representative:

 

For the attention of: Dr Nikolaus Krall

 

at

 

Probusgasse 15/3, 1190 Wien, Austria 

nikolaus.krall@allcyte.com

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

BRANDL TALOS Rechtsanwälte GmbH 

Mariahilfer Straße 116, 1070 Vienna, Austria 

Attn: Roman Rericha 

rericha@brandltalos.com; and

 

to the Investors (or any of them) and the Investors' Representative:

 

For the attention of: Nathan Benaich

 

at
40-44 Newman Street, London W1T 1QD, United Kingdom 

nathan@airstreet.com

 

33

 

 

25.2 The Parties may from time to time notify each other of any other person or address for the receipt of notices or copy notices. Any such change shall take effect five Business Days after notice of the change is received or (if later) on the date (if any) specified in the notice as the date on which the change is to take place.

 

25.3 Any notice, consent or other communication given in accordance with clause 25.1 and received after 5.30 p.m. on a Business Day, or on any day which is not a Business Day, shall for the purposes of this Agreement be regarded as received on the next Business Day.

 

26. THIRD PARTY RIGHTS

 

26.1 The Company and the directors, employees, officers and agents of the Company may rely upon and enforce the terms of clause 14.7.

 

26.2 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Sellers Representatives (on behalf of the Sellers) and the Parent may by agreement in writing (unless a specific form such as a notarial deed is required under applicable law, in which case any amendment or variation hereto needs to be made in such form) amend or vary any of the provisions of this Agreement without the consent of any third party.

 

26.3 Unless expressly stated otherwise in this Agreement, no third party may enforce any term of this Agreement.

 

26.4 Except as otherwise stated in this Agreement, a person who is not a party to this Agreement shall have no right to rely upon or enforce any term of this Agreement.

 

27. WAIVER

 

No delay, failure or omission (in whole or part) in enforcing, exercising or pursuing any right, power, privilege, claim or remedy conferred by or arising under this Agreement or by law shall be deemed to be, or be construed as, a waiver of that or any other right, power, privilege, claim or remedy, or operate so as to bar the enforcement, exercise or pursuance of that or any other right, power, privilege, claim or remedy, in any other instance at any other time.

 

28. SEVERANCE

 

If any provision of this Agreement is found by any court or administrative or regulatory body of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the other provisions of this Agreement which shall remain in full force and effect. In lieu of the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision, this Agreement shall be applied in a reasonable manner, which, so far as legally permissible, comes as close as possible to the application of what the Parties intended, according to the spirit and purpose of this Agreement. It is the express intent of the Parties that the validity, legality and enforceability of all other provisions of this Agreement shall be maintained.

 

34

 

 

29. CUMULATIVE RIGHTS

 

The rights and remedies provided by this Agreement are cumulative and (except as otherwise provided in this Agreement) are not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law.

 

30. LIABILITY

 

30.1 Notwithstanding the fact that the General Warranties and the Tax Warranties are only provided by the Key Persons, each Seller shall, subject to the provisions and limitations set out in this Agreement (including clause 14, Schedule 6 and Schedule 8), be severally and not jointly (einzelschuldnerisch) liable in proportion to their Liability Percentage for any Losses incurred by the Parent or the Buyer resulting from a Warranty Claim or Tax Warranty Claim, save for:

 

(a) a claim for a breach of the Title and Capacity Warranties against a Seller in respect of which such Seller shall be severally and not jointly (einzelschuldnerisch) liable in full; and

 

(b) any Tax Claim relating to income tax or employee (but not, for the avoidance of doubt, employer) social security contributions arising in connection with a Seller, in respect of which such Seller shall be severally liable in full.

 

30.2 The fact that the General Warranties and the Tax Warranties are only provided by the Key Persons shall neither increase the relevant Key Person's individual liability for any Losses (which shall not in no event exceed the relevant Liability Percentage) nor release any of the other Sellers from their liability in relation to their Liability Percentage in case of a breach of a General Warranty or Tax Warranty by Key Persons in accordance with the terms and limitations set forth in this Agreement, including clause 14, Schedule 6 and Schedule 8.

 

31. NO MERGER

 

The provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding Completion.

 

32. ENTIRE AGREEMENT AND FRAUD

 

32.1 This Agreement and the documents referred to in it together constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the Parties relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and those documents, and supersede any previous agreement between any of the Parties relating to the subject matter of this Agreement and those documents, which shall cease to have any further effect.

 

32.2 Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or exclude the liability of any party for the fraud of that party or any of its directors, employees, officers, agents or advisers.

 

35

 

 

33. APPLICABLE LAW AND JURISDICTION

 

33.1 The validity, construction and performance of this Agreement and any claim, dispute or matter (whether contractual or non-contractual) arising under or in connection with this Agreement or its enforceability shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Austria, without reference to or application of any conflict of law rules and excluding the UN sales law (UN-Kaufrecht).

 

33.2 Each Party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent court for commercial matters in the first district of Vienna, Austria, over any claim, dispute or matter arising under or in connection with this Agreement or its enforceability or the legal relationships established by this Agreement (including non-contractual disputes or claims) and waives any objection to proceedings being brought in such courts on the grounds of venue or on the grounds that proceedings have been brought in an inconvenient forum. Each party further irrevocably agrees that a judgment in any proceedings brought in the competent court for commercial matters in the first district of Vienna, Austria, shall be conclusive and binding upon each party and may be enforced in the courts of any other jurisdiction.

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

36

 

 

Schedule 1

 

Sellers' Shareholdings and Entitlements

 

(A)   (B1)     (B2)     (B3)     (C)     (D)     (E)     (F)     (G)  
Name and address
of Seller
  Outstanding
Shares
    Sale
Shares
    Merger
Shares
    Cash
Consideration
Percentage
(%)
    Number of
Consideration
Shares to be
issued as
consideration
for Sale
Shares
    Number of
Consideration
Shares to be
allotted as
consideration
for the Merger
    Liability
Cap (€)
    Liability
Percentage
(%)
 

Dr Giulio Superti-Furga

Lerchenfelder Straße 15/13, 1070 Vienna, Austria

    4,136       2,659.45       1,476.55       6.40 %     0       386     2,922,896       6.20 %

Dr Gregory Vladimer

Alser Straße 37/19, 1080 Vienna, Austria

    10,072       3,947.00       6,125.00       12.10 %     0       1,604     7,123,380       15.11 %

 

37

 

 

(A)   (B1)     (B2)     (B3)     (C)     (D)     (E)     (F)     (G)  
Name and address
of Seller
  Outstanding
Shares
    Sale
Shares
    Merger
Shares
    Cash
Consideration
Percentage
(%)
    Number of
Consideration
Shares to be
issued as
consideration
for Sale
Shares
    Number of
Consideration
Shares to be
allotted as
consideration
for the Merger
    Liability
Cap (€)
    Liability
Percentage
(%)
 

Dr Berend Snijder

Leonhardsstrasse 55, 4051 Basel, Switzerland

    8,750       5,626.25       3,123.75       15.86 %     0       818     6,189,939       13.13 %

Dr Nikolaus Krall

Waldweg 2, 3644 Emmersdorf an der Donau, Austria

    6,125       0       6,125       0 %     0       1,604     4,332,486       9.19 %

Dr Gustav Ammerer

Seidengasse 31/19, 1070 Vienna, Austria

    10,356       8,357.29       1,998.71       25.59 %     0       523     7,326,097       15.54 %

 

38

 

 

(A)   (B1)     (B2)     (B3)     (C)     (D)     (E)     (F)     (G)  
Name and address
of Seller
  Outstanding
Shares
    Sale
Shares
    Merger
Shares
    Cash
Consideration
Percentage
(%)
    Number of
Consideration
Shares to be
issued as
consideration
for Sale
Shares
    Number of
Consideration
Shares to be
allotted as
consideration
for the Merger
    Liability
Cap (€)
    Liability
Percentage
(%)
 

Dr Werner Lanthaler

Neudeggergasse 5/15, 1080 Vienna, Austria

    2,333       1,299.48       1,033.52       3.72 %     0       270     1,650,022       3.50 %

W.LAN Holding GmbH

Neudeggergasse 5/15, 1080 Vienna, Austria

    2,119       1,180.28       938.72       3.87 %     0       245     1,499,163       3.18 %

PUSH Ventures GmbH & Co KG

Dragaweg 1, 7111 Parndorf, Austria

    3,532       1,260.92       2,271.08       4.04 %     0       594     2,498,604       5.3 %

 

39

 

 

(A)   (B1)     (B2)     (B3)     (C)     (D)     (E)     (F)     (G)  
Name and address
of Seller
  Outstanding
Shares
    Sale
Shares
    Merger
Shares
    Cash
Consideration
Percentage
(%)
    Number of
Consideration
Shares to be
issued as
consideration
for Sale
Shares
    Number of
Consideration
Shares to be
allotted as
consideration
for the Merger
    Liability
Cap (€)
    Liability
Percentage
(%)
 

42CAP III GmbH & Co. KG

Seitzstraße 23, 80538 Munich, Germany

    9,182       9,182       0       10.48 %     1,546       0     6,496,371       13.78 %

Air Street Capital I LP

40-44 Newman Street, London, W1T 1QD, United Kingdom

    4,238       4,238       0       4.85 %     713       0     2,998,325       6.36 %

Valentin Piëch

Im Bleuler 4

8700 Küsnacht/ZH

Switzerland 

    2,119       2,119       0       3.87 %     245       0     1,499,163       3.18 %

 

40

 

 

(A)   (B1)     (B2)     (B3)     (C)     (D)     (E)     (F)     (G)  
Name and address
of Seller
  Outstanding
Shares
    Sale
Shares
    Merger
Shares
    Cash
Consideration
Percentage
(%)
    Number of
Consideration
Shares to be
issued as
consideration
for Sale
Shares
    Number of
Consideration
Shares to be
allotted as
consideration
for the Merger
    Liability
Cap (€)
    Liability
Percentage
(%)
 

Amino Collective I GmbH & Co. KG

Rosenthaler Straße 72a, 10119 Berlin, Germany

    1,059       1,059       0       1.21 %     178       0     749,581       1.59 %

Krall Privatstiftung

Schenkenstraße 4/6. Stock, 1010 Vienna, Austria

    2,625       2,625       0       8.01 %     0       0     1,857,453       3.94 %

 

41

 

 

Schedule 2

 

Details of the Company

 

Date and place of incorporation: 26 January 2017, Vienna

 

Registered number: FN 465200 v

 

Registered office: Vienna

 

Issued share capital: EUR 66,646.00

 

Directors: Dr Nikolaus Krall

 

Accounting reference date: 31 December

 

42

 

 

Schedule 3

 

covenants between signing and MERGER Completion

 

1. Depart from the ordinary course of its day-to-day business.

 

2. Allot, issue, redeem or purchase any shares or other securities of the Company or grant any option to subscribe for the same.

 

3. Purchase or otherwise acquire any shares or securities (or any option to acquire any shares or securities) in any other company, or purchase or otherwise acquire any ownership interest (or any option to acquire any ownership interest) in any other undertaking.

 

4. Grant, issue or redeem any mortgage, charge, debenture or other security outside the ordinary course of business.

 

5. Give any Assurance or enter into any security agreement or similar agreement in respect of any obligation of any person (other than in the ordinary course of business).

 

6. Pay any management charge, service charge, royalty or other similar fee (directly or indirectly) to any Seller or any Associate of any Seller, other than in accordance with any employment, services or consultancy agreements which have been Disclosed in the Data Room in the ordinary course of business in a manner substantially consistent with past practice.

 

7. Transfer or surrender any asset (or interest in any asset) to any Seller or any Associate of any Seller, other than in accordance with any employment, services or consultancy agreements which have been Disclosed in the Data Room in the ordinary course of business in a manner substantially consistent with past practice.

 

8. Assume any obligations, actual or contingent, including by the giving of an indemnity or guarantee, or incur any liability, in either case for the benefit of any Seller or any Associate of any Seller.

 

9. Waive any liability or obligation owed to the Company by any Seller or any Associate of any Seller.

 

10. Pay any costs or expenses relating to the sale of the Sale Shares or relating to any of the other transactions contemplated by any of the documents referred to in this Agreement as being in the agreed form and or pay any transaction or sale bonus or make any other payment as a result of the completion of the sale of the Sale Shares or any of the other transactions contemplated by any of the documents referred to in this Agreement as being in the agreed form.

 

11. Appoint, employ or engage any person as a director, employee or consultant at a basic salary or fee exceeding €100,000 per annum or terminate or give notice to terminate (in each case other than for breach) the appointment, employment or engagement of any such director, employee or consultant.

 

43

 

 

12. Save as set out in the Disclosure Letter, make or pay any discretionary bonus, commission or profit-related or other incentive payment to any directors, employees or consultants, or, except for promotions in the ordinary course of business, increase by more than 10 per cent the annual remuneration or pension entitlement of any director, employee or consultant or make any other material change in the terms and conditions of appointment, employment or engagement of any director, employee or consultant.

 

13. Make any change to any Tax accounting principles, methods or practices other than to comply with accounting principles that come into effect after the date of this Agreement or with a change in law; change an accounting period; waive or extend any statute of limitation in respect of any Tax or period within which an assessment or reassessment of Tax may be issued; settle or compromise any Tax proceedings, Tax claim or liability or enter into any arrangement with a Tax Authority in respect of Tax; surrender any right to claim a refund of Taxes; assume (or enter into an arrangement to assume) any Tax liabilities of any other person (whether by contract or otherwise); or file (or amend) any Tax return, or make, change, amend or rescind any Tax election or claim, in each case other than in the ordinary course of business of the Company.

 

14. Fail to pay any insurance premium when due for payment or fail to renew any of its insurance policies or reduce the amount or scope of cover of any such policies.

 

15. Enter into any agreement, or incur any commitment, which is not capable in accordance with its terms of being performed in full within 12 months of the date on which it is entered into or incurred, or which is not in the ordinary course of business, or which is not on arm's length terms, or which involves or may involve expenditure of more than €250,000 per annum, or capital expenditure in excess of €500,000 in aggregate.

 

16. Terminate, give notice to terminate or adversely vary the terms of, any material agreement or commitment to which it is a party at the date of this Agreement.

 

17. Enter into any agreement, commitment or transaction with any Seller or any Associate of any Seller.

 

18. Incur or assume any borrowings other than in the ordinary course of business.

 

19. Make any loan or advance to any person, including any loan to a director.

 

20. Commence or settle any claims (including insurance claims) or any legal (including arbitration or regulatory) proceedings.

 

21. Agree, conditionally or otherwise, to do any of the above activities.

 

44

 

 

Schedule 4

 

Completion Obligations

 

1. The Sellers shall deliver or make available to the Parent and the Buyer:

 

1.1 the Disclosure Letter duly executed by the Key Persons;

 

1.2 the Service Agreements duly executed by each of the Key Persons respectively;

 

1.3 (unless Completion occurs following an IPO) a Deed of Adherence duly executed by each Seller;

 

1.4 statements for each bank account of the Company at the close of business on the last Business Day preceding Completion; and

 

1.5 Clawback Powers of Attorney executed by each Key Person.

 

2. Subject to and immediately after the Sellers having complied with paragraph 1, the Parent shall procure that the Buyer delivers or makes available to the Sellers:

 

2.1 a copy of the minutes of a meeting of the directors of the Parent and the Buyer, in the form to be agreed in good faith between the Parent the Sellers as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement, resolving that the Parent and the Buyer should complete this Agreement, and execute or sign each other document to be executed or signed by or on behalf of it at Completion, and authorising the execution or signing of those documents by each person signing on behalf of the Parent and the Buyer; and

 

2.2 the Service Agreements duly executed by the Buyer; and

 

2.3 a copy of the shareholders’ agreement in respect of the Parent or, to the extent that Completion occurs after the completion of the Parent Reorganisation and prior to the IPO, of the New Parent Holdco; and

 

2.4 the Disclosure Letter duly acknowledged by the Parent; and

 

2.5 a copy of any shareholder or other corporate or investor authorities required by the Parent (or the New Parent Holdco, as applicable) to comply with its obligations under this Agreement including, without limitation, the issue of Consideration Shares; and

 

2.6 a side letter in the agreed form relating to the equity incentives to be granted by the Parent, or as the case may be, Parent New Holdco to the Key Persons.

 

45

 

 

Schedule 5

 

Warranties

 

Part 1 – Title and Capacity

 

1. SALE SHARES AND OTHER SECURITIES

 

1.1 The Company is a company with limited liability (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) duly organized and existing under Austrian law.

 

1.2 The issued share capital set out in Schedule 2 constitutes the entire issued share capital of the Company and is fully paid up.

 

1.3 No third person (other than a Seller) has a right or has claimed to have a right (whether exercisable now or at a future date and whether contingent or not) to subscribe for, convert any security into or otherwise acquire, any Outstanding Shares, debentures or other securities of the Company, including pursuant to an option or warrant.

 

1.4 No contributions are payable by or have been called from shareholders in the Company.

 

1.5 No contributions have been repaid or otherwise refunded to a Seller and no other transaction has been carried out which qualifies as a forbidden repayment of contributions under Art 82 GmbHG (Austrian Law on Limited Liability Companies).

 

2. TITLE

 

2.1 Each Seller is the legal and beneficial owner of its relevant Outstanding Share (including its Relevant Sale Share), which is fully paid, free from Encumbrances (other than under the shareholders' agreement entered into between the Sellers and the Company in relation to the Company dated 30 October 2020; the "Existing ShA"), and is, subject to the Company's articles of association and the terms of the Existing ShA, entitled to enjoy and exercise the rights of shareholders in relation to the Company.

 

2.2 No Seller has been a party to any other transaction pursuant to, or as a result of, which its respective Outstanding Share (or any part thereof) is, or may become, liable to be transferred or re-transferred to another person.

 

3. CAPACITY

 

3.1 Each Seller has all necessary power and authority to enter into and the capacity to act and perform its obligations under this Agreement and all agreements and documents to be executed or signed by such Seller or on its behalf pursuant to this Agreement.

 

3.2 This Agreement, and all agreements and documents to be executed or signed by or on behalf of each Seller pursuant to this Agreement, constitute, or will when executed or signed constitute, binding and enforceable obligations on such Seller in accordance with their respective terms.

 

46

 

 

3.3 The execution and performance by each Seller of this Agreement and each of the other documents to be executed or signed by or on behalf of such Seller pursuant to this Agreement, and compliance with their respective terms shall not breach or constitute a default:

 

(a) under any agreement or instrument to which any Seller is a party or by which any Seller is bound; or

 

(b) of any order, judgment, decree or other restriction applicable to any Seller; and

 

(c) will not require the consent of any third party (save for the Austrian Regulatory Condition).

 

3.4 None of the Sellers:

 

(a) has had a bankruptcy petition presented against them or been declared bankrupt;

 

(b) is unable to pay its debts;

 

(c) has entered into, or has proposed to enter into, any composition or arrangement with, or for, their creditors (including an individual voluntary arrangement); or

 

(d) has been subject of any other event analogous to the foregoing in any jurisdiction.

 

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Part 2– Intellectual Property

 

1. DEFINITIONS

 

1.1. Company Intellectual Property Registrations” means all Intellectual Property that is owned by, purported to be owned by, filed by, or under obligation of ownership or assignment to, Company, and is the subject of a registration (or current outstanding application for registration) by the Company with any governmental authority or domain name registry.

 

1.2. Company Intellectual Property” means: (a) all Owned Intellectual Property; and (b) all Intellectual Property owned by a third party and used or held for use by the Company.

 

1.3. Company Websites” means any and all websites and webpages owned, controlled or operated by, or operated for the benefit of, the Company.

 

1.4. Confidential Information” means any and all trade secrets, confidential information (including business, financial and technical information), know-how and proprietary information and materials, in any format or medium, (i) relating to the Company or the Business and/or (ii) received by the Company from any other person (including any existing, previous and/or potential suppliers and/or customers) under an obligation or duty of confidentiality.

 

1.5. Contract” means any contract, agreement, instrument, commitment, understanding, arrangement, permit, or undertaking of any nature, whether oral or written (including any concession, franchise, license, lease, mortgage, indenture or other business arrangement).

 

1.6. Inbound IP Contracts” means all licences, agreements, authorisations and permissions (in whatever form and whether express or implied) under which Company uses or exploits any Intellectual Property owned by any third party (including the Standard Inbound IP Contracts).

 

1.7. Intellectual Property” means any and all intellectual property rights (whether or not any of these rights are registered, and including applications, renewals and extensions and the right to apply for registration of any such rights), including Patents, Trade Marks, domain names, database rights and rights in data, designs and rights in designs, copyrights, all Software, all inventions (whether patentable or not and whether or not reduced to practice), invention disclosures, all so-called “moral rights” in or to any of the foregoing, and all rights and forms of protection of a similar nature or having equivalent or similar effect. Without limiting the foregoing, this includes claims and causes of action arising out of or related to infringement, misuse, misappropriation or violation of any of the foregoing.

 

1.8. IT Assets” has the meaning given in paragraph 14.1.

 

1.9. Open Source Materials” means any Software code or component that contains or is derived (in whole or in part) from any Software that is distributed as free software, shareware, open source software or distributed under a similar licensing or distribution model, including any Software that is licensed under any licence described by the Open Source Initiative as set forth at https://opensource.org/licenses.

 

1.10. Order” means any order, injunction, judgment, decree, ruling, writ, assessment or other similar requirement enacted, adopted, promulgated or applied by any governmental authority.

 

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1.11. Outbound IP Contracts” has the meaning given in paragraph 2.15.

 

1.12. Patents” means any patents, utility models and applications relating thereto (and any patents or utility models that issue as a result of such applications) all related reissues, re-examinations, divisions, renewals, extensions, provisionals, continuations and continuations-in-part related to such patents, utility models and applications.

 

1.13. Proprietary Software” means any Software forming part of the Owned Intellectual Property.

 

1.14. Security Breach” means any security breach, compromise or other event or circumstance, which leads, or is likely to lead, to the unintended, accidental, unauthorised or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, disclosure of, or access to the IT Assets or any portion of any of the foregoing, including (in each case) any and all data (including Personal Data), content, media, information or Software stored therein or controlled or accessed thereby.

 

1.15. Social Media” means any websites, Software applications, services and databases that use the Internet to enable users to create, share or exchange content or information, to participate in social or business networking or to store customer contact information or data;

 

1.16. Social Media Accounts” means any accounts, pages, handles, feeds and tags in relation to Social Media which have been or are created, used or registered by or on behalf of or in relation to Company;

 

1.17. Software” means computer programs and systems, whether embodied in software, firmware or otherwise, (whether in, e.g., source code, object code, executable code or human readable form).

 

1.18. Standard Inbound IP Contracts” means (a) written non-disclosure agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business, and in a fashion that is consistent with industry practice, under which Company receives Confidential Information; (b) “shrink wrap”, “click wrap”, and similar non-exclusive licence agreements for: (i) off-the-shelf or commercially available unmodified Software; or (ii) non-bespoke, commercially available, ‘software as a-service’ or cloud services, in each case (i) and (ii) that is not redistributed with, bundled with or integrated into any Company Products; and (c) any open source software licences that are permissive licences, non-copyleft licences (as defined by the Open Source Initiative at https://opensource.org/faq).

 

1.19. Standard Form Customer Contracts” means Company’s standard form contract(s) for the supply by Company of Company Products to its customers in the form set out in the Data Room.

 

1.20. Standard Outbound IP Contracts” means (a) non-disclosure agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business, under which Company discloses Confidential Information; and (b) the Standard Form Customer Contracts.

 

1.21. Trade Marks” means all trade marks, service marks, trade dress, business and trading names, styles, logos and get-ups, (whether or not any of these rights are registered, and including applications and the right to apply for registration of any such rights) in any part of the world.

 

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2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND SOFTWARE

 

Ownership and sufficiency

 

2.1. Except for Intellectual Property licensed to Company pursuant to an Inbound IP Contract, Company exclusively owns all right, title and interest in and to all Intellectual Property used or held for use in or necessary to conduct the Business free and clear of all Encumbrances (the “Owned Intellectual Property”).

 

Intellectual Property particulars

 

2.2. The Data Room contains complete and accurate particulars of all:

 

(a) Company Intellectual Property Registrations;

 

(b) all Owned Intellectual Property as of the date of this Agreement that is not the subject of a Company Intellectual Property Registration and is material to the conduct of the Business; and

 

(c) all Intellectual Property that is, at the date of this Agreement, licensed to Company pursuant to an Inbound IP Contract that is not a Standard Inbound IP Contract.

 

Validity

 

2.3. Each of the Company Intellectual Property Registrations is valid, enforceable and subsisting.

 

2.4. There has been no conduct by the Company and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, there are no information or facts that, would, render any of the Company Intellectual Property Registrations (or the subject matter thereof) invalid or unenforceable.

 

2.5. As at the date of this Agreement, the Company has taken all necessary actions, and there are no further actions that must be taken within thirty (3) days after the date of this Agreement, for the purposes of obtaining, maintaining, perfecting, preserving or renewing any Company Intellectual Property Registrations, including the payment of any registration, maintenance or renewal fees or the filing of any documents.

 

Exploitability

 

2.6. All Owned Intellectual Property is transferable, alienable, licensable and otherwise exploitable by Company without payment or other obligation of any kind to any Person other than as prescribed by applicable law.

 

2.7. No Owned Intellectual Property is, at the date of this Agreement, the subject of any proceedings with any competent court or authority, Order, Encumbrance or Contract which materially restricts Company’s exploitation, transfer or licensing thereof, or which is otherwise inconsistent with the operation of the Business.

 

2.8. So far as the Key Persons are aware, no Company Intellectual Property (which is not Owned Intellectual Property) is, at the date of this Agreement, the subject of any Order or Encumbrance which materially restricts Company’s exploitation, transfer or licensing thereof, or which is otherwise inconsistent with the operation of the Business.

 

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Company Intellectual Property and Company Products

 

2.9. Immediately after Completion, Company will have valid title to all Owned Intellectual Property, and will have the right to use, license, transfer and otherwise exploit all other Company Intellectual Property in the same manner as, and on the same terms and conditions that Company had, immediately prior to Completion.

 

2.10. The Disclosure Letter sets forth a complete and accurate list of all products that are, at the date of this Agreement, under commercial release, or planned for commercial release in the next twelve (12) months following the date of this Agreement, by Company (the “Company Products”).

 

Perfection of Ownership Rights

 

2.11. Company has required each of its current and former employees, contractors, consultants and each other Person, who has contributed to the conception, creation, development or reduction to practice of any Intellectual Property on behalf of Company to enter into a valid and enforceable agreement that includes:

 

(a) confidentiality obligations in favour of Company;

 

(b) an effective and valid assignment to Company of all right, title and interest in and to all Intellectual Property conceived, created, developed or reduced to practice by such Person in the scope of such Person’s employment by or engagement with Company;

 

(c) a waiver, or an obligation that such Person procure a waiver, of any and all moral rights (to the fullest extent possible under applicable law) any Person may possess in such Intellectual Property,

 

(such agreements, collectively, the “IP Assignment Agreements”).

 

2.12. True, correct and complete copies of all IP Assignment Agreements have been included in the Data Room.

 

2.13. Company has not entered into any agreement or other arrangement which would have the effect of invalidating all or any part of any IP Assignment Agreement.

 

2.14. So far as the Key Persons are aware, no counterparty to any IP Assignment Agreement is in breach of any provision thereof related to Intellectual Property or confidentiality.

 

Outbound IP Contracts

 

2.15. The Data Room contains complete copies of all Contracts under which Company has, as of the date of this Agreement, licensed or otherwise granted rights (including any covenant not to sue or similar) in, to, or in respect of, any Company Intellectual Property to any Person (“Outbound IP Contracts”) (provided that Standard Outbound IP Contracts shall be excluded from such Disclosure requirement).

 

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2.16. Company has not:

 

(a) as of the date of this Agreement, transferred ownership of, or granted or agreed to grant any licence of or right to use or otherwise made available (except on a non-exclusive basis in the ordinary course of business or pursuant to an Outbound IP Contract), granted any covenant not to sue (or similar), or authorised the retention of any rights to use or joint ownership of, any Intellectual Property that is or was Company Intellectual Property, to any third party; or

 

(b) permitted its rights in or to any Company Intellectual Property Registrations to lapse.

 

Intellectual Property Contracts Generally

 

2.17. All Inbound IP Contracts and all Outbound IP Contracts:

 

(a) are valid and binding;

 

(b) have not been the subject of any material breach or material default by Company, nor, so far as the Key Persons are aware, the relevant counterparties thereto; and

 

(c) are not the subject of any dispute or proceedings pending against the Company with any competent court or authority.

 

Confidentiality

 

2.18. The Company has taken reasonable steps to protect and maintain the confidentiality of, and the rights of Company in, Company’s Confidential Information, in accordance with good industry practice.

 

2.19. Company has taken reasonable steps to protect and maintain the confidentiality of any Confidential Information disclosed to it by any other Person in accordance with any applicable obligation or duty of confidentiality subject to which such Confidential Information was disclosed.

 

No Violation of Company’s Rights

 

2.20. As of the date of this Agreement, Company has not commenced or threatened any proceedings, or asserted any allegation or claim, against any Person for infringement, misappropriation, misuse, or violation of any Company Intellectual Property.

 

2.21. So far as the Key Persons are aware, no Person has infringed, misappropriated, misused or violated, or is infringing, misappropriating, misusing, or violating, any Company Intellectual Property as of the date of this Agreement.

 

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No Violation of Third Party Rights

 

2.22. So far as the Key Persons are aware, neither the conduct of the Business nor Company’s creation, use, license, transfer or exploitation of any Company Intellectual Property infringes, misappropriates, misuses or violates, or has infringed, misappropriated, misused or violated, any Person’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property.

 

2.23. As of the date of this Agreement there are no pending and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, threatened disputes or proceedings between Company and any other Person relating to any Company Intellectual Property.

 

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Part 3 – General

 

1. CONSTITUTIONAL AND CORPORATE DOCUMENTS

 

1.1 A copy of the articles of association of the Company as of the date of this Agreement has been Disclosed, and such copy document is true, accurate and complete.

 

1.2 All returns, particulars, resolutions and other documents that the Company is required by law to file with, or deliver to, any authority have been duly filed or delivered.

 

1.3 All accounting, financial and other records of the Company (including its statutory books and registers):

 

(a) have been properly prepared and maintained in accordance with applicable legal requirements;

 

(b) constitute an accurate record of all matters required by law to appear in them, and comply with any applicable requirements of applicable laws and the Company’s articles of association;

 

(c) do not contain any material inaccuracies or discrepancies; and

 

(d) are, to the extent legally required, in the possession of the Company.

 

2. COMPLIANCE AND CONSENTS

 

2.1 The Company has at all times conducted its business in accordance with, and has acted in compliance with, all applicable laws in all material respects.

 

2.2 The Company holds all licences, consents, permits and authorities necessary to carry on the Business in the places and in the manner in which it is carried on at the date of this Agreement (“Consents”).

 

2.3 Each of the Consents is valid and subsisting, the Company is not in breach of the terms or conditions of the Consents (or any of them) and so far as the Key Persons are aware there is no reason why any of the Consents may be revoked or suspended (in whole or in part) or may not be renewed on the same terms.

 

3. INSURANCE

 

3.1 The policies of insurance maintained by or on behalf of the Company (“Policies”) (a list of which is Disclosed in the Disclosure Letter) are in full force and effect, all premiums due on them have been paid and all other conditions of the Policies have been performed and observed in all material respects. So far as the Key Persons are aware, the Company has not done, or omitted to do, anything that may result in an increase in the premium payable for any of the Policies, or affect the renewal of any of the Policies.

 

3.2 There are no outstanding claims under, or in respect of the validity of, any of the Policies and there are no circumstances known to the Key Persons as being likely to give rise to a claim under any of the Policies.

 

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4. DISPUTES AND INVESTIGATIONS

 

4.1 Neither the Company, nor, so far as the Key Persons are aware, its director (in relation to its capacity as director of the Company), or any person for whose acts the Company may be vicariously liable, is, at the date of this Agreement, engaged or involved in any of the following matters (such matters being referred to in this paragraph 4 as “Relevant Proceedings”):

 

(a) any litigation, or any administrative, arbitration or other proceedings, claims, actions or hearings (except for debt collection in the normal course of business); or

 

(b) any dispute with, or, to the best knowledge of the Key Persons, any investigation or inquiry, or any enforcement proceedings by, any governmental, regulatory or similar body.

 

4.2 At the date of this Agreement, no Relevant Proceedings have been threatened in writing or, so far as the Key Persons are aware, are pending by or against the Company or its director (in relation to its capacity as director of the Company), and there are no circumstances known to the Key Persons as being reasonably likely to give rise to any such Relevant Proceedings.

 

4.3 The Company is not adversely affected by any subsisting or, so far as the Key Persons are aware, pending judgment, order, or other decision or ruling against the Company of any court, tribunal or arbitrator, or any governmental, regulatory or similar body, nor has it given any undertaking in connection with any Relevant Proceedings which remains in force.

 

5. CONTRACTS AND TRADING

 

5.1 All material contracts between the Company and its suppliers existing at the date of this Agreement have been provided to the Buyer in the Data Room.

 

5.2 The Company is not a party to any contract, agreement, arrangement, understanding or commitment which is of an unusual or exceptional nature, outside the ordinary course of the Business, or not on arm’s length terms and which has not been Disclosed in the Data Room.

 

5.3 Neither the Company nor (so far as the Key Persons are aware) any counterparty is in any material default of any material agreement to which the Company is a party, and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, (i) no such material default has been threatened in writing and (ii) there are no facts or circumstances of which the Key Persons are aware which are likely to give rise to any such default. At the date of this Agreement, no notice of termination of any such material agreement has been received or served by the Company in writing, and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, there are no grounds for the termination for cause or a unilateral material adverse change in the terms of any such material agreement.

 

5.4 Other than reimbursement of expenses, wages for the current salary period and holiday pay for the current holiday year, there is no outstanding indebtedness or other liability (actual or contingent) and no outstanding contract, commitment or arrangement between the Company and any of the following:

 

(a) the Sellers (or any person connected with the Sellers); or

 

(b) a director of the Sellers (or any person connected with any such director).

 

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6. EFFECT OF SALE OF THE SHARES

 

The acquisition of the Sale Shares by the Buyer pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Merger pursuant to the Merger Instrument will not:

 

(a) so far as the Key Persons are aware, cause the Company to lose the benefit of any right, asset or privilege it presently owns or benefits from;

 

(b) relieve any person of any contractual obligation to the Company, or enable any third person to exercise any other right in respect of the Company;

 

(c) result in the loss of, or any default under, any Consents (as defined in paragraph 2.2); or

 

(d) other than as set out in the Disclosure Letter, entitle any person to any payment under a Phantom Right.

 

7. FINANCE AND GUARANTEES

 

7.1 The Disclosure Letter contains full particulars of all money borrowed by the Company and all financial facilities currently outstanding or available to the Company (in each case, at the date of this Agreement), including copies of all material related documentation.

 

7.2 No Encumbrance over any of the Company’s assets is now enforceable, and, as far as the Key Persons are aware, there are no circumstances likely to give rise to any such enforcement.

 

7.3 The Company has not factored or discounted any of its debts, or engaged in financing of a type that would not need to be shown or reflected in the Accounts.

 

7.4 No Encumbrance, guarantee or indemnity has been entered into, given or agreed to be given by:

 

(a) any third party in respect of any indebtedness or other obligations of the Company; or

 

(b) the Company in respect of any indebtedness or other obligations of any third party.

 

7.5 The Company has no outstanding loan capital, nor has it lent any money that has not been repaid, and there are no debts owing to the Company other than debts that have arisen in the normal course of the Company's business.

 

8. ACCOUNTS

 

8.1 The definitions in this paragraph apply in this Agreement:

 

Previous Accounts” means the accounts equivalent to the Accounts in respect of the accounting period ending on the Previous Account Date; and

 

Previous Accounts Date” means 31 December 2019.

 

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8.2 The Accounts and the Previous Accounts:

 

(a) present a true and fair view of the assets and liabilities (Vermögenslage), financial position (Finanzlage), and results of operations (Ertragslage) of the Company (vermitteln ein möglichst getreues Bild der Vermögens-, Finanz- und Ertragslage) as of and with respect to the fiscal year ended on the Accounts Date or the Previous Accounts Date (as applicable);

 

(b) have been properly prepared in accordance with the Austrian GAAP, using appropriate accounting policies and estimation techniques as required by the Austrian GAAP;

 

(c) comply with the requirements of the Company’s articles of association and all other applicable laws ; and

 

(d) save as the Accounts expressly disclose, have been prepared using accounting policies and estimation techniques consistent with those adopted and applied in preparing the Previous Accounts.

 

8.3 As far as the Key Persons are aware, the Company does not have any liabilities or obligations, whether absolute, accrued, contingent or otherwise except (i) as disclosed in the respective financial statements, or (ii) incurred since the date of the last respective financial statement in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice.

 

8.4 A complete and accurate copy of the Accounts are contained in the Data Room.

 

9. CHANGES SINCE THE ACCOUNTS DATE

 

From the Accounts Date until the date of this Agreement:

 

(a) the Company has conducted the Business in the normal course and as a going concern;

 

(b) there has been no material adverse change in the turnover or financial position of the Company;

 

(c) no dividend or other distribution of profits or assets has been, or agreed to be declared, made or paid by the Company to or in favor of any Seller;

 

(d) the Company has not borrowed or raised any money or taken or given any form of financial security, nor has it incurred or committed to any capital expenditure, or acquired or disposed of any individual item, in either case in excess of €50,000; and

 

(e) the Company has paid its creditors within the applicable periods agreed with the relevant creditor and, as at the date of this Agreement, there are no amounts owing by the Company which have been outstanding for more than 60 days.

 

10. DISTRIBUTIONS

 

All dividends and distributions declared, made or paid by the Company at any time were declared, made or paid in accordance with applicable laws and the then articles of association of the Company.

 

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11. CASH AND ASSETS

 

11.1 The assets owned by the Company included in the Accounts, together with any assets acquired by the Company since the Accounts Date (except for those disposed of since the Accounts Date in the normal course of business) and all other assets owned by the Company in connection with the Business are:

 

(a) legally and beneficially owned by the Company, free from Encumbrance or any other third party right, and the Company has good and marketable title to such assets (except for those that are subject to customary retention of title rights (Eigentumsvorbehalte)); and

 

(b) in the possession and control of the Company.

 

11.2 The assets and rights owned by or licensed to the Company, together with any assets held under a finance lease, hire purchase agreement, rental agreement or credit sale agreement, comprise all of the material assets and rights necessary to continue the Business as carried on at the date of this Agreement.

 

11.3 All office and other equipment owned or used by the Company are in good repair and condition (subject to fair wear and tear) and have, in all material respects, been maintained in accordance with the provisions of any applicable finance leases and hire purchase, rental, credit sale and other similar agreements.

 

The Company has not been a party to any transaction pursuant to, or as a result of, which any asset or right owned or purportedly owned by a Company is, or may become, liable to be transferred or re-transferred to another person.

 

12. EMPLOYMENT

 

12.1 The definitions in this paragraph apply in this Schedule 5.

 

Employee” means any person employed by the Company under a contract of employment at the date of this Agreement.

 

Worker” means any person who is not an Employee and who personally performs work for the Company but who is not in business on their own account or in a client/customer relationship.

 

12.2 The Data Room includes anonymised particulars of each Employee and Worker (including notice period, location where the Employee or Worker performs services, commencement date of each contract, title, and remuneration (including any material benefits provided), details of whether they are on a period of leave for any reason, and any other material terms of their respective contracts with the Company).

 

12.3 The Data Room includes a copy of the Company’s template employment contract (“Template Terms”) and copies of all written contracts of employment or engagement between the Company and:

 

(a) its directors; and

 

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(b) any Employee not engaged on terms which are substantially consistent with the Template Terms.

 

12.4 At the date of this Agreement, no offer of employment or engagement has been made by the Company which is outstanding for acceptance, or which has been accepted but not yet commenced.

 

12.5 At the date of this Agreement, no written notice from the Company to terminate the contract of employment of any Employee or Worker is pending, outstanding or threatened, and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, there are no circumstances likely to give rise to such notice.

 

12.6 The Company is not a party to, bound by or proposing to introduce in respect of any of its current or former directors, Employees or Workers, any redundancy payment scheme (in addition to statutory redundancy pay), or any incentive arrangement or scheme (including, without limitation, any share option or share award plan, commission, profit sharing or bonus scheme).

 

12.7 The Company has not incurred any actual or contingent liability in connection with the termination of employment of any Employee (other than in respect of any salary or payments for unused leave owed), or for failing to comply with any order for the reinstatement or re-engagement of any Employee.

 

12.8 The Company has not made or provided, or agreed to make or provide, any payment or benefit (other than in respect of any salary or payments for unused leave owed) to any of its present or former directors, Employees or Workers (or their dependants) in connection with the actual or proposed termination or suspension of employment or variation of an employment contract.

 

12.9 There are no sums owing to or from any current or former Employee or Worker other than reimbursement of expenses, wages for the current salary period and holiday pay for the current holiday year.

 

12.10 As of the date of this Agreement, the Company has not offered, promised or agreed to any future variations in the contract of any Employee or Worker.

 

12.11 The Data Room includes copies of all contracts, handbooks, policies and other similar documents which apply to the Employees and Workers.

 

12.12 The Company (i) has not entered into any agreement or arrangement with any trade union, employee representative or body of employees or their representatives (whether binding or not) and nor are there any works councils or staff associations or other employee representatives in place; and (ii) is not involved in any industrial or trade dispute, or negotiation regarding a claim, with any trade union, group or organisation of Employees or Workers or their representatives and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, there are no circumstances likely to give rise to such a dispute or claim.

 

12.13 The Company has performed all obligations and duties it is required to perform in respect of each Employee and Worker in all material respects, whether arising under contract, statute, or under any treaties or laws of the European Union.

 

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12.14 All material details of any court or tribunal case, claim, dispute or action brought by any present or former director, Employee or Worker within the previous 2 years and all material details of any court or tribunal case, claim or action which the Key Persons have reasonable grounds to believe that any such person may bring against the Company have been Disclosed and so far as the Key Persons are aware, there are no circumstances likely to give rise to such a dispute.

 

12.15 No Employee or Worker is subject to a current disciplinary warning or procedure, or has raised a formal grievance which is currently outstanding.

 

12.16 During the year ending on the date of this Agreement, the Company has not:

 

(a) given, or been required to give, notice of any redundancies to the competent Austrian administration; or

 

(b) undertaken to provide information to, or consult with, (or been required to provide information to, or consult with,) any trade union or employee representatives in relation to potential redundancies or otherwise.

 

12.17 Every Employee and Worker has current and appropriate permission to work in the jurisdiction in which they are working.

 

12.18 No Employee, Worker, or director of the Company is entitled to terminate his employment or engagement with the Company or to receive any payment or other benefit as a direct result of the sale of the Sale Shares to the Buyer pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or the performance by the Parties of their obligations under this Agreement.

 

12.19 So far as the Key Persons are aware, (i) all contractual relationships between the Company and its consultants and advisors have been or will be recognized as independent contractor relationships, and (ii) these contractors have no claims against the Company resulting from the application of any applicable employment and social security laws.

 

12.20 Any bonus and/or stock option awards granted or issued to the consultants and advisors of the Company are or were entirely voluntary and discretionary and the consultants and advisors of the Company have no legal claim against the Company to receive such bonus or stock option awards in the future.

 

13. RETIREMENT BENEFITS

 

13.1 The Company has no obligations to provide or contribute towards pension, death, ill-health, disability or accident benefits in respect of its past or present director and Employees other than as prescribed by applicable laws or collective bargaining agreements. No proposal or announcement has been made to any director, Employee or Worker of the Company as to the introduction, continuance, increase or improvement of, or the payment of a contribution towards, any pension, death, ill-health, disability or accident benefit other than as prescribed by applicable laws or collective bargaining agreements.

 

13.2 All documents (including, without limitation, all constituting documents) relating to any pension funds, pension plans, benefit plans or similar health or welfare commitments for the benefit of any employee of the Company are disclosed in the Data Room.

 

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13.3 The Company has complied in all respects with all applicable laws relating to social security, pension and worker compensation.

 

13.4 The Company has not discriminated against, or in relation to, any Employee on grounds of age, sex, disability, marital status, hours of work, fixed-term or temporary agency worker status, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief in providing pension, lump-sum, death, ill-health, disability or accident benefits.

 

14. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

 

IT Assets.

 

14.1 All Software, computer hardware and peripherals, telecommunications and network equipment owned, used or held for use, leased or licensed in by or to Company, which are material to the Business (collectively, the “IT Assets”) are in sufficient working order to serve their purpose and have been, and are being, properly and regularly maintained, and function otherwise as required by Company in connection with the Business.

 

14.2 The IT Assets are sufficient to fulfil the needs of the Business as at the Agreement Date.

 

14.3 Each element of the IT Assets which is:

 

(a) owned by Company, is owned free from any Encumbrance; and

 

(b) not owned by Company, is used pursuant to a written agreement and/or licence between Company and a third party and a list (which is complete and accurate in all material respects) of which (current as of the date of this Agreement) is set forth in the Data Room (provided that any Standard Inbound IP Contracts shall be excluded from such disclosure requirement).

 

14.4 In the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date of this Agreement, Company has not suffered (i) any material, repeated, persistent or prolonged failures or breakdowns of any of the IT Assets which have resulted in material, repeated, persistent or prolonged disruption to the Business; or (ii) a Security Breach.

 

14.5 All IT Assets have the benefit of appropriate support and maintenance agreements which are contained in the Data Room, or which form part of the Standard Inbound IP Contracts, none of which have a term that is due to expire on or before the date falling one (1) year following Completion.

 

14.6 Company has in place, and has at all relevant times materially complied with, documented policies and procedures (which accord with standards required by good industry practice) to ensure the security of the IT Assets and the confidentiality, integrity and security of all data held on or processed by the IT Assets (including the use of appropriate virus-checking software, password protection procedures and the taking and storing of back-up copies of such data).

 

14.7 Company has in place, and has at all relevant times materially complied with, documented business continuity and other policies and plans (which accord with standards required by good industry practice) to enable the Business to continue without material adverse change in the event of a failure of any of the IT Assets.

 

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14.8 Source Code

 

(a) Company possesses source code versions of all releases or separate versions of the Proprietary Software, together with any Software that is not Proprietary Software that is incorporated or embedded in any Proprietary Software.

 

(b) Company has not disclosed or delivered to any escrow agent or any other Person any of the source code for any Proprietary Software, nor any Software that is not Proprietary Software that is incorporated or embedded in any Proprietary Software (other than the delivery of the Company Product to users in the ordinary course of business).

 

(c) Company has not, nor has, so far as the Key Persons are aware, any Person on its behalf, actually or ostensibly granted to any Person any right, contingent or otherwise, to obtain access to or use any such source code, except to Employees, Workers, freelancers or consultants of the Company or otherwise in the ordinary course of the Company's business.

 

14.9 Open Source. A complete and accurate list of all Open Source Materials used by the Company in or in connection with any Proprietary Software or Company Products as of the date of this Agreement is contained in the Data Room.

 

14.10 No Copyleft. Company has not, nor has, so far as the Key Persons are aware, any Person on its behalf, used any Open Source Materials that are subject to a “copyleft licence” (as that term is generally understood in the context of Open Source Materials, and as further defined by the Open Source Initiative at https://opensource.org/faq) in a manner that does or might impose a requirement or condition that any Proprietary Software or Company Product, or any portion thereof be:

 

(i) disclosed, distributed or made available in source code form;

 

(ii) licensed for the purpose of making modifications or derivative works; or

 

(iii) redistributable at no charge;

 

which requirement or condition materially restricts the operation of the Business.

 

Websites and Social Media

 

14.11 So far as the Key Persons are aware, no domain names have been registered by any Person other than Company that are confusingly similar to any Trade Marks or domain names used, created or owned by Company.

 

14.12 The contents and operation of the Company Websites comply with all applicable laws in all material respects.

 

14.13 Without limiting the generality of paragraph 14.12, the Company (and not any current or former Company employee, contractor, consultant or any other Person) is the sole registrant and user of all domain names used or held for use in or necessary to conduct the Business (including the domain names for the Company Websites).

 

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14.14 The Disclosure Letter sets out a true, correct and complete list of all Social Media Accounts that Company operates at the date of this Agreement, including in connection with marketing or promoting any Company Products and/or services.

 

14.15 The operation of the Social Media Accounts complies with and has complied with all applicable Laws and all terms and conditions, terms of use, terms of service and other Contracts applicable to such Social Media Accounts.

 

15. DATA PROTECTION

 

15.1 Definitions

 

(a) Company Processor” means any Person who Processes Personal Data on behalf of Company;

 

(b) Controller” has the meaning given to that term in Article 4(7) of the GDPR;

 

(c) Data Protection Authority” means any applicable governmental authority that supervises compliance with Privacy Laws (including, without limitation, the Austrian Data Protection Authority (Datenschutzbehörde);

 

(d) Data Subject” has the meaning given to that term in Article 4(1) of the GDPR;

 

(e) GDPR” means, to the extent applicable to the Company, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016, together with any applicable implementing legislation in any member state of the EU. References to “Articles” and “Chapters” of, and other relevant defined terms in, the GDPR shall be construed accordingly (if and as applicable);

 

(f) Personal Data” has the meaning given in Article 4(1) of the GDPR;

 

(g) Personal Data Breach” has the meaning given in Article 4(12) of the GDPR;

 

(h) Privacy Laws” means, to the extent applicable to the Company, (a) the GDPR; (b) Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (and the laws of nations implementing that Directive); (c) Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (and the laws of nations implementing that Directive); and (d) any other applicable laws concerning the privacy, Processing, security or protection of Personal Data and/or personally identifiable information, including, without limitation, the Austrian Data Protection Act (Datenschutzgesetz);

 

(i) Privacy Policies” means each of Company’s privacy policies as of the date of this Agreement; and

 

(j) Processing” has the meaning given to that term in Article 4(2) of the GDPR, and “Process” and its derivatives shall be construed accordingly.

 

15.2 Privacy Policies. Copies of all Privacy Policies are contained in the Data Room. No Privacy Policies contain or contained (as applicable) any material omissions concerning Company’s then-current privacy practices and Processing activities (having regard always to the standards and disclosures required by applicable Privacy Laws with respect to transparency with Data Subjects concerning such practices).

 

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15.3 Compliance. Company, and the conduct of the Business, complies, and has at all times complied in all material respects, with all applicable Privacy Laws. With respect to its Processing of Personal Data, and/or any Processing carried out on its behalf or otherwise under its express or implicit authorisation, Company complies, and has complied in all material respects at all applicable times, with:

 

(a) all relevant, then-current Privacy Policies; and

 

(b) all contractual commitments that it has entered into relating to the Processing of Personal Data.

 

15.4 Disclosures of Personal Data. The Company has not provided or otherwise made available any Personal Data to any third party other than:

 

(a) a Person:

 

(i) who acts as a Company Processor in respect of their Processing of Personal Data so disclosed to them; and

 

(ii) with whom Company has a Contract that incorporates the terms stipulated by Article 28 of the GDPR in all material respects;

 

(b) a Person:

 

(i) who acts as an independent Controller in respect of their Processing of Personal Data so disclosed to them; and

 

(ii) with whom Company has a Contract that complies with all applicable requirements of Privacy Laws relating to such disclosure of Personal Data; or

 

(c) a Person:

 

(i) who acts as a joint Controller (as described in Article 26 of the GDPR) with Company in respect of their Processing of Personal Data so disclosed to them; or

 

(ii) with whom Company has a Contract that complies with all applicable requirements of Privacy Laws relating to such disclosure and such parties’ Processing of Personal Data as joint Controllers (including, where applicable, having regard to the matters described in Article 26 of the GDPR).

 

15.5 Company as Processor. In all cases where Company Processes Personal Data on behalf of any other Person, such Processing is governed by a Contract, which incorporates the terms stipulated by Article 28 of the GDPR, and Company has at all relevant times materially complied with the terms and conditions of such Contract.

 

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15.6 Cross-border transfers. Company has not transferred or made available any Personal Data to any Person located outside the European Economic Area otherwise than:

 

(a) pursuant to an agreement provided in the Data Room; and

 

(b) in accordance with the requirements of applicable Privacy Laws relating to such cross-border transfer of Personal Data.

 

15.7 Security of Personal Data.

 

(a) Company has put in place a response plan for Personal Data Breaches, which accords with good industry practice, that enables Company to comply with:

 

(i) relevant requirements of applicable Privacy Laws (including Section 2 of Chapter IV of the GDPR); and

 

(ii) its applicable contractual commitments to third parties, in the event of such a Personal Data Breach.

 

(b) Company uses, and has used efforts, which accord with good industry practice, to ensure that all Personal Data in its possession or under its control is protected against a Personal Data Breach, or other misuse or unlawful Processing.

 

(c) None of:

 

(i) the Company; nor

 

(ii) so far as the Key Persons are aware:

 

(A) any Company Processor, in respect of its Processing of Personal Data on behalf of the Company; nor

 

(B) any other Person, in respect of Personal Data that is the subject of any Processing activities in relation to which the Company acts as joint Controller,

 

has at any time suffered, or is suffering, a Personal Data Breach.

 

15.8 DPO and Records. Company:

 

(a) is not required by GDPR to appoint a data protection officer (as that role is commonly understood in the context of the GDPR) at the date of this Agreement;

 

(b) has maintained complete, accurate and up to date records of its Personal Data Processing activities as and if required to do so by applicable Privacy Laws (including Article 30 of the GDPR); and

 

(c) has compiled and maintained complete, accurate and up to date records of, all:

 

(i) data protection impact assessments; and

 

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(ii) ‘legitimate interest assessments’ (as that term is commonly understood in the context of the Processing of Personal Data and the GDPR),

 

in each case, as and if required by applicable Privacy Laws.

 

15.9 Registrations. Company has filed any required registrations with, and/or paid any required data protection fees to, applicable Data Protection Authority(ies) as required by applicable Privacy Laws, and the details contained therein are correct and, where applicable, accurately reflect the purpose(s) for which Company Processes Personal Data.

 

15.10 Claims. At the date of this Agreement, Company has not received any written claim, notice, letter, complaint, notification or request for assessment or other communication from any Person (including a Data Protection Authority) alleging breach by Company of any Privacy Laws or requesting an audit of Company’s or any Company Processor’s premises, systems or facilities and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, there are no circumstances which are likely to give rise to any such claim, notice, letter, complaint, notification or request being served, given or made. No individual has been awarded, or otherwise received, compensation by or from Company under any Privacy Laws, no written claim for such compensation has been received by the Company at the date of this Agreement and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, there are no circumstances which might lead to any claim for such compensation being made.

 

(a) Data Subject Requests. Company has complied in all material respects with all valid requests from Data Subjects in respect of Personal Data of which Company is a Controller (“Data Subject Requests”) and there are no such Data Subject Requests outstanding as at the date of this Agreement; and

 

(b) established appropriate technical and organisational measures to enable it to:

 

(i) fulfil Data Subject Requests in respect of Personal Data of which Company is a Controller; and

 

(ii) assist any Persons on whose behalf it Processes Personal Data in meeting those Persons’ obligations to fulfil Data Subject Requests in respect of such Personal Data,

 

in accordance with the requirements of applicable Privacy Laws or, where applicable, any Contracts relevant thereto, (including with respect to any relevant timeframes prescribed or recommended therein).

 

15.11 Direct Marketing. In respect of all Persons to whom Company delivers direct marketing communications, Company has all necessary consents from such Persons to the delivery of such communications, which are no older than one (1) year and which are valid and effective for the purposes of applicable Privacy Laws.

 

16. COMPETITION LAW

 

16.1 The Company is not and has not been a party to or concerned in any agreement, concerted practice or course of conduct which in infringes Competition Law any material respect.

 

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16.2 As far as the Key Persons are aware, the Company is, at the date of this Agreement, not the subject of any investigation, inquiry or proceedings in connection with any actual or alleged infringement of Competition Law by the Company.

 

16.3 As of the date of this Agreement, no such investigation, inquiry or proceedings as mentioned in paragraph 16.2 has been threatened to the Company in writing or, so far as the Key Persons are aware, is pending and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, there are no circumstances likely to give rise to any such investigation, inquiry or proceedings.

 

17. BRIBERY ACT

 

Neither the Company, nor, as far as the Key Persons are aware, any of its respective officers, Employees or agents, has at any time, or is presently or has agreed to become, engaged in any conduct (including by way of acquiescence or failure to perform) that would constitute an offence under any applicable anti-corruption or anti-bribery laws.

 

18. TRADE LAWS

 

18.1 Trade Laws” means any trade, economic or financial sanction, export control, embargo and/or military or dual-use restriction administered by the United Nations, the United States, the UK and/or the European Union (including any member state) that are applicable to the Company.

 

18.2 The Company has not violated or failed to comply in any material respects with Trade Laws.

 

19. PROPERTY

 

19.1 The Company does not use or occupy or has any interest in any land and/or buildings for the purposes of its business other than the Properties.

 

19.2 Except as Disclosed in the Disclosure Letter:

 

(a) no written notice has been received by the Company as of the date of this Agreement of any breach or alleged breach by the Company of any covenants, servitudes, restrictions and stipulations which do affect the Properties (including covenants contained in the Lease);

 

(b) the Company is not in breach of (and has not breached) the terms of the Lease; and

 

(c) the Company is in exclusive and undisputed occupation of the whole of the Properties.

 

19.3 The leasehold documents referred to in Schedule 7 set out the terms of such leasehold documents as of the date of this Agreement, save for any adjustments of rent in accordance with the applicable adjustment provisions of such leasehold documents.

 

19.4 The Company is not in dispute with the landlord or any other person in connection with the Properties.

 

19.5 There are no outstanding liabilities (actual or, to the best knowledge of the Key Persons, anticipated or contingent) of the Company in relation to any of the Properties (including outstanding rent reviews and future duties to reinstate alterations) or in relation to any property formerly owned or occupied by the Company other than rent and other obligations pursuant to the terms of the relevant lease, the due date for payment of which has not yet arrived.

 

20. BANK ACCOUNTS

 

The Disclosure Letter contains a true and complete list of Company’s bank accounts.

 

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Schedule 6

 

Taxation

 

Part 1– Tax Definitions and Interpretation

 

1. Definitions

 

Words and expressions defined in or for the purposes of the Agreement shall, except where expressly defined in this Schedule or where the context otherwise requires, have the same meanings in this Schedule and:

 

Accounts Relief” means any Relief (including any Right to Repayment) which has been taken into account in computing (and thereby reducing), or in obviating the need for, any provision for Tax in the Completion Accounts, or which is reflected or shown as an asset in the Completion Accounts;

 

Event” means any act, omission, event, transaction or occurrence and includes, without limitation, the receipt or accrual of any income, profit or gains, the declaration, making or payment of any distribution, any constructive or deemed distribution, becoming, being or ceasing to be a member of any group, fiscal unity, consolidation or partnership or associated or connected with any person, death, any winding up or dissolution, any residence or change in residence of any person for Tax purposes, the expiry of any period, the entering into of this Agreement, Completion and the Merger Completion;

 

Parent’s Relief” means (i) any Accounts Relief, (ii) any Relief attributable to a period after Completion or arising in respect of any Event occurring or deemed to occur after Completion, or (iii) any Relief of any member of the Parent’s Tax Group (other than the Company);

 

Parent’s Tax Group” means the Parent and any company or entity which at any relevant time is connected or associated with or in the same group of companies or fiscal unity or consolidation as the Parent for the purposes of any Tax or Relief, and ‘member of the Parent’s Tax Group’ shall have a corresponding meaning;

 

Payroll Tax” means employer’s and employee’s social security and pension contributions or levies and income tax accountable via payroll (including for the avoidance of doubt “Mitarbeitervorsorgekasse”, “Zuschlag zum Dienstgeberbeitrag”, “Kommunalsteuer”, and“Dienstgeberbeitrag zum Familienlastenausgleichsfonds”), and any similar Tax, contributions or levies in any jurisdiction, together with all penalties, fines, charges, surcharges and interest relating to any of the foregoing, or resulting from a failure to comply with the provisions of any enactment relating to any Payroll Tax within this definition, including in connection with the failure to make any return, the making of any incomplete or incorrect return, or the failure to maintain records;

 

Payroll Tax Claim” means any Tax Claim which relates to Payroll Tax arising in connection with any of the Sellers;

 

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Relief” means any relief, loss, allowance, claim, credit, deduction, exemption or set-off in respect of Tax or relevant to the computation of Tax or any income, profits or gains for the purposes of Tax, or any Right to Repayment, including any amount payable by a Tax Authority as a result of any R&D Claim, and:

 

(a) any reference to the ‘use or set-off’ of a Relief shall be construed accordingly and shall include use or set-off in part;

 

(b) references to the ‘loss’ of a Relief (including the loss of any Accounts Relief, and any other defined Relief) shall include the loss, non-availability, non-existence, reduction, counteraction, disallowance, clawback, cancellation or failure to obtain such Relief, and shall also include such Relief being available only in a reduced amount, and ‘lose’ and ‘lost’ shall be construed accordingly;

 

Right to Repayment” means any right to a repayment of Tax or a payment in respect of Tax and includes any repayment supplement or interest in respect thereof;

 

R&D Claim” means any claim for relief for expenditure incurred on research and development;

 

R&D Credit Payment” means a payment received by the Company from a Tax Authority in respect of an R&D Claim;

 

"Tax" or "Taxation" means all forms of direct and indirect tax, duty, levy, charge, contribution, rate, tariff and impost whether of the Republic of Austria or any political subdivision thereof or any other jurisdiction and any other amount payable to any Tax Authority (including, for the avoidance of doubt, social security contributions or levies and including, for the avoidance of doubt, pension contributions whether payable to a Tax Authority or otherwise payable in connection with any pension scheme or arrangement), all related withholdings or deductions and all penalties, fines, charges, surcharges and interest relating to any of the foregoing or resulting from a failure to comply with the provisions of any enactment relating to any Taxation within this definition, including in connection with the failure to make any return, the making of any incomplete or incorrect return, or the failure to maintain records;

 

"Tax Authority" means the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance (Bundesministerium für Finanzen), HM Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom and any other authority, body or official competent to assess, demand, impose, administer or collect Tax or make any decision or ruling on any matter relating to Tax and any other person who has a right to demand or recover amounts of, or in respect of, or on account of, Tax or a Tax Liability;

 

Tax Demand” means any notice, demand, assessment, self-assessment, letter or other document or action taken by or on behalf of any Tax Authority from which it appears that there is or may be a Tax Liability or other liability in respect of which a Tax Claim may be made for which the Sellers are or may be liable;

 

Tax Documents” has the meaning given in paragraph 4.1 of part 3 of this Schedule;

 

Tax Liability” means:

 

(a) any liability to make an actual payment or increased payment of, or in respect of, or on account of, Tax (whether or not presently payable), in which case the amount of the Tax Liability shall be the amount of the actual payment or the increase in the amount of the payment;

 

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(b) the loss (in whole or in part) of any Accounts Relief (other than a Right to Repayment, and otherwise than by way of use or set-off), in which case the amount of the Tax Liability shall be the Tax which would have been saved by the Company but for such loss, the amount of such Tax being calculated on the basis of the relevant rates of Tax current at Completion and on the assumption that the Company has sufficient profits fully to utilise the relevant Accounts Relief and that the Accounts Relief is used in priority to any other Relief available to the Company or, where the Accounts Relief in question would not have operated as a deduction from gross income, profits or gains, the amount of the Relief which would otherwise have been obtained or the amount by which such Relief is reduced, as the case may be;

 

(c) the loss (in whole or in part) of any Accounts Relief which is a Right to Repayment, in which case the amount of the Tax Liability is the amount of the Right to Repayment; and

 

(d) the use or set-off (in whole or in part) of any Parent’s Relief to reduce or eliminate any liability to make an actual payment of Tax in respect of which, but for such use or set-off, the Sellers would have been liable in respect of a Tax Claim, in which case the amount of the Tax Liability shall be the amount for which the Sellers would have been liable but for such use or set-off; and

 

in each case regardless of whether there is or may be any right of reimbursement or recovery against any other person.

 

2. Interpretation

 

In this Schedule:

 

(a) persons shall, without limitation, be treated as “connected” for the purposes of this Schedule if they are treated as connected for any Tax purpose;

 

(b) profits” includes income, profits or gains of any description and from any source and any other consideration, value, receipt or measure by reference to which Tax is chargeable or assessed, and profits earned on or before a certain date or in respect of a certain period and includes profits treated as, or deemed to be, earned on or before that date or in respect of that period for Tax purposes;

 

(c) any reference to Tax, Relief or any other amount being “payable” shall include any Tax, Relief or other amount which would have been payable but for being set off or netted off against any other amount, and any reference to the “payment” of any Tax, Relief or other amount shall include the discharge or utilisation of such Tax, Relief other amount through being set off or netted off against any other amount;

 

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(d) any reference to an Event or the consequence of an Event occurring on or before Completion or Merger Completion shall include, without limitation:

 

(i) any Event which is deemed for relevant Tax purposes to be the case or to occur for Tax purposes on or before Completion or Merger Completion; and

 

(ii) the combined effect of any two or more Events all of which shall have taken place or be deemed for relevant Tax purposes to have taken place on or before Completion or Merger Completion;

 

(e) in any case falling within (b), (c) or (d) of the definition of Tax Liability, the Tax Liability shall be treated as arising in respect of an Event which occurred on or before Completion;

 

(f) any reference to any form of Tax, Relief, legislation, law or legal or Tax concept which exists in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Austria or any other jurisdiction includes a reference to any equivalent or substantially equivalent Tax, Relief, legislation, law or legal or Tax concept in any other relevant jurisdiction;

 

(g) any stamp duty or transfer tax which is charged or chargeable on any document or in respect of any transaction and which it is necessary to incur or which is incurred in order to:

 

(i) establish or register the title of the Company to any asset;

 

(ii) prove to a Tax Authority any expenditure incurred by the Company; or

 

(iii) enable the Company, the Parent or the Buyer to produce the relevant document in evidence in any civil proceedings or before any arbitrator or referee or to use the document for any other official purpose,

 

and any interest, penalty, charge, surcharge, fine or other similar imposition relating to such stamp duty shall be deemed to be a liability of the Company to make an actual payment of Tax, and the execution of the document or (in the case of a bearer instrument) the issue of the instrument shall be deemed to be the Event which gave rise to such liability;

 

(h) any assessment, demand or other liability which is received or arises in respect of a claim made, or payment received, by the Company before Completion under or in connection with under measures announced in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic shall (in each case) be deemed to be an Event occurring in connection with the Company prior to Completion for the purposes of this Schedule; and

 

(i) following the Merger, pursuant to which all assets and liabilities of the Company are transferred by way of universal succession to the Buyer, references in this Schedule to the Company shall be deemed, where appropriate, to include references to the Buyer.

 

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Part 2 – Tax Warranties

 

1. Payments of Tax

 

1.1. The Company has: (i) duly and punctually paid all Tax which it has become liable to pay; (ii) deducted, withheld or collected for payment (as appropriate) all Tax due to have been deducted, withheld or collected for payment and has accounted for or paid all such Tax to the relevant Tax Authority to the extent due to be paid prior to the date of this Agreement; and (iii) not deferred payment or agreed with any Tax Authority to defer payment of any Tax.

 

1.2. The Company is not, and has not at any time within the last six years been, liable to pay any interest, penalty or surcharge in respect of any unpaid Tax or as a result of a default in respect of any Tax matter or has otherwise been subject to the operation of any penal provision under any enactment relating to Tax, except for interest, penalties or surcharges not exceeding an amount of EUR 5,000 in the individual case.

 

2. Compliance

 

2.1. All returns, computations, accounts, reports, statements, assessments, claims, elections, disclaimers, notices and any other information which are or have been required to be made or given by the Company for any Tax purposes have been made or given both within the requisite periods and on a proper basis and were when made and remain true and accurate and none of them is, or so far as the Key Persons are aware is likely to be, the subject of any enquiry, query or dispute with any Tax Authority.

 

2.2. The Company has complied at all times with all applicable statutory requirements, regulations, notices, orders, directions and conditions relating to all relevant Taxes, including the terms of any agreement made with any Tax Authority.

 

2.3. The Company has maintained complete and accurate records, invoices and other information in relation to Tax that meet all legal requirements and enable the Company to calculate any Tax liability or Relief and to deliver correct and complete returns.

 

3. Tax Disputes

 

The Company is not, nor has it been at any time within the last six years, involved in any dispute with or investigation, audit, discovery or enquiry by any Tax Authority or any enquiry into any Tax return and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, no such dispute, investigation, audit, discovery or enquiry is, planned, threatened or likely to arise.

 

4. Provisions in the Accounts

 

The provisions or reserve for Tax appearing in the Accounts are sufficient to cover all Tax for which the Company was at the Accounts Date, or may after that date become, liable to pay or account in respect of any period ended on or before the Accounts Date.

 

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5. Position since the Accounts Date

 

5.1. In respect of the period starting immediately after the Accounts Date, the Company has no liabilities for Tax other than (i) income tax which comprises Payroll Tax, and payroll and social security contributions and levies, in each case, payable in respect of amounts that the Company is contractually obliged to pay to its employees and directors in respect of that period and (b) in respect of payments to the respective beneficiaries of the Company's phantom share participation plan dated 7 February 2021 and the individual allocation agreements related thereto as a consequence of the performance of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) VAT arising in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and (iii) minimum corporate income tax (Mindestkörperschaftssteuer).

 

5.2. The Company has no liability for Tax that is due for payment on or before Completion other than the liabilities for Tax described in paragraph 5.1.

 

5.3. No accounting period of the Company for corporate tax purposes has ended, and the Company has not made any distribution, since the Accounts Date.

 

6. Secondary Liabilities

 

The Company is not, so far as the Key Persons are aware, nor is likely to become, liable to make to any person (including any Tax Authority) any payment in respect of any liability to Tax which is primarily or directly chargeable against, or attributable to, any person other than the Company.

 

7. Obligation to Deduct or Withhold Tax

 

The Company has no obligation to deduct or withhold tax on repayment of any borrowings which the Company has in respect of any premium, interest or other amount comprised in those borrowings.

 

8. Clearances, Consents and Special Arrangements

 

All clearances and consents obtained by the Company from any Tax Authority prior to the date of this Agreement have been fully disclosed in the Data Room and were based on full and accurate disclosure of all the facts and circumstances material to the decision of the Tax Authority. The Company has complied in all respects with any conditions to which any such consents or clearances are subject and has not taken any action which might alter, prejudice or in any way disturb any such consent or clearance nor will anything done pursuant to this Agreement have such an effect. No Tax Authority has agreed to operate any special arrangement (being an arrangement not based on a strict and detailed application of the relevant legislation) in relation to the affairs of the Company.

 

9. Benefits to Connected Persons

 

9.1. The Company has not provided any benefit or facility to any Seller, or to any director or employee of the Company (or to any person connected with any such Seller, director or employee), the provision of which has been or should have been treated as a distribution of profits.

 

9.2. No loan or advance or debt has been (or has been treated as having been) incurred, made or agreed to be made by the Company to any Seller, or to any director or employee of the Company (or any person connected with any such Seller, director or employee), and the Company has not since the Accounts Date released, written off or agreed to release or write off the whole or part of any such loan or advance.

 

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10. Inheritance, Estate or Gift Tax

 

The Company is not liable, and there are no circumstances in existence as a result of which it may become liable, to be assessed to inheritance, estate or gift tax or any other Taxation as donor or donee of any gift, or transferor or transferee of value and there are no other circumstances by reason of which any liability in respect of inheritance, estate or gift tax has arisen or could arise for the Company or any charge in relation to unpaid inheritance, estate or gift tax has arisen or could arise in respect of the assets of the Company or the Outstanding Shares.

 

11. Residence and Presence Outside the Austrian Republic

 

11.1. The Company is, always has been and will be at Completion or Merger Completion resident in the Republic of Austria for Tax purposes. The Company is not, never has been and will not be at Completion or Merger Completion resident for any purpose in any other jurisdiction and does not have, has never had and will not have at Completion or Merger Completion any branch, office, permanent establishment or other taxable presence in any other jurisdiction.

 

11.2. The Company is not and never has been liable for any Tax as the agent of any other person, business or enterprise and does not constitute and never has constituted the permanent establishment of any other person, business or enterprise for any Tax purposes.

 

12. Employment and Withholding Taxes

 

12.1. No person has acquired a right to acquire shares or securities or any Phantom Right, or has acquired any shares or securities or Phantom Right, which in each case may give rise to a liability in respect of any Payroll Tax for the Company, including upon the exercise or disposal of that right or Phantom Right or upon the acquisition or disposal of those shares or securities or Phantom Right or any other Event in connection with any Phantom Right.

 

12.2. Neither the Company nor any employee benefit trust or other third party has made, or agreed to make, any payment to, or provided or agreed to provide any benefit for, any director or former director, officer or employee (or associate of any of the foregoing) of the Company, whether as compensation for loss of office, termination of employment or otherwise, which is not allowable as a deduction in calculating the profits of the Company for Tax purposes.

 

12.3. No payments or loans have been made to, any assets made available or transferred to, or any assets earmarked, however informally, for the benefit of, any employee or former employee (or anyone linked with such employee or former employee) of the Company by an employee benefit trust or another third party and details of any trust or arrangement capable of conferring such a benefit.

 

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12.4. No part of the consideration for the Transaction will be treated as employment income, whether as employment income of any Seller or any other person. No Tax or any amount in respect of Tax is required to be withheld, paid or remitted by the Parent, the Buyer, the Company or any member of the Parent’s Tax Group in connection with any Event contemplated by this Agreement, the Acquisition Instrument or the Merger Instrument including, without limitation: (i) any payment, vesting or release from the Retention Account of any part of the Purchase Price; (ii) any right to acquire, or the allotment, issuance, holding, vesting, forfeiture, clawback, conversion, reclassification, repurchase or disposal of any Consideration Shares; (iii) the allocation of consideration or liabilities between the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement; (iv) any movement in the value of the Consideration Shares or any Outstanding Shares between the date of this Agreement and the Merger Completion Date (v) the acquisition by any Seller of such Seller’s Outstanding Shares from any other party on or prior to the date of this Agreement; (vi) the exchange by any Seller of such Seller’s Consideration Shares for shares in the New Parent Holdco pursuant to the Parent Reorganisation; (vii) the cancellation, exercise or satisfaction of any options or any Phantom Right; or (viii) the granting of any rights to the Sellers pursuant to clause 16.

 

12.5. There is no arrangement, formal or informal:

 

(a) involving any Seller to redistribute (or which has the effect of redistributing) any consideration receivable under the Agreement; or

 

(b) for any payment to be made to, or for any benefit to be received by, any current, former or prospective employee or office holder in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

12.6. The amount of the ESOP Payment is sufficient to cover (in additional to the amounts payable to participants in the Company’s share participation plan dated 7 February 2021) all Payroll Tax arising in connection with such plan. No Payroll Tax has arisen, or will arise before Completion, in connection with such plan. Other than (i) as covered by the ESOP Payment and (ii) VAT in respect of the CeMM Payment in relation to which the Company will have a corresponding input VAT claim, no Tax or amount in respect of Tax will be payable by the Company in connection with any Phantom Rights.

 

12.7. All contractual arrangements between the Company and its consultants, advisers and advisors have been and will be recognised as independent contractor relationships, and no such arrangements have been or will be treated as employment relationships for Tax purposes, or otherwise have been or will be subject to Payroll Tax.

 

13. R&D Claims

 

The Data Room sets out full details all R&D Claims made by the Company in the last six years before the date of this Agreement, and, in respect of each R&D Claim, sets out the amount and date of any corresponding R&D Credit Payment. All such claims have been duly made on a proper basis within applicable time limits, and no Tax Authority has disputed or challenged (or has grounds to dispute or challenge) the Company’s entitlement to make any such claim and/or the amount of any such claim.

 

14. Groups

 

The Company is not and has never been a member of a group of companies for any Tax purposes.

 

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15. Transfer Pricing

 

All transactions or arrangements made or entered into by the Company have been made on arm’s length terms. The Company is not nor has it been involved in any correspondence, enquiry or dispute or received any notice in any jurisdiction concerning the adjustment of profits of associated enterprises for Tax purposes.

 

16. Loan Relationships

 

All financing costs, including interest, discounts and premiums payable by the Company are eligible to be brought into account by the Company as a debit for relevant Tax purposes to the extent that they are from time to time recognised in the Company's accounts (assuming that the accounting policies and methods adopted for the purpose of the Accounts continue to be so adopted).

 

17. Transfer Taxes

 

17.1. There is no instrument to which the Company is a party and which is necessary to establish the Company’s rights or title to any asset, which is or could be liable to any real estate or securities transfer tax or issuance tax (or any similar duty or Tax in a jurisdiction outside the Republic of Austria) which has not been duly stamped or in respect of which the relevant Tax has not been paid.

 

17.2. Neither the sale and purchase of the Sale Shares, nor any other transaction, event or circumstance contemplated by this Agreement, including the Merger, will give rise to any Austrian real estate transfer tax.

 

17.3. Before the date of this Agreement, the Company has paid all Austrian stamp duty arising from a rental contract with the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.

 

18. Tax Avoidance

 

The Company has not been involved in any scheme, arrangement, transaction or series of transactions in which the main purpose, or one of the main purposes was or might be held to have been: (i) the avoidance, deferral or reduction of Tax; (ii) the production of a loss for Tax purposes with no corresponding commercial loss, or (iii) to contain one or more steps which have no commercial purpose other than avoiding, deferring or saving Tax or obtaining a Tax advantage.

 

19. Tax Evasion

 

The Company has in place such prevention procedures as are required by law and the published guidance of the relevant Tax Authorities in respect of the prevention of tax evasion.

 

20. VAT

 

20.1. The Company (i) is, where it ought to have been so registered, a duly registered taxable person for the purposes of VAT (or other equivalent sales or similar Tax in any jurisdiction), (ii) is not, nor has in the last three years been, wholly or partly exempt for such purposes, and (iii) is not subject to any conditions imposed by or agreed with any Tax Authority.

 

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20.2. All claims made by the Company for refunds of VAT have been made on a proper basis within applicable time limits, and no Tax Authority has disputed or challenged, or has grounds to dispute or challenge, the Company’s entitlement to make any such claim and/or the amount of any such claim.

 

21. COVID-19 pandemic

 

21.1. The Data Room sets out full details of any payments of or in respect of Tax that have been deferred by the Company under arrangements announced in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic prior to the date of this Agreement.

 

21.2. The Data Room sets out full details of all claims made and payments received by the Company prior to the date of this Agreement under measures announced in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic (such as the United Kingdom’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or its equivalent in any other jurisdiction). As of the date of this Agreement, the Company has not been notified that a Tax Authority or other governmental authority intends to recover any payment (or part thereof) received by the Company under such measures (whether by assessment to Tax or otherwise), and, so far as the Key Persons are aware, there are no circumstances in existence in respect of which a Tax Authority or other governmental authority could make such recovery.

 

22 Sellers’ tax status

 

Each Seller which is a natural person is resident for Tax purposes solely in the Republic of Austria and is not liable to Tax in any other jurisdiction, except for (i) Berend Snijder and Valentin Piëch, each of whom is resident for Tax purposes solely in the Swiss Confederation and is not liable to Tax in any other jurisdiction, and (ii) Gregory Vladimer, who is also liable to US Tax.

 

23. Merger

 

No Tax will arise to the Company, the Parent or the Buyer in respect of the Merger.

 

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Part 3 - Tax Covenant

 

1. Covenant to pay

 

1.1 Liability to pay

 

The Sellers severally and not jointly (einzelschuldnerisch) covenant with the Parent to pay to the Parent, in proportion to their Liability Percentages, an amount equal to any Tax Liability: (i) of the Company; or (ii) in respect of the matters falling within sub-paragraphs (c) to (i) below, of the Parent or any person connected after Completion with the Parent (including for the avoidance of doubt the Buyer and the Company), arising directly or indirectly in respect of or as a consequence of or by reference to:

 

(a) any income, profits or gains earned, accrued or received on or before the Merger Completion Date;

 

(b) any Event which occurred on or before the Merger Completion Date;

 

(c) a failure to discharge Tax by any company or person with which the Company has been, or has been treated as being, connected or otherwise associated on or before the Merger Completion Date, or by any company or person which at any time after Completion is treated as connected or associated in any way with, any Seller for any Tax purpose (other than the Company, the Buyer or any member of the Parent’s Tax Group);

 

(d) an option or other right to acquire securities or interest in securities or Phantom Right granted or acquired prior to the Merger Completion Date or in respect of the exercise, acceleration or satisfaction of any such option or right or Phantom Right or any other Event in relation to such option or right or Phantom Right, in each case where such option or right or Phantom Right comprises or relates to securities in the Company or was granted by the Company or acquired by any officer or employee of the Company in connection with their involvement with the Company (except for VAT in respect of which the Company is able to recover a corresponding amount of input VAT where such input VAT is not an Accounts Relief);

 

(e) any securities or interest in securities acquired on or before the Merger Completion Date or as a result of a right or obligation (whether or not legally binding) created on or before the Merger Completion Date;

 

(f) any person (other than the Company, the Buyer or any member of the Parent’s Tax Group) making a payment or providing a loan, benefit or payment (otherwise than with the express written agreement of the Parent or, after the Merger Completion Date, the Company) to any person to the extent that, and in circumstances where, such payment or benefit constitutes remuneration for acts undertaken for, or services rendered to, the Company by any current or former officer or employee of the Company before the Merger Completion Date;

 

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(g) any Event contemplated by this Agreement, the Acquisition Instrument and/or the Merger Instrument, including, without limitation: (i) any payment, vesting or release from the Retention Account of any part of the Purchase Price; (ii) any right to acquire, or the allotment, issuance, holding, vesting, forfeiture, clawback, conversion, reclassification, repurchase or disposal of any Consideration Shares; (iii) the allocation of consideration or liabilities between the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement; (iv) any movement in the value of the Consideration Shares or any Outstanding Shares between the date of this Agreement and the Merger Completion Date; (v) the acquisition by any Seller of such Seller’s Outstanding Shares from any other party on or prior to the date of this Agreement; (vi) the exchange by any Seller of such Seller’s Consideration Shares for shares in the New Parent Holdco pursuant to the Parent Reorganisation (to the extent that the Merger Completion Date occurs before completion of the Parent Reorganisation); and (vii) the cancellation, exercise or satisfaction of any options or any Phantom Right; (viii) the granting of any rights to the Sellers pursuant to clause 16; (ix) the waiver contemplated in clause 7.10(c); or (x) the compensation of any Losses by the transfer of any Consideration Shares to the Parent pursuant to paragraph 10.3 of Schedule 8.

 

(h) any disposal, including any sale, of Consideration Shares by a Seller or any person connected to a Seller, to the extent that such Tax Liability comprises Payroll Tax; or

 

(i) the failure or delay by any person to reimburse any amount in respect of income tax arising in connection with any of the circumstances or Events described in sub-paragraphs (d) to (h).

 

1.2 R&D Claims

 

Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 1.1, the Sellers severally and not jointly (einzelschuldnerisch) covenant with the Parent to pay to the Parent in proportion to their Liability Percentages an amount equal to any Tax Liability or other liability which arises as a consequence of or by reference to any R&D Claim made or any R&D Credit Payment received by the Company on or before the Merger Completion Date being wholly or partially disallowed or clawed back by any Tax Authority.

 

1.3 Costs and expenses

 

Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraphs 1.1 and 1.2, the Sellers severally and not jointly (einzelschuldnerisch) covenant with the Parent to pay to the Parent in proportion to their Liability Percentages an amount equal to all reasonable costs and expenses (excluding internal costs) properly incurred or payable by the Parent or any member of the Parent’s Tax Group or the Company in connection with or in consequence of any Tax Liability, Tax Claim or Tax Demand in respect of which the Sellers are liable under this Schedule.

 

2. Exclusions

 

2.1 Exclusions

 

The Sellers shall not be liable in respect of any of the Tax Warranties, and the covenants in paragraphs 1.1 and 1.2 above shall not cover any Tax Liability, if and to the extent that:

 

(a) provision, accrual, reserve or liability in respect of the Tax Liability has been made or is reflected in the Completion Accounts;

 

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(b) the Tax Liability was paid or discharged before Completion and such payment or discharge was reflected in the Completion Accounts;

 

(c) the Tax Liability arises as a result of any increase in rates of Tax made after Completion with retrospective effect or of any change in legislation or published administrative practice which is announced or first published and comes into force after Completion with retrospective effect, other than a change introduced to target Tax avoidance;

 

(d) the Tax Liability can be avoided by offsetting taxable profits against any Tax loss carrybacks or Tax loss carryforwards that are or were available (including as a result of subsequent tax audits) prior to Completion and which are not Parent’s Reliefs;

 

(e) the Tax Liability corresponds to or can be offset against Tax reductions (Steuerminderungen), which are based on circumstances having triggered the Tax Liability, including pursuant to reciprocal effects (Wechselwirkungen) e.g. resulting from the lengthening of depreciation periods or higher depreciation allowances (Phasenverschiebung);

 

(f) the Tax Liability arises as a result of a change after the Merger Completion Date in the accounting reference date of the Company, or in the length of any accounting period of the Company, or in the accounting policies or practices of the Company from those used in preparing the Accounts other than any change required because such policies or practices were not compliant with Austrian GAAP on the Merger Completion Date;

 

(g) the Tax Liability results directly from a voluntary act of the Company, the Buyer or any other member of the Buyer’s Group after the Merger Completion Date outside the ordinary course of the business of the Company, the Buyer, or other member of the Buyer’s Group, as the case may be, as carried on immediately prior to Completion and which act the Company, the Buyer, or other member of the Buyer’s Group (as appropriate) was aware, or ought reasonably to have been aware, would give rise to such Tax Liability, save where such act is:

 

(i) pursuant to a legally binding obligation of the Company entered into prior to Completion;

 

(ii) contemplated by this Agreement, the Acquisition Instrument or the Merger Instrument;

 

(iii) at the written request or with the written consent of any of the Sellers,

 

provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, any disclosure to or filing or other communication with any Tax Authority shall not be voluntary act to which this sub-paragraph 2.1(f) applies;

 

(h) the Parent, the Buyer or any other member of the Buyer’s Group has been compensated for the Tax Liability under any other provision of this Agreement; or

 

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(i) the Tax Liability arises in the ordinary course of business of the Company in consequence of or in respect of or by reference to any Event occurring, or any income, profits or gains earned, accrued or received, after Completion but on or before the Merger Completion Date.

 

2.2 Exclusions carve out

 

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Schedule:

 

(a) the exclusions set out in paragraphs 2.1(c), (e), (f), (g) and (i)) shall not apply to limit any liability of the Sellers in respect of any Payroll Tax Claim;

 

(b) the exclusion set out in paragraph (i) shall apply to limit any liability of the Sellers only in respect of any claim under paragraphs 1.1(a) and (b).

 

2.3 Further exclusions

 

Schedule 8 shall also apply to limit or exclude, in accordance with its specific terms, the liability of the Sellers in respect of Tax Claims.

 

3. Recovery from third parties and Reliefs

 

3.1 Recovery

 

If any payment is made by the Sellers under this Schedule in discharge of a Tax Liability and the Buyer or the Company or any other member of the Buyer's Group receives, or is or becomes entitled to recover or obtain, from any person (other than the Buyer, any member of the Parent’s Tax Group, the Company or a current or former officer or employee of either of them) a payment or Relief relating to or arising from the Tax Liability in question which would not otherwise have arisen, which in each case is not a Parent’s Relief, is not attributable to any change in law after Completion, to a voluntary act of the Buyer or the Company or to the utilisation of a Parent’s Relief then:

 

(a) if so requested in writing by the Sellers’ Representatives and at the Sellers’ sole expense and upon the Sellers providing such indemnity as the Parent and/or the Company shall reasonably require against all costs and expenses to be incurred or any additional Tax liability of the Company, the Buyer or any member of the Parent’s Tax Group which may arise, the Parent shall take (or shall procure that the Company shall take) such action (including legal remedies) as the Sellers’ Representatives may reasonably request (subject to paragraph 3.4) to enforce such recovery or to obtain such payment or Relief; and

 

(b) if the Parent or the Company receives or obtains such payment or Relief the provisions of paragraph 3.2 shall apply.

 

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3.2 Timing and amount of payments

 

Where the provisions of this paragraph 3.2 apply:

 

(a) in a case where the Parent or the Company receives a payment, within ten Business Days of the receipt thereof the lesser of:

 

(i) the amount paid by the Sellers to the Parent in respect of the relevant Tax Liability under paragraph 1; and

 

(ii) an amount equal to the payment (including interest (if any)) received (less (i) all reasonable costs and expenses properly incurred by the Company, the Parent or the relevant member of the Parent’s Tax Group in obtaining such payment and (ii) any Tax paid or payable by the Company, the Parent or any member of the Parent’s Tax Group in respect of such receipt (or any Tax which would have been payable but for the availability of a Relief)); and

 

(b) in a case where the Parent or the Company obtains a Relief, on or before the later of (i) the date on which Tax would have become due to a Tax Authority but for the use of such Relief (provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that the Company or the Parent shall not be required to use such Relief in priority to any other Relief) and (ii) the auditors for the time being of the Company certifying (at the request of the Sellers’ Representatives and at the cost of the Sellers) the existence and amount of the Relief so obtained that would not otherwise have arisen, the lesser of:

 

(i) the amount of Tax which the Company would have been liable to pay but for obtaining the Relief, as certified by the auditors of the Company at the expense of the Sellers; and

 

(ii) the amount paid by the Sellers under paragraph 1 in respect of the Tax Liability giving rise to the Relief,

 

shall first be set off against any payment then due from the Sellers under this Schedule and secondly, to the extent there is an excess, a refund shall be made to the Sellers of any previous payment or payments made by the Sellers under this Schedule (save to the extent that any amount paid by the Sellers in respect of the Tax Liability in question has previously been refunded under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise).

 

3.3 Date on which payment of Tax would have been due

 

For the purposes of the provisions in sub-paragraph 3.2(b) above, it shall be assumed that the latest date on which a payment of Tax would have been due but for the use of a Relief is the last date on which an actual payment of Tax would have had to have been paid but for the use of the Relief without incurring any interest, charge, penalty, fine or surcharge in respect thereof.

 

3.4 Action not required

 

The action which the Sellers’ Representatives may request the Parent or the Company to take under paragraph 3.1 does not include:

 

(a) any action which, in the Parent’s reasonable opinion, would be unlawful or materially prejudice the business or Tax affairs of the Parent or the Company or any other member of the Parent’s Tax Group; or

 

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(b) allowing the Sellers’ Representatives or the Sellers (or any person nominated by them) to undertake the conduct of any action necessary to effect recovery of the amount in question.

 

4. Tax affairs

 

4.1 Assistance

 

The Key Persons and the Sellers shall give the Parent such assistance, information and documentation as may reasonably be required to enable the Parent to prepare, submit and deal with all computations, returns, claims and other documentation of or correspondence to or from the Company relating to Tax (the “Tax Documents”), and deal with all matters relating to such Tax Documents, in respect of all fiscal or accounting periods of the Company ending on or before Completion and in respect of the accounting period current at Completion in respect of any Event occurring (or deemed for Tax purposes to occur) on or before Completion.

 

4.2 Comments

 

The Parent shall not submit any Tax Document in respect of the Company for any fiscal or accounting periods of any Company ending on or before Completion and in respect of the accounting period current at Completion in respect of any Event occurring (or deemed for Tax purposes to occur) on or before Completion, where such Tax Document could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Sellers under paragraphs 1.1 or 1.2, without giving the Sellers’ Representatives a reasonable opportunity to comment thereon, and taking account of all reasonable comments or representations made by the Sellers’ Representatives.

 

4.3 Priority

 

For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of paragraph 5 shall take precedence over the provisions of this paragraph 4.

 

5. Tax Demands

 

If the Parent becomes aware of any Tax Demand, the Parent shall give written notice thereof to the Sellers’ Representatives (including, so far as practicable, reasonably sufficient details of such Tax Demand, the due date for any payment, the time limits for any appeal and the amount of any corresponding Tax Claim) as soon as reasonably practicable provided that the giving of such notice shall not be a condition precedent to the liability of the Sellers under this Schedule; and, where appropriate to do so, the Parent will keep the Sellers’ Representatives informed of and consult with the Sellers’ Representatives with respect to, all material matters relating to the Tax Demand. If any Tax Demand is received by or comes to the notice of the Sellers (or any of them), the Sellers’ Representatives shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, give the Parent notice of the Tax Demand. If and to the extent a failure of the Parent to comply with its obligations under this paragraph 5 leads to an increase of the liabilities and losses underlying the Parent's claim, the Sellers shall not be liable for such increase.

 

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6. Due Date of Payment

 

6.1 Due date of payment

 

Where the Sellers become liable to make any payment pursuant to a Tax Claim, then, to the extent the relevant liability has not already been satisfied by payment to the Parent from the Retention Amount, the due date for the making of the payment shall be the date falling 15 Business Days after the date of service by the Parent of a written notice on the Sellers’ Representatives demanding payment or (if later):

 

(a) in the case of a Tax Liability or other liability which involves an actual payment of Tax, five Business Days before the latest date on which such payment of Tax is due to be made to the relevant Tax Authority;

 

(b) in the case of a Tax Liability which results from loss of an Accounts Relief (other than a Right to Repayment), five Business Days before the latest date on which a payment of Tax is due to be made to a Tax Authority which would not have been due had such Accounts Relief been available (based on the assumptions set out in paragraph (b) in the definition of Tax Liability);

 

(c) in the case of a Tax Liability which results from the loss of an Accounts Relief which is a Right to Repayment, on the date on which such Right to Repayment would otherwise have become due; and

 

(d) in the case of a Tax Liability which results from the use or set-off of a Parent’s Relief, the latest date on which the relevant Tax would have been due but for such use or set-off.

 

6.2 Due date of Tax

 

21.3. For the purposes of the provisions in paragraph 6.1 above, it shall be assumed that the latest date on which a payment of Tax is due is the last date on which payment can be made to the relevant Tax Authority without incurring any interest, charge, penalty, fine or surcharge in respect thereof and on the assumption that no appeal is made against any assessment or Tax Demand.

 

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Schedule 7

 

LEASES

 

· Sub lease contract dated 6.2.2018 between “Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien” and “Allcyte GmbH” in respect of the property at 1030 Vienna, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 5 / Helmut Qualtinger Gasse 6, EZ 4354, GrstNr. 2847/5 (Business premises on Level 3)

 

· Lease contract dated 6.11/3.11.2015 between “TC-QUINTA Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H.” and “Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien” in respect of the property at 1030 Vienna, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 5 / Helmut Qualtinger Gasse 6, EZ 4354, GrstNr. 2847/5 (Business premises on Level 3)

 

· Sub lease contract dated 26.7.2017 between “Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien” and “Universität Wien” in respect of the property at 1030 Vienna, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 5 / Helmut Qualtinger Gasse 6, EZ 4354, GrstNr. 2847/5 (parts of the business premises on Level 3)

 

· Sub-sub lease contract dated 24.7./26.7.2018 between “Allcyte GmbH” and “Ares Genetics GmbH” in respect of the property at 1030 Vienna, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 5 / Helmut Qualtinger Gasse 6, EZ 4354, GrstNr. 2847/5 (parts of the business premises on Level 3)

 

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Schedule 8

 

Limitations on Sellers' Liability

 

1. FINANCIAL LIMITS

 

1.1 The Sellers shall not be liable in respect of any Warranty Claim unless their liability in respect of such Warranty Claim would exceed €50,000, excluding any liability for costs and interest. For the purposes of this paragraph, Warranty Claims arising from the same events or causes shall be regarded as a single Warranty Claim.

 

1.2 The Sellers shall not be liable in respect of any Warranty Claim unless their aggregate liability in respect of all such Warranty Claims (excluding Warranty Claims for which they have no liability by reason of paragraph 1.1) would exceed €500,000, excluding any liability for costs and interest, in which circumstances the Sellers shall be liable for the entire amount and not just the excess over €500,000.

 

1.3 Unless expressly provided otherwise, the aggregate liability of each Seller for all claims under this Agreement shall not exceed such Seller’s Seller Liability Cap, provided always that the aggregate liability of each Seller for:

 

(a) all General Warranty Claims (other than IP Warranty Claims) shall not exceed an amount equal to 20% of such Seller’s Seller Liability Cap less any claims previously paid out by such Seller under this Agreement;

 

(b) all IP Warranty Claims shall not exceed an amount equal to 30% of such Seller’s Seller Liability Cap less any claims previously paid out by such Seller under this Agreement;

 

(c) all Tax Claims shall not exceed an amount equal to 30% of such Seller’s Seller Liability Cap less any claims previously paid out by such Seller under this Agreement.

 

2. TIME LIMITS

 

2.1 No Seller shall be liable in respect of any General Warranty Claim unless notice in writing has been given to the Sellers’ Representatives in relation to such breach on or before the date falling 18 months after the Completion Date.

 

2.2 No Seller shall be liable in respect of any claims for breach of any of the Title and Capacity Warranties unless notice in writing has been given to the Sellers’ Representatives in relation to such breach on or before the date falling on or before the fifth anniversary of the Completion Date.

 

2.3 No Seller shall be liable in respect of any Tax Claim unless notice in writing has been given to the Sellers’ Representatives in relation to such Tax Claim on or before the fifth anniversary of the end of the accounting period of the Company current at Completion.

 

2.4 The Sellers shall not be liable in respect of any Warranty Claim unless legal proceedings are validly issued and served on the Sellers on or before the date falling 135 days after the date on which that Warranty Claim is notified or, in the case of a Warranty Claim that relates to a liability that is contingent, 135 days after the date on which the contingent liability becomes an actual liability. The Sellers shall not be liable in respect of any Tax Claim unless legal proceedings are validly issued and served on the Sellers on or before the date falling 135 days after the date on which the matter which is the subject of the Tax Claim has been finally determined.

 

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3. MATTERS INCLUDED IN ACCOUNTS

 

The Sellers shall not be liable for a Warranty Claim to the extent the matter giving rise to that Warranty Claim has been taken into account in the Accounts or the Completion Accounts by way of any specific provision, accrual or reserve (Rückstellung), liability (Verbindlichkeit), exceptional depreciation (außerplanmäßige Abschreibung) or depreciation to reflect lower market values (Abschreibung auf den niedrigeren beizulegenden Wert).

 

4. PARENT'S ACTIONS

 

4.1 The Sellers shall not be liable in respect of a Warranty Claim to the extent that the matter giving rise to it results from or is wholly attributable to:

 

(a) any act or omission done or omitted to be done before Completion at the written request of or with the written approval of the Parent or any other member of the Buyer's Group; or

 

(b) any act or omission done or omitted to be done on or after Completion by or on behalf of the Parent or any member of the Buyer's Group; or

 

(c) any change after Completion in the accounting policies or practices used in preparing the Company's annual accounts or in the accounting reference date of the Company.

 

5. CHANGES IN LAW AND REGULATION

 

The Sellers shall not be liable in respect of any Warranty Claim to the extent that the matter giving rise to it results from or is attributable to the enactment, amendment, or change in the generally accepted interpretation or application, of any law, rule, regulation, directive or ordinance, or any change in the published practice of any governmental, regulatory or other body (including a Tax Authority) after Completion, or the imposition of any Tax not in force at Completion, or any change after Completion, in the rates of Taxation.

 

6. KNOWLEDGE AND DISCLOSURE

 

6.1 The Sellers shall not be liable for any Warranty Claim or Tax Warranty Claim to the extent that the Parent had actual knowledge of (i) the facts, matters, events or circumstances which give rise to the Warranty Claim or Tax Warranty Claim and (ii) the fact that such facts, matters, events or circumstances constitute or may constitute a Warranty Claim or Tax Warranty Claim.

 

6.2 For the purposes of paragraph 6.1, the knowledge of the Parent shall mean the actual knowledge of Andrew Hopkins, Ben Taylor, Dan Ireland and Ben Ashwell-Fryer.

 

6.3 The Sellers shall not be liable for any Warranty Claim or Tax Warranty Claim in respect of any fact, matter, event or circumstance to the extent that such fact, matter, event or circumstance has been Disclosed.

 

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7. EXCLUSION OF LOSS OF PROFITS, INDIRECT AND CONSEQUENTIAL LOSSES

 

The Sellers shall not be liable under or in connection with this Agreement in respect of any (i) loss of profit (entgangener Gewinn), (ii) loss of goodwill (Verlust von Firmenwert), (iii) indirect losses (indirekte Schäden), (iv) consequential losses (Folgeschäden), (v) frustrated expenses or (vi) any internal costs incurred by the Buyer or the Parent. In no event shall any multipliers or ratios be taken into account in determining the amount of losses suffered by the Parent, Buyer or the Company.

 

8. THIRD PARTY CLAIMS AND RIGHTS OF RECOVERY AGAINST THIRD PARTIES

 

8.1 If the Parent becomes aware of any matter which has given, or is reasonably likely to give rise, to a claim being made by a third party against the Company, which will or is reasonably likely to give rise to a Warranty Claim ("Third Party Claim”) then the Parent shall:

 

(a) give written notice (containing reasonable details of the Third Party Claim) to the Sellers' Representatives of the matter as soon as reasonably practicable and shall consult with the Sellers' Representatives with respect to that Third Party Claim and keep the Sellers' Representatives fully and promptly informed of all developments in relation to that Third Party Claim; and

 

(b) consult in a reasonable manner with the Sellers’ Representatives with the respect to the conduct of the Third Party Claim; and

 

(c) not (and procure that Company will not) admit liability or make any agreement or compromise in relation to the Third Party Claim without the prior written approval of the Sellers' Representatives.

 

8.2 If the Parent becomes aware of any matter in respect of which the Parent or any member of its Group (including the Company) is or is reasonably likely to become entitled to recover (whether by way of payment, discount, credit, set-off, counterclaim or otherwise) from any third party any sum in respect of any loss, damage or liability which has been, is or is reasonably likely to become the subject of a Warranty Claim, the Parent shall, and shall procure that each relevant member of the Group (including the Company) shall use its reasonable endeavours to recover that amount and, if any such recovery is made, the Sellers shall have no liability in respect of such Warranty Claim to the extent of the cash sum recovered (less all reasonable costs, fees and expenses properly incurred and paid by the Parent or any other member of the Buyer’s Group in recovering such sum and any Taxation which is payable (or which would have been payable but for the availability of a Relief) by the Parent or any member of the Buyer’s Group thereon).

 

8.3 If, after the Sellers have made any payment in respect of a Warranty Claim, any member of the Buyer’s Group or the Company is the recipient from a third party (whether by payment, discount, credit, relief or otherwise) of any cash sum which is referable to that payment (including, without limitation, any recovery of costs or expenses) or would not have been received but for the circumstances giving rise to that Warranty Claim (such sum, the “Recovery Amount”), then the Parent shall within 30 days repay (or procure the repayment) to the Sellers of an aggregate amount equal to the lesser of: (i) the Recovery Amount (less all reasonable costs, fees and expenses properly incurred and paid by the Parent or any other member of the Buyer’s Group in recovering the Recovery Amount and any Taxation arising to the Parent or any member of the Buyer’s Group thereon or in connection therewith (including any Taxation which would have been payable but for the availability of a Relief)); and (ii) the sum paid by the Sellers in respect of such Warranty Claim.

 

88

 

 

9. PARENT'S REMEDIES

 

To the extent permitted by law, the Parent irrevocably and unconditionally waives any further claims and remedies it may have (including any right it may have to rescind or terminate this Agreement) in relation to Warranty Claims or Tax Claims other than as explicitly provided for in this Agreement, irrespective of which nature, amount or legal basis, in particular, without limitation, claims under pre-contractual fault (Pflichtverletzung aus dem vorvertraglichen Schuldverhältnis), the right to reduce the Purchase Price (Minderung) or to rescind this Agreement (Rücktritt), the right to challenge this Agreement on the grounds of any form of avoidance (Anfechtung) and any liability in tort (Deliktshaftung). Furthermore, the Parties explicitly waive the right to rescind or to adjust this Agreement on the grounds of error (Irrtum), laesio enormis or frustration of contract (Wegfall der Geschäftsgrundlage) or an adjustment or rescission of this Agreement based on any other grounds. Furthermore, it is explicitly agreed by the Parties that the assumption set forth in Article 924 ABGB shall not apply.

 

10. GENERAL

 

10.1 The provisions of paragraphs 1.1, 1.2 and 3 shall not apply to any claim for breach of any of the Title and Capacity Warranties.

 

10.2 The Parent shall take reasonable steps to mitigate any Losses or damage which it may suffer in consequence of any breach of a Warranty or a Tax Warranty, and nothing in this paragraph 10.2 shall in any way limit or restrict such obligation to mitigate any Losses or damage. The Parent's responsibility to mitigate (as set out in the preceding sentence) shall include an obligation to procure that the Company takes reasonable steps to so mitigate.

 

10.3 Subject to paragraph 10.4, the sole remedy of the Parent against the Sellers for any Warranty Claims or Tax Warranty Claims shall be monetary claims for Losses that are calculated, subject to the limitations and exclusions contained in this Agreement, on a EUR-for-EUR basis without taking into account any multiplier or ratios. If and to the extent the liability of any Seller under this Agreement should exceed the portion of the Cash Consideration received by such Seller (net of any Taxes), such Seller shall be entitled, to the extent legally permissible, to compensate the Parent for such liability by way of transfer of Consideration Shares to the Parent or such person as the Parent may nominate with such Consideration Shares to be valued at the valuation contemplated by this Agreement.

 

10.4 If a matter giving rise to a claim of the Parent against a Seller (other than a Tax Claim) is capable of remedy, the Parent shall only be entitled to compensation pursuant to clause 10.3 if it gives the Sellers' Representatives written notice of the breach of this Agreement and the breach is not remedied within 20 Business Days after the date on which such notice is received by the Sellers' Representatives. The Parent shall provide (or shall procure that any relevant member of the Buyer's Group provides) all reasonable assistance to the Sellers' Representatives and the Sellers to remedy any such breach at the relevant Seller's costs.

 

10.5 The Parent shall not, either directly or indirectly through the Company, be entitled to recover more than once in respect of the same loss suffered.

 

10.6 Following the Merger, pursuant to which all assets and liabilities of the Company are transferred by universal succession to the Buyer, references in this Schedule to the Company shall be deemed, where appropriate, to include references to the Buyer.

 

89

 

 

Schedule 9

 

Completion Accounts

 

Part 1 – Preparation of the Completion Accounts

 

1. DEFINITIONS

 

In this schedule the following words and expressions shall have the following meanings unless otherwise stated:

 

"Completion Statement" means the statement of the Completion Working Capital in the format set out in part 3 and as agreed or determined in accordance with this part 1;

 

"Disagreement Notice" has the meaning given in paragraph 3.2;

 

"Draft Completion Accounts" has the meaning given in paragraph 3.1;

 

"Draft Completion Statement" has the meaning given in paragraph 3.1;

 

"Independent Accountant" means any independent chartered accountant appointed pursuant to paragraph 3.4 and in accordance with Schedule 10.

 

2. PREPARATION OF THE COMPLETION ACCOUNTS

 

3.1 The Buyer shall ensure that a draft of the Completion Accounts ("Draft Completion Accounts") is prepared and delivered to the Sellers' Representatives on or before the date falling 30 Business Days after Completion, together with a draft of the Completion Statement ("Draft Completion Statement") based on the Draft Completion Accounts signed by the Buyer and together with reasonable supporting documentation. The Draft Completion Accounts shall be drawn up in accordance with the instructions and applying the accounting principles, policies, methodologies, categorisations and practices set out in part 2 of this Schedule 9.

 

3.2 The Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement shall be deemed agreed by the Sellers’ Representatives on the date falling 20 Business Days after the date on which those documents are first received by the Sellers’ Representatives unless during that period the Sellers’ Representatives (acting jointly) give notice to the Buyer ("Disagreement Notice") that it disagrees with the Draft Completion Accounts and/or any amount or calculation included in the Draft Completion Statement. Any Disagreement Notice shall include, to the extent possible at the time and subject to the available documentation, reasonable details of the reasons for each disagreement and any suggested adjustment to the Draft Completion Accounts and Draft Completion Statement, together with reasonable supporting evidence.

 

3.3 If a Disagreement Notice is validly served by the Sellers’ Representatives, the Buyer and the Sellers’ Representatives shall attempt in good faith to resolve those matters referred to in the Disagreement Notice as being in dispute and no others and agree a final form of the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement on or before the date falling 20 Business Days after the date on which the Buyer receives the Disagreement Notice.

 

90

 

 

3.4 In the absence of agreement between the Buyer and the Sellers’ Representatives within the 20 Business Day period referred to in paragraph 3.3, the Buyer and the Sellers’ Representatives shall appoint an Independent Accountant (in accordance with Schedule 10) to deliver:

 

(a) a determination of the matters raised in the Disagreement Notice and which remain in dispute and for the purposes of his determination, the Independent Accountant:

 

(i) shall not be entitled to take into account matters not referred to or taken account in the Draft Completion Accounts, Draft Completion Statement or the Disagreement Notice (whether or not known about or discoverable at the date of the relevant document); and

 

(ii) shall not be entitled to deliver a Completion Statement containing a determination of the Completion Working Capital at a figure which is outside the range of figure for that amount contended by the Buyer and the Sellers’ Representatives; and

 

(b) a revised version of the Draft Completion Accounts and Draft Completion Statement adjusted to take account of the matters determined by him.

 

3.5 The Draft Completion Accounts and Draft Completion Statement, as agreed or deemed agreed between the Buyer and the Sellers’ Representatives, or as revised and determined by the Independent Accountant, in each case in accordance with this Schedule 9, shall (except in case of fraud or manifest error) be final and binding on the Parties for all purposes and shall constitute the Completion Accounts and the Completion Statement for the purposes of this Agreement.

 

3.6 The Buyer and the Sellers’ Representatives shall promptly provide to each other, each other's accountants and professional advisers and any Independent Accountant appointed pursuant to paragraph 3.4, access to and copies of all such documents and information as are in their possession or under their control (other than the working papers of any of their professional advisers) and access upon reasonable notice and during normal working hours to all relevant personnel as may in any case reasonably be requested for the purpose of preparing or reviewing the Draft Completion Accounts, the Draft Completion Statement and any Disagreement Notice or making a determination pursuant to paragraph 3.4. Nothing shall require any party to disclose or provide access to any documents or information which are legally privileged or which that party is required by law or other legally binding obligation to keep confidential.

 

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Part 2– Basis of Preparation of the Completion Accounts

 

The Completion Accounts shall:

 

(a) present a true and fair view of the assets and liabilities (Vermögenslage), financial position (Finanzlage), and results of operations (Ertragslage) of the Company (vermitteln ein möglichst getreues Bild der Vermögens-, Finanz- und Ertragslage);

 

(b) be prepared using the accounting principles, policies, methodologies and categorisations (including in respect of the exercise of accounting discretion and judgement) adopted by the Company in preparation of the Accounts, but only to the extent that the same are consistent with Austrian GAAP in force at the Completion Date;

 

(c) be prepared in accordance with the Austrian GAAP, using appropriate accounting policies and estimation techniques as required by the Austrian GAAP and reflect all transactions involving the business

 

(d) make full provision for Tax as at Completion in accordance with Austrian GAAP (including for the avoidance of doubt in respect of any Phantom Right or any Event in respect of any Phantom Right) with the date of Completion treated as the end of the accounting period for Tax purposes;

 

(e) make full provision for all actual liabilities, record and disclose all actual liabilities, make write offs reasonably regarded as adequate for all bad and doubtful debts and

 

(f) not take into account any Reliefs or assets in respect of Tax (including any deferred tax assets).

 

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Part 3 – Completion Statement

 

To: [                   ]

 

For the attention of: [                   ]

 

[Address]

 

 

 

 

Dear Sirs

 

We refer to the share sale, transfer and merger agreement ("Agreement") between the Sellers (as defined therein), Exscientia Limited and [Austrian Newco] (the “Buyer”) dated [●] 2021 providing for, inter alia, the sale to the Buyer of shares in Allcyte GmbH. Capitalised words and phrases used in this letter shall have the meanings given in the Agreement (unless the context requires otherwise).

 

We enclose a copy of the Completion Accounts drawn up, in our opinion, in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Agreement.

 

On the basis of the Completion Accounts:

 

[the Completion Working Capital is equal to the sum of €[●]].

 

 

 

 

 

for and on behalf of

 

[Austrian Newco]

 

93

 

 

Part 4 – Completion Accounts' Pro forma Format

 

 

94

 

 

Schedule 10

 

Appointment of Independent Accountant

 

1. Any matter which is referred, in accordance with this Agreement, for determination by an Independent Accountant shall be referred by either the Sellers’ Representatives (acting jointly) or the Buyer to:

 

1.1. an independent chartered accountant whose identity is agreed between the Sellers’ Representatives and the Buyer; or

 

1.2. failing such agreement on or before the date falling 10 Business Days after the date on which an individual is first proposed by either party to the other for the purpose, such independent chartered accountant as shall be nominated on the application of either party by the President for the time being of the Austrian Chamber of Tax Advisors and Chartered Accountants (Kammer der Steuerberater und Wirtschaftsprüfer).

 

2. The Buyer and the Sellers’ Representatives shall cooperate with each other in relation to the appointment of the Independent Accountant, including in relation to signing the terms of engagement of the Independent Accountant and (where relevant) agreeing to any terms and conditions required by the Austrian Chamber of Tax Advisors and Chartered Accountants (Kammer der Steuerberater und Wirtschaftsprüfer), in order for them to act as the appointing body of the Independent Accountant.

 

3. In making his determination, the Independent Accountant shall:

 

3.1. decide on the procedure and timetable to be followed in the determination, save that such procedure shall allow the Seller and the Buyer and their respective professional advisers to make written and oral representations to the Independent Accountant, shall require the Seller and the Buyer to provide each other with copies of or access to any information or documents provided to the Independent Accountant at the same time as they are provided or made available to the Independent Accountant, and shall permit each party to be present during any oral submissions made by the other party to the Independent Accountant;

 

3.2. be required to determine only those matters that this Agreement provides are capable of being referred to him for determination, but shall be entitled to make any determination as to the interpretation of this Agreement as is necessary to enable him to make a determination of the matters referred to him; and

 

3.3. be entitled to take legal advice on any matter relevant to his determination.

 

4. The Independent Accountant shall act as an expert and not as an arbitrator. He shall not be obliged to give reasons for his determination which shall, save in the case of fraud or manifest error, be final and binding on all Parties for all purposes. Other than in the case of fraud, no right of appeal shall exist in relation to that determination. Where there is a manifest error the relevant part of the determination shall be void and shall be referred back to the Independent Accountant for correction. The Independent Accountant shall be required to deliver his determination and any calculation, statement or accounts required to be provided by him by this Agreement to the Buyer and the Seller in writing as soon as reasonably practicable after his appointment.

 

95

 

 

5. The fees and expenses of the Independent Accountant together with VAT thereon ("Costs") shall, be borne as determined by the Independent Accountant in his sole discretion having regard to the relative merits of the arguments of each party.

 

6. The Sellers’ Representatives and the Buyer shall each use all reasonable endeavours to co-operate with the Independent Accountant to enable him to reach his determination within the time period set by this Agreement including by co-operating with any timetable and procedure set by the Independent Accountant and making available documents, information and personnel in accordance with paragraph 3.6 of part 1 of Schedule 9.

 

7. In the event that any Independent Accountant appointed pursuant to this Schedule 10 dies or becomes unwilling or incapable of acting, then the matters to be determined by the Independent Accountant shall be referred for determination to a replacement Independent Accountant and this Schedule 10 shall apply to the appointment of that replacement as if he were the first Independent Accountant appointed.

 

96

 

 

Schedule 11

 

STRUCTURE OVERVIEW

 

1. Shareholding in the Company at the date of this Agreement:

 

Seller Outstanding Share
(nominal amount in EUR)
Dr Giulio Superti-Furga 4,136
Dr Gregory Vladimer 10,072
Dr Berend Snijder 8,750
Dr Nikolaus Krall 6,125
Dr Gustav Ammerer 10,356
Dr Werner Lanthaler 2,333
W.LAN Holding GmbH 2,119
PUSH Ventures GmbH & Co KG 3,532
42CAP III GmbH & Co. KG 9,182
Air Street Capital I LP 4,238
Valentin Piëch 2,119
Amino Collective I GmbH & Co. KG 1,059
Krall Privatstiftung 2,625

 

2. Sale, transfer and assignment of the Sale Shares in exchange for a consideration consisting of a portion of the Cash Consideration and Consideration Shares as follows:

 

Seller Sale Share
(nominal amount

in EUR)
Consideration
Cash Consideration Consideration
Shares
Dr Giulio Superti-Furga 2,659.45 yes n/a
Dr Gregory Vladimer 3,947.00 yes n/a
Dr Berend Snijder 5,626.25 yes n/a
Dr Nikolaus Krall 0 n/a n/a
Dr Gustav Ammerer 8,357.29 yes n/a
Dr Werner Lanthaler 1,299.48 yes n/a
W.LAN Holding GmbH 1,180.28 yes n/a
PUSH Ventures GmbH & Co KG 1,260.92 yes n/a
42CAP III GmbH & Co. KG 9,182 yes 1,546
Air Street Capital I LP 4,238 yes 713
Valentin Piëch 2,119 yes 245
Amino Collective I GmbH & Co. KG 1,059 yes 178
Krall Privatstiftung 2,625 yes n/a
Total 43,553.67 n/a 2,682

 

97

 

 

3. Shareholding in the Company immediately after Completion:

 

Shareholder Share quota
(nominal amount in EUR)
Dr Giulio Superti-Furga 1,476.55
Dr Gregory Vladimer 6,125.00
Dr Berend Snijder 3,123.75
Dr Nikolaus Krall 6,125
Dr Gustav Ammerer 1,998.71
Dr Werner Lanthaler 1,033.52
W.LAN Holding GmbH 938.72
PUSH Ventures GmbH & Co KG 2,271.08
The Buyer 43,553.67
Total 66,646

 

4. Receipt of Consideration Shares by the Sellers holding Merger Shares as a result of Merger Completion as follows:

 

Seller holding Merger Shares Consideration Shares
Dr Giulio Superti-Furga 386
Dr Gregory Vladimer 1,604
Dr Berend Snijder 818
Dr Nikolaus Krall 1,604
Dr Gustav Ammerer 523
Dr Werner Lanthaler 270
W.LAN Holding GmbH 245
PUSH Ventures GmbH & Co KG 594
Total 6,044

 

98

 

 

PARENT    
     
     
     
EXSCIENTIA LIMITED    )  

 

99

 

 

SELLERS    
     
     
     
W.LAN HOLDING GMBH    )  
     
     
     
PUSH VENTURES GMBH & CO KG    )  
     
     
     
42CAP III GMBH & CO. KG    )  
     
     
     
AIR STREET CAPITAL I LP    )  
     
     
     
AMINO COLLECTIVE I GMBH & CO. KG    )  
     
     
     
VALENTIN PIËCH    )  
     
     
     
DR GIULIO SUPERTI-FURGA    )  

 

100

 

 

 

DR GREGORY VLADIMER    )  
     
     
     
DR BEREND SNIJDER    )  
     
     
     
DR NIKOLAUS KRALL    )  
     
     
     
DR GUSTAV AMMERER    )  
     
     
     
DR WERNER LANTHALER    )  
     
     
     
KRALL PRIVATSTIFTUNG    

 

101

 

Exhibit 10.10

 

SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT

 

This Subscription Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of 1 September 2021 (the “Effective Date”), by and between Exscientia LIMITED (registered number 13483814), a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales whose registered office is The Schrodinger Building, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, United Kingdom, which will be re-registered as a public limited company named Exscientia plc prior to the IPO (as defined below) (the “Company”) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a Washington charitable trust that is a tax-exempt private foundation organized and existing under the laws of Washington and having its principal place of business at 500 Fifth Avenue North, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States (the “Subscriber”).

 

BACKGROUND

 

(A)        Whereas, the Subscriber, the Company and Exscientia AI Limited (registered number SC428761), a private limited company incorporated under the laws of Scotland (“Exscientia”) will enter into that certain Global Access Commitments Agreement dated on or around the date hereof (the “Global Access Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company and Exscientia have agreed to research, discover, and develop small molecule anti-infective therapeutics with respect to certain diseases to further significantly the accomplishment of the Subscriber’s charitable purposes, including the relief of the poor, distressed and underprivileged and reducing the burden of disease in developing countries, as set forth in the Global Access Agreement.

 

(B)        Whereas, in furtherance of its charitable mission, the Subscriber desires to provide funding to the Company to be used by the Company and Exscientia solely for the purpose of carrying out the scope of work pursuant to the Global Access Agreement. Accordingly, the Company and the Subscriber desire to enter into this Agreement, pursuant to which the Subscriber agrees to subscribe for US$35,000,000 of the Company’s American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), each ADS representing one of the ordinary shares in the capital of the Company (the “Ordinary Shares”) in a private placement that will close concurrently with the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) of ADSs as described herein.

 

AGREEMENT

 

Now, Therefore, in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the mutual promises, warranties, and covenants hereinafter set forth and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.             Subscription. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, in the event that the Company consummates an IPO pursuant to an effective registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Subscriber shall, in a concurrent private placement exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, subscribe for that number of ADSs, rounded down to avoid fractional ADSs (the “Securities”), determined by dividing US$35,000,000 (thirty five million U.S. dollars) (the “Subscription Amount”) by the price per ADS at which the ADSs are offered for subscription to the public in the IPO, as set forth on the cover page of the final prospectus for the IPO (the “IPO Price”) and such purchase will occur concurrently with, and be conditioned upon, the closing of the IPO.

 

2.             Agreement To Subscribe.

 

2.1           Subscription for the Securities. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Subscriber hereby applies for and agrees to subscribe for, and the Company accepts such application and will allot and issue to the Subscriber, in a concurrent private placement exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities at a subscription price per ADS equal to the IPO Price.

 

 

 

 

 

2.2           Closing Date. The subscription for the Securities (the “Closing”) shall take place, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the Conditions (other than those Conditions that are to be satisfied on the Closing) simultaneously with the closing of the IPO at such place as may be mutually agreed between the Company and the Subscriber (the date of such Closing is hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date”).

 

2.3           Actions by the Subscriber and the Company at Closing. At the Closing, the Subscriber shall pay the Subscription Amount by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account specified in writing by the Company and provided to the Subscriber no later than two business days prior to the Closing Date and, subject to receipt thereof, the Company will issue the Securities by (a) causing the CREST account of the nominee of Citibank, N.A., the Company’s depositary for its ADS program (the “Depositary”), to be credited with the Securities issued and sold hereunder, and (b) instructing the Depositary to issue restricted, uncertificated ADSs evidencing the Securities in the name of the Subscriber, in an account of the Company’s restricted ADS facility, and provide evidence of the same to the Subscriber, no later than five business days after the Closing Date.

 

3.             Warranties of the Company.

 

Except as may be disclosed in the Registration Statement or separately provided by the Company to the Subscriber prior to the date hereof, the Company hereby warrants to the Subscriber as follows as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date (except for the warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be made as of such date):

 

3.1           Organization; Qualification. The Company is a company duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of England and Wales and has all requisite corporate power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted. The Company has at all times complied with all provisions of its articles of association (the “Articles”) and is not in default under, or in violation of, any such provision of the Articles. The Company is not, and has never been, a “shell company,” as described in paragraphs (i)(1)(i) and (ii) of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act.

 

3.2           Capitalization. The issued share capital of the Company and details of the securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable therefor as of immediately prior to the Closing, including the holders thereof, will be disclosed in the Registration Statement.

 

3.3           Authorization; Binding Obligations. The Company has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and any and all instruments necessary or appropriate in order to effectuate fully the terms and conditions contained herein and all related transactions and to perform its obligations hereunder. This Agreement has been and the allotment, issuance, and delivery of the Securities will be duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company, and the Agreement has been duly executed by the Company and constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms and conditions. The authorization, allotment, issuance, and delivery of the Securities will be duly authorized by all requisite action of the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) and shareholders.

 

3.4           Valid Issuance of the Securities; Exemption from Registration. When issued in accordance with this Agreement, the ADSs and underlying Ordinary Shares will be (i) duly and validly issued, fully paid, free of any liens, options, encumbrances, proxies, adverse claims or restrictions imposed by the Company except as set forth in the Companies Act 2006 or the Articles and (ii) assuming the accuracy of the Subscriber’s warranties in this Agreement at the time of such issuance, exempt from registration and/or qualification under the Securities Act and all applicable U.S. state securities laws, and issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws.

 

 

 

 

 

3.5           Non-Contravention. No consent, approval, notice, order or authorization of, or registration, qualification, designation, declaration or filing with, any U.S. or UK governmental authority (other than filings required to be made in accordance with the Companies Act 2006) on the part of the Company or the Depositary is required in connection with (i) the authorization and execution of this Agreement or (ii) the authorization, allotment and issuance of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement. The Company is not in violation or default of any instrument, judgment, order, writ, decree or contract to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or of any provision of any statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company, which violation or default would materially and adversely affect the business of the Company.

 

3.6           Compliance with Securities Laws; No Integration. Assuming the accuracy of the Subscriber’s warranties, (i) no registration of the Securities is required under the Securities Act or any applicable US state securities laws in connection with the allotment and issue of the Securities to the Subscriber and (ii) the allotment and issuance of the Securities to the Subscriber will not be in violation of the Articles, in each case when such Securities are allotted and issued in accordance with this Agreement. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries or any affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf, has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any ADSs or Ordinary Shares under circumstances that would adversely affect reliance by the Company on Section 4(a)(2) and Regulation D of the Securities Act for the exemption from registration of Securities issued pursuant to a private placement, as contemplated by this Agreement, or would otherwise require registration of the Securities under the Securities Act as an integrated offering.

 

3.7           Investment Company. The Company is not and, immediately after giving effect to the allotment and issue of the Securities, will not be required to register as an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

3.8           No General Solicitation. Except with respect to the ADSs sold in the IPO, neither the Company nor its subsidiaries or any affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf, has offered or sold any of the Securities by any form of general solicitation or general advertising.

 

3.9           IPO Registration Statement. The IPO Registration Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) will conform, and the final prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”) and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, will conform, in all material respects, to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, and as of its date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

3.10        “Bad Actor” Status. Neither the Company nor any of its Rule 506(d) Related Parties (as defined below) is a “bad actor” within the meaning of Rule 506(d) promulgated under the Securities Act. For purposes of this Agreement, “Rule 506(d) Related Party” shall mean a person or entity covered by the “Bad Actor disqualification” provision of Rule 506(d) of the Securities Act.

 

 

 

 

 

4.             Warranties of the Subscriber.

 

4.1           Investment Warranties.

 

(a)           The Subscriber warrants to the Company that: (i) it is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D of the Securities Act; (ii) it has sufficient knowledge and experience in investing in companies similar to the Company in terms of the Company’s stage of development, so as to be able to evaluate the risks and merits of its investment in the Company and it is able financially to bear the risks thereof; (iii) it has had an opportunity to discuss the Company’s business, management and financial affairs with the Company’s management; and (iv) its financial condition is such that it is able to bear the risk of holding the Securities for an indefinite period of time and can bear the loss of the entire investment in such securities.

 

(b)           This Agreement is made in reliance upon the Subscriber’s express representations that (i) the Securities being subscribed for by the Subscriber are being acquired for the Subscriber’s own account (and not on behalf of any other person or entity) and not with a view to, or for sale in connection with, the distribution thereof, nor with any present intention of distributing or selling the Securities or any portion thereof; (ii) the Subscriber was not organized for the specific purpose of acquiring the Securities; and (iii) the Securities will not be sold by the Subscriber without registration under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption therefrom.

 

(c)           Subject to Section 7.3, the Subscriber understands that until such time as the Securities shall have been registered under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or shall have been transferred in accordance with an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Depositary that such registration is not required, stop transfer instructions shall be issued to the Company’s Depositary, and any certificate or certificates representing such Securities shall bear a restrictive legend stating that such Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws and referring to restrictions on the transferability and sale thereof. The Subscriber further understands that its warranties hereunder will not preclude disposition of the Securities without registration thereof, in compliance with Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”).

 

4.2           Receipt of Information. The Subscriber believes it has received all the information the Subscriber considers necessary or appropriate for deciding whether to purchase the Securities. The Subscriber has been afforded an opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the subscription for the Securities, the Company’s business, operations, market potential, capitalization, financial condition and prospects, and all other matters deemed relevant by the Subscriber. The foregoing, however, does not limit or modify the warranties of the Company in Section 3 of this Agreement.

 

4.3           Authorization. The Subscriber has all requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation of the Subscriber, enforceable against the Subscriber in accordance with its terms.

 

4.4           “Bad Actor” Status. The Subscriber hereby warrants that neither it nor any of its Rule 506(d) Related Parties is a “bad actor” within the meaning of Rule 506(d) promulgated under the Securities Act.

 

4.5           Legends. The Subscriber understands and agrees that the certificates or confirmations evidencing or confirming the Securities, or any other securities issued in respect of the Securities upon any share split, share consolidation, recapitalization, or similar event, shall bear the restrictive legend in substantially the following form, subject to Section 7.3.

 

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND NOT WITH A VIEW TO, OR IN CONNECTION WITH, THE SALE OR DISTRIBUTION THEREOF. NO SUCH TRANSFER MAY BE EFFECTED WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE ACT RELATED THERETO AND COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, A VALID EXEMPTION FROM SUCH REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL IN A FORM REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.”

 

 

 

 

 

4.6       Restricted ADS Facility. The Subscriber agrees that it shall not, prior to the day on which the Securities have become freely transferrable under the Securities Act and under any terms of this Agreement including but not limited to Section 6.1 and Section 7, deposit the Securities into the unrestricted ADS facility of the Company with the Depositary nor request the issuance by such depositary of any unrestricted ADSs or American Depositary Receipts in respect of the Securities.

 

5.             Conditions To Closing (the “Conditions”).

 

5.1           Conditions to the Subscriber’s Obligations at the Closing. The obligations of the Subscriber under this Agreement are subject to the satisfaction (or, if permitted by law, waiver in writing by the Subscriber), at or prior to the Closing Date, of the following conditions:

 

(a)           No Injunction, etc. No preliminary or permanent injunction or other binding order, decree or ruling issued by a court or governmental agency shall be in effect which shall have the effect of preventing the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. No action or claim shall be pending before any court or quasi-judicial or administrative agency of any federal, state, local or foreign jurisdiction or before any arbitrator wherein an unfavorable injunction, judgment, order, decree, ruling or charge would be reasonably likely to (i) prevent consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) cause any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to be rescinded following consummation or (iii) have the effect of making illegal the purchase of, or payment for, any of the Securities by the Subscriber.

 

(b)           Warranties True. The warranties in Section 3 made by the Company shall be true and correct in all material respects (except for such warranties that are qualified by materiality, which shall be true and correct in all respects) on and as of the Closing Date with the same effect as though such warranties had been made on and as of such date, except to the extent expressly made as of a specified date, which shall be true and correct as of such date.

 

(c)           Performance. The Company shall have performed and complied with all covenants, agreements, obligations and conditions contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by it on or before the Closing Date.

 

(d)           Securities Law Compliance. The offer and sale of the Securities to the Subscriber pursuant to this Agreement shall be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and the registration and/or qualification requirements of all applicable state securities laws.

 

(e)           Consents, Permits, and Waivers. All consents, permits and waivers, if any, of any governmental authority or regulatory body that are required in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall have been duly obtained and shall be effective on and as of the Closing.

 

(f)            Documents. The Company shall deliver or procure the delivery to the Subscriber of the Global Access Agreement, duly executed by the Company and Exscientia.

 

5.2           Conditions to Obligations of the Company. The obligations of the Company under this Agreement are subject to the satisfaction (or, if permitted by law, waiver in writing by the Company), on or prior to the Closing Date, of the following conditions:

 

(a)           Warranties True. The warranties in Section 4 made by the Subscriber shall be true and correct in all material respects (except for such warranties that are qualified by materiality which shall be true and correct in all respects) on and as of the Closing with the same effect as though such warranties had been made on and as of the Closing.

 

 

 

 

 

(b)           Performance. The Subscriber shall have performed and complied with all covenants, agreements, obligations and conditions contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by it on or before the Closing Date.

 

(c)           Securities Law Compliance. The offer and sale of the Securities to the Subscriber pursuant to this Agreement shall be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and the registration and/or qualification requirements of all applicable state securities laws.

 

(d)           Consents, Permits, and Waivers. All consents, permits and waivers, if any, of any governmental authority or regulatory body that are required in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall have been duly obtained and shall be effective on and as of the Closing.

 

(e)           Documents. The Subscriber shall deliver or procure the delivery to the Company of the Global Access Agreement, duly executed by the Subscriber.

 

(f)            Lock-Up Agreement. The Subscriber shall have executed and delivered a lock-up agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company and the underwriters of the IPO, and such agreement shall be in full force and effect as of the Closing.

 

6.             Covenants and Agreements

 

6.1           Standstill Provision. Subject to Section 6.2 of this Agreement, during the six month period commencing on the effective date of the IPO Registration Statement (the “Standstill Period”), without the prior written approval of the Board, neither the Subscriber, any of the Subscriber’s controlled Affiliates nor any of the Subscriber’s representatives acting on behalf of or in concert with the Subscriber will, in any manner, directly or indirectly:

 

(a)           make, effect, initiate or participate in (i) any acquisition of beneficial ownership of any voting securities of the Company (“Voting Securities”) (including derivatives thereof) or debt securities, except as a result of a share split, share dividend or other pro rata distribution made by the Company to its shareholders and in which the Subscriber participates solely in its capacity as a shareholder of the Company or (ii) any acquisition of all or a material portion of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis or (iii) any tender offer, takeover offer, exchange offer, merger, business combination, scheme of arrangement, recapitalization, restructuring, liquidation, dissolution or extraordinary transaction involving the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or involving any securities or assets of the Company or any securities or assets of any subsidiary of the Company (provided that the Subscriber may tender its securities in any tender or exchange offer made by any third party provided that the Subscriber is not in breach of Section 6.1 of this Agreement), or (iv) any “solicitation” of “proxies” (as those terms are used in the proxy rules of the Commission) or consents with respect to the Voting Securities;

 

(b)           form, join or participate in a “group” (as defined in the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder) with respect to the beneficial ownership of any Voting Securities or debt securities of the Company or any subsidiary or division of the Company;

 

(c)           act, alone or in concert with others, to seek to control or influence the management, the Board or policies of the Company;

 

(d)           take any action that would reasonably be expected to cause the Company, the Subscriber or any other person to be required under applicable securities laws to make a public announcement regarding any of the types of matters set forth in Subsection 6.1(a);

 

 

 

 

 

  

(e)           agree or offer to take, or knowingly encourage or propose (publicly or otherwise) the taking of, any action referred to in Subsections 6.1(a), 6.1(b), 6.1(c), or 6.1(d);

 

(f)            assist, induce or encourage any other Person to take any action of the type referred to in Subsections 6.1(a), 6.1(b), 6.1(c), 6.1(d) or 6.1(e) (provided that the Subscriber shall not be deemed to be in violation of this clause (f) unless the person providing such assistance, inducement or encouragement knew or reasonably should have known at the time he or she did so that doing so violated this Section 6.1, or knew or reasonably should have known after such time and did not attempt to halt such actions);

 

(g)           enter into any discussions, negotiations, arrangement or agreement with any other Person with the intent to effect any of the foregoing (provided that the Subscriber shall not be deemed to be in violation of this clause (g) with respect to discussions or negotiations unless the person entering into such discussions or negotiations knew or reasonably should have known at the time he or she did so that doing so violated this Section 6.1 or knew or reasonably should have known after such time and did not attempt to halt such actions); or

 

(h)           request or propose (either directly or indirectly) that the Company or any of the Company’s representatives amend, waive or consider the amendment or waiver of any provision set forth in this Section 6 (including this sub-paragraph).

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, (i) nothing in this Section 6.1 will be deemed to prohibit the Subscriber from confidentially communicating to the Board or the Company’s senior management or external financial advisors any non-public proposals regarding a possible transaction of any kind in such a manner as would not reasonably be expected to (x) require public disclosure thereof under applicable law or listing standards of any securities exchange; or (y) require either the Company or the Subscriber to take any public action under applicable law or listing standards of any securities exchange; and (ii) this Section 6.1 shall terminate upon a Fundamental Change Event. “Fundamental Change Event” means:

 

(a) the Company enters into, or publicly announces the intention to enter into, a definitive written agreement with any Person other than the Subscriber (or any of its Affiliates) to consummate a merger, consolidation or similar transaction pursuant to which (1) any Person other than the Subscriber (or any of its Affiliates) will acquire 50% or more of the issued voting share capital of the Company or (2) the Company and its subsidiaries will sell to any Person other than the Subscriber (or any of its Affiliates) all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries;

 

(b) the Board of Directors of the Company recommends to the shareholders of the Company any acquisition by any Person of all or more than 50% of the issued voting share capital of the Company or all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries;

 

(c) any Person or “group” (as defined in the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder) that is or includes a company (other than the Subscriber or any of the Subscriber’s controlled Affiliates) that is in the business of developing, marketing, selling or manufacturing human therapeutics (such company, a “Pharmaceutical Company”) acquires, or publicly announces a proposal or intention to acquire, Voting Securities representing 25% or more of the then outstanding Voting Securities; or

 

(d) any Person or “group” that is or includes a Pharmaceutical Company commences a tender or exchange offer to acquire 50% or more of the issued voting share capital of the Company.

 

 

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Fundamental Change Event shall not include any internal reorganization transactions involving only the Company, one or more of its subsidiaries and/or any holding company formed for the purpose of such transactions. In addition, nothing contained herein shall limit the ability of the Company to make any disclosures required by applicable law. The expiration of the Standstill Period will not terminate or otherwise affect any other of the provisions of this Agreement. For purposes of Section 6.1, (y) “Affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 12b-2 of the regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (z) “Voting Securities” shall mean at any time securities of any class of the share capital of the Company which are entitled to vote generally in the election of directors including but not limited to ADSs and Ordinary Shares.

 

6.2           Restrictions on Transfer.

 

(a)           Until the expiration or earlier termination of the Standstill Period, the Subscriber will not Transfer any Securities; provided, however, that the Subscriber shall be permitted to Transfer any portion or all of its Securities, at any time under the following circumstances:

 

(i)            Transfers to any of its Affiliates, but only upon notice in writing to the Company and provided the transferee agrees in writing for the benefit of the Company (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company) to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Transferee and the transferor will agree for the express benefit of the Company that the transferee shall Transfer any Securities back to the transferor at or before such time the transferee ceases to be an Affiliate of the transferor.

 

(ii)           Transfers that have been approved in writing by the Board.

 

(iii)          Transfers made pursuant to the Withdrawal Right (such term as is defined in the Global Access Agreement) in accordance with the Global Access Agreement.

 

(b)           Notwithstanding Subsection 6.2(a), the Subscriber may transfer up to 15% of the aggregate Securities held by the Subscriber and its Affiliates in each quarterly period.

 

(c)           In the event of any Transfer by the Subscriber of its Securities, the Subscriber shall notify the Company in writing of such Transfer. Additionally, in the event of any Transfer by the Subscriber to an Affiliate of the Subscriber, the pledgee, transferee or donee shall furnish the Company with a written agreement to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement, including but not limited to the provisions applicable to the Subscriber pursuant to this Section 6 (the “Transferee Agreement”). In addition to any other conditions set forth in this Agreement or as otherwise required by the Company, such Transfer to an Affiliate of the Subscriber shall not be valid unless and until the Company receives the Transferee Agreement. After the effectiveness of the Transfer, such pledgee, transferee or donee shall be treated as the “Subscriber” for purposes of this Agreement.

 

(d)           For purposes of this Section 6.2, “Transfer” by any Person means directly or indirectly, to sell, transfer, assign, pledge, encumber, hypothecate or similarly dispose of, either voluntarily or involuntarily, or to enter into any contract, option or other arrangement or understanding with respect to the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or similar disposition of, any securities beneficially owned by such Person or of any interest (including any voting interest) in any securities beneficially owned by such Person. For the avoidance of doubt, a transfer of control of the direct or indirect beneficial ownership of securities is a Transfer of such securities for purposes of this Agreement.

 

6.3           Registration Rights. The Company agrees that if and to the extent that it enters into an agreement with the Investors (as defined therein) to provide for registration rights as contemplated in its shareholders’ agreement dated 27 April 2021 (the “Shareholders’ Agreement”) in connection with the IPO, it shall enter into an agreement on substantially the same terms with the Subscriber. The Subscriber acknowledges, however, that if after consultation with the underwriters that are appointed for the registration, the total number of registrable securities requested to be included in the registration exceeds the number of registrable securities that can be included in the registration, then the number of securities that may be included in the registration shall be allocated to the Investors requesting inclusion of their securities in such registration and the Subscriber on a pro rata basis in accordance with their respective percentage share of the total ADSs that will be held by such Investors and the Subscriber immediately after the IPO.

 

 

 

7.             Rule 144

 

7.1           Rule 144 Reporting. With a view to making available to the Subscriber the benefits of certain rules and regulations of the Commission which may permit the sale of the Securities to the public without registration, the Company agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to:

 

(A)           make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144(c);

 

(b)           file or furnish with the Commission in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Exchange Act; and

 

(c)           furnish the Subscriber forthwith upon request (i) a written statement by the Company as to its compliance with the current public information requirement of Rule 144(c), (ii) an electronic copy of the most recent periodic report of the Company, and (iii) such other reports and documents as may be reasonably requested in availing the Subscriber of any rule or regulation of the Commission permitting the sale of any such securities without registration.

 

7.2           Removal of Restrictive Legend. Any ADSs representing the Securities, when issued, shall not bear the restrictive legend set forth in Section 4.6: (i) following a sale of such Securities pursuant to a registration statement covering the resale of such Securities, while such registration statement is effective under the Securities Act; (ii) following any sale of such Securities pursuant to Rule 144; (iii) if such Securities are eligible for sale under Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such Securities and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions; or (iv) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Commission). The Company agrees that at such time as the restrictive legend set forth in Section 4.6 is no longer required under this section, then no later than five (5) business days following the later of (a) delivery by the Subscriber to the Company of customary representations regarding the facts to support the removal of the restrictive legends; and (b) delivery to the Depositary, as the case may be, the information reasonably required by the Depositary in connection with such request, the Company shall (x) in the event that such Securities are certificated, deliver or cause to be delivered to the Subscriber a certificate representing such Securities that is free from such restrictive legend, or (y) cause its Depositary, as the case may be, to remove any such restrictive legend in the Company’s records of its share capital.

 

7.3           American Depositary Shares. For purposes of Section 6 and this Section 7, the term “Voting Securities” shall, as the context requires, be deemed to refer to any ADSs or Ordinary Shares.

 

8.             Miscellaneous.

 

8.1           Withdrawal Right. The Securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement shall be subject to the Withdrawal Right (such term as is defined in the Global Access Agreement), and nothing in this Agreement is intended to limit, diminish or contradict the rights and obligations of the parties in the Global Access Agreement. In the event of any inconsistency between this Agreement and the Global Access Agreement, the Global Access Agreement shall control.

 

 

 

8.2           Costs and Expenses. Each Party shall bear its own costs and expenses in connection with negotiation of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the Subscriber will be responsible for any fees of the depositary that arise regarding its Securities.

 

8.3           Governing Law. This Agreement (and any dispute or claim relating to it or its subject matter (including non- contractual claims)) is governed by and is to be construed in accordance with English law.

 

8.4           Jurisdiction. The parties irrevocably agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any claim, dispute or issue (including non-contractual claims) which may arise out of or in connection with this Agreement or its enforceability.

 

8.5           Survival. The warranties of the Company and the Subscriber contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement shall survive any investigation made by the Subscriber, the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Closing.

 

8.6           Successors and Assigns. The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Neither the Company nor the Subscriber shall have the right to assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party.

 

8.7           Entire Agreement. This Agreement including the exhibits and schedules attached hereto, constitutes the full and entire understanding and agreement between the parties with regard to the subjects hereof and thereof and no party shall be liable for or bound to any other in any manner by any oral or written representations, warranties, covenants and agreements except as specifically set forth herein and therein.

 

8.8           Severability. In the event one or more of the provisions of this Agreement should, for any reason, be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent possible.

 

8.9           Amendment and Waiver. This Agreement may be amended or modified, and the rights and the obligations of the Company and the rights and obligations of the Subscriber may be waived, only upon the written consent of the Company and the Subscriber.

 

 

 

8.10        Notices. All notices and other communications which are required or permitted hereunder will be in writing and sufficient if delivered personally, sent by electronic mail or facsimile (and promptly confirmed by personal delivery, registered or certified mail or overnight courier), sent by nationally-recognized overnight courier or sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, addressed as follows:

 

To the Company: Exscientia Limited
The Schrodinger Building, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, United Kingdom
Attention: Ben Taylor, CFO and Dan Ireland, VP, Legal
Email: brt@exscientia.ai and legal@exscientia.co.uk
   
With a copy, which shall not constitute notice, to:
   
  Cooley (UK) LLP
  22 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4BQ
  Attention: David Boles
  Email: dboles@cooley.com
   
To the Subscriber: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  PO Box 23350
  Seattle, Washington
  United States
  Attention: Vidya Vasu-Devan, Director, Strategic Investment Fund and Keith Matthews, General Counsel
  Email: SIFPortfolio@gatesfoundation.org and
Keith.matthews@gatesfoundation.org
   
With a copy, which shall not constitute notice, to:
 
  Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP
  Condor House
  Condor House, 5-10 St. Paul's Churchyard
  London EC4M 8AL
  UK
  Attention: Jayne McGlynn
  Email: celia.roady@ morganlewis.com;
karen.abesamis@morganlewis.com;
jayne.mcglynn@morganlewis.com

 

or to such other address as the party to whom notice is to be given may have furnished to the other party in writing in accordance herewith. Any such notice will be deemed to have been given: (a) when delivered if personally delivered on a business day (or if delivered or sent on a non-business day, then on the next business day); (b) on the business day of receipt if sent by overnight courier or electronic mail; or (c) on the business day of receipt if sent by mail.

 

8.11        Titles and Subtitles. The titles of the sections and subsections of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and are not to be considered in construing this Agreement.

 

8.12        Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one instrument. Any or all parties may execute this Agreement by facsimile signature or scanned signature in PDF format and any such facsimile signature or scanned signature, if identified, legible and complete, shall be deemed an original signature and each of the parties is hereby authorized to rely thereon.

 

8.13        Broker’s Fees. Each party hereto warrants that no agent, broker, investment banker, person or firm acting on behalf of or under the authority of such party hereto is or will be entitled to any broker’s or finder’s fee or any other commission directly or indirectly in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein. Each party hereto further agrees to indemnify each other party for any claims, losses or expenses incurred by such other party as a result of the warranties in this Section 8.13 being untrue.

 

8.14        Termination. The parties hereto may terminate this Agreement by mutual written agreement. This Agreement will terminate and cease to have any effect if Closing has not occurred by 31 December 2021 (or such later date as may be agreed in writing between the Company and the Subscriber). Any termination of this Agreement in accordance with this Section 8.14 shall be without prejudice to any accrued rights or obligations of any party to this Agreement.

 

[THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

 

 

In Witness Whereof, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first set forth above.

  

EXECUTED by EXSCIENTIA LIMITED acting

)

by a director )  
     
EXECUTED by the BILL & MELINDA GATES )
FOUNDATION acting by a duly authorized )  
officer )  

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.11

 

 

DATED 27 July 2018

   

(1) THE OXFORD SCIENCE PARK LIMITED

  

and

  

(2) EX SCIENTIA LIMITED

  

LEASE

  

relating to

Part Ground Floor, The Schrodinger Building

The Oxford Science Park

Sandford-on-Thames

Oxford

 

Knights plc

Festival House

Jessop Avenue

Cheltenham

Gloucestershire

GL50 3SH

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

CLAUSE

 

1. Definitions and Interpretation 1
     
2. Demise 6
     
3. Tenant’s Covenants 7
     
4. Landlord’s Covenants 22
     
5. Energy Performance Certificates 24
     
6. Miscellaneous Provisions 24
     
7. New Lease 29
     
Schedule 1 30
     
Part 1 - Particulars of the Demised Premises 30
     
Part 2 - Easements and Rights Granted 30
     
Part 3 - Exceptions and Reservations 32
     
Part 4 - Documents Affecting Title 32
     
Schedule 2 - Provisions for the review of the principal rent 33
     
Schedule 3 - Provisions relating to the Service Charge 37
     
Part 1 - Services relating to the Science Park 37
     
Part 2 - Services relating to the Building 38
     
Part 3 - Calculation of Tenant’s Proportion 40
     
Schedule 4 - Science Park Regulations and Stipulations 42
     
Schedule 5 43
     
Part 1 - Surety Covenants 43
     
Part 2 - Form of Authorised Guarantee Agreement 46

 

 

 

 

PRESCRIBED CLAUSES

 

LR1. Date of lease

 

27 July 2018

 

LR2. Title number(s)

 

LR2.1 Landlord’s title number(s)

 

ON324755

 

LR2.2 Other title numbers

 

ON323918

 

LR3. Parties to this Lease

 

Landlord

 

THE OXFORD SCIENCE PARK LIMITED company registration number 2287341 whose registered office is at Magdalen College, High Street, Oxford OX1 4AU (Landlord).

 

Tenant

 

EX SCIENTIA LIMITED company registration number SC428761 whose registered office is at Dundee Incubator, James Lindsay Place, Dundee, DD1 5JJ (Tenant).

 

Guarantor

 

None.

 

LR4. Property

 

In the case of a conflict between this clause and the remainder of this Lease then, for the purposes of registration, this clause shall prevail.

 

The land demised by this Lease is known as Part Ground Floor, The Schrödinger Building, The Oxford Science Park, Sandford-on-Thames, Oxford defined as the Demised Premises in clause 1.1.

 

LR5. Prescribed statements etc.

 

LR5.1 Statements prescribed under rules 179 (dispositions in favour of a charity), 180 (dispositions by a charity) or 196 (leases under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993) of the Land Registration Rules 2003.

 

None.

 

LR5.2 This lease is made under, or by reference to, provisions of:

 

None.

 

 

 

 

LR6. Term for which the Property is leased

 

The term as specified in this Lease at clause 2.

 

LR7. Premium

 

None.

 

LR8. Prohibitions or restrictions on disposing of this Lease

 

This lease contains a provision that prohibits or restricts dispositions.

 

LR9. Rights of acquisition etc.

 

LR9.1 Tenant’s contractual rights to renew this Lease, to acquire the reversion or another lease of the Property, or to acquire an interest in other land

 

None.

 

LR9.2 Tenant’s covenant to (or offer to) surrender this Lease

 

None.

 

LR9.3 Landlord’s contractual rights to acquire this Lease

 

None.

 

LR10. Restrictive covenants given in this Lease by the Landlord in respect of land other than the Property

 

None.

 

LR11. Easements

 

LR11.1 Easements granted by this Lease for the benefit of the Property

 

See Schedule 1 Part 2.

 

LR11.2 Easements granted or reserved by this Lease over the Property for the benefit of other property

 

See Schedule 1 Part 3.

 

LR12. Estate rent charge burdening the Property N/A.

 

N/A

 

LR13. Application for standard form of restriction

 

None.

 

LR14. Declaration of trust where there is more than one person comprising the Tenant

 

Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

THIS LEASE is made on 27 July 2018

 

BETWEEN:

 

(1) THE OXFORD SCIENCE PARK LIMITED (company number 2287341) whose registered office is at Magdalen College, High Street, Oxford, OX1 4AU (Landlord); and

 

(2) EX SCIENTIA LIMITED (company number 07617346) whose registered office is at Dundee Incubator, James Lindsay Place, Dundee, DD1 5JJ (Tenant).

 

NOW THIS DEED WITNESSETH as follows:

 

1. Definitions and Interpretation

 

1.1. Throughout this Lease including the Schedules the following words and expressions have the following meanings:

  

Adjoining Property: any adjoining or neighbouring property belonging to the Landlord from time to time.
     
Agreement for Lease: the Agreement for Lease relating to the Demised Premises dated 27 July 2018 and made between The Oxford Science Park Limited (1) and Ex Scientia Limited (2).
     
Base Rate: either the base rate of National Westminster Bank Plc for the time being in force (or such other Bank being a member of the Committee of London Clearing Banks as the Landlord may from time to time nominate) or if no such base rate can be ascertained then such alternative rate at the relevant time which the Landlord may reasonably specify in writing in substitution therefor.
     
Building: the building known as The Schrödinger Building shown edged green on plan C annexed to this Lease.
     
Building Services: the services specified in Part II of Schedule 2.
     
Car Park: the car parking area within the Plot.
     
Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery: the procedure by which a landlord can recover rent arrears due under a commercial lease from a tenant pursuant to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.
     
Common Parts: the footpaths, roads, entrance ways, lift, lift shaft, staircases, courtyard, walkways and landscaped areas and other areas which are from time to time during the Term provided by the Landlord for the common use and enjoyment of the occupants of the Building.

 

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Conduits: pipes sewers drains soakaways channels culverts gullies watercourses sumps ducts shafts flues wires cables or any other conducting media whatsoever.
     
Demised Premises: the land described in Part 1 of Schedule 1 hereto and each and every part thereof together with all additions alterations and improvements thereto (other than tenant’s fixtures and fittings) and all Landlord’s fixtures and fittings from time to time therein.
     
Environmental Performance: all or any of the following:
     
  (a) the consumption of energy and associated generation of greenhouse gas emissions;
     
  (b) the consumption of water;
     
  (c) waste generation and management; and
     
  (d) any other environmental impact arising from the use or operation of the Demised Premises or the Science Park.
     
EPC: an energy performance certificate and recommendation report as defined in the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 as amended or updated from time to time.
     
Event of Insolvency: in respect of a company any one or more of the following:
     
  (a) it shall be unable to pay its debts within the meaning of Section 123 of the Insolvency Act 1986;
     
  (b) a proposal is made for a voluntary arrangement under Part I of the Insolvency Act 1986;
     
  (c) a receiver or manager (including an administrative receiver) or trustee or similar officer is appointed over all or any of its assets;
     
  (d) an administration order is made;
     
  (e) a provisional liquidator is appointed;

 

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  (f) it goes into liquidation either voluntary or compulsory (other than a voluntary liquidation entered into solely for the purpose of amalgamation or reconstruction while solvent and with the prior consent of the Landlord);
     
    in respect of an individual any one or more of the following:
     
  (a) he shall appear to be unable to pay his debts or any of them or appear to have no reasonable prospect of being able to pay a debt within the meaning of Section 268 of the Insolvency Act 1986;
     
  (b) an application is made for an interim order or a proposal is made for a voluntary arrangement under Part VIII of the Insolvency Act 1986;
     
  (c) a petition is presented under Part IX of the Insolvency Act 1986;
     
  (d) he enters into any deed of arrangement or composition with his creditors;
     
  (e) a receiver is appointed under the Mental Health Act 1983.
     
Existing EPC: a copy of the EPC for the Demised Premises reference number 0970-1974-0388-5630-9024.
     
Insured Risks: loss or damage by fire lightning explosion (including that of boilers and heating apparatus) aircraft and other aerial devices (other than hostile aircraft or aerial devices) or articles dropped therefrom earthquake riot and civil commotion malicious damage storm or tempest bursting or overflowing of water tanks apparatus or pipes flood impact by road vehicles and against third party claims and of property owners liability and against the risks of breakdown and third party claims in respect of the lifts (if any) and of the plate glass (if any) against breakage through impact or otherwise and in addition such other insurance in respect of the Demised Premises as the Landlord may from time to time reasonably require to be effected hereunder subject in all cases to any excesses exclusions or limitations as may be imposed by the insurers or underwriters and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing in the case of terrorism insofar as cover is available on reasonable terms in the London insurance market.

 

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Landlord: the party of the first part including the estate owner for the time being of the reversion immediately expectant upon the determination of the Term.
     
Landlord’s Surveyor: any person or firm appointed by or acting for the Landlord (including an employee of the Landlord) to perform the function of a surveyor for any purpose of this Lease.
     
this Lease: this Lease any licence or consent granted pursuant hereto and any variation hereof and any deed or instrument supplemental hereto.
     
Lettable Area: the accommodation on the Science Park available for letting.
     
Main Access Road: the road shown coloured brown on plan A annexed.
     
Permitted User: within class B1 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987.
     
Planning Acts: the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 the Planning (Consequential Provisions) Act 1990 and the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 and any other statues for the time being in force of a similar nature.
     
Plot: the plot known as Plot 12, Oxford Science Park as shown edged blue on plan E annexed hereto.
     
Prescribed Rate: the rate of interest which is from time to time four per centum per annum above the Base Rate;
     
Reinstatement Value: the cost for the time being at the start of the year of insurance cover in question of reinstating and replacing the Building of which the Demised Premises form part plus a provision to cover the effect of inflation on building costs during the year of insurance and until the Demised Premises have been reinstated together with architects’ surveyors’ and other professional fees and incidental expenses and the costs of demolition and site clearance.
     
Rent Commencement Date: 27 July 2019.

 

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Review Date: 27 July 2023.
     
Science Park: the land comprised in title numbers ON323918 and ON324755 shown for identification purposes only edged red on plan B annexed or such larger area as the Landlord may designate from time to time Provided that designation of such larger area does not materially increase the amounts payable by the Tenant pursuant to clause 3.2 of this Lease.
     
Science Park Services: the services specified in Part 1 of Schedule 3.
     
Superior Landlord: the landlord for the time being of the Superior Lease.
     
Superior Lease: the leases by virtue of which the Landlord holds the Science Park which are dated 31 December 2015 and 8 March 2016 respectively and made between (1) The President and Scholars of the College of Saint Mary Magdalen in the University of Oxford (2) The Oxford Science Park Limited.
     
Superior Rent: the annual rent payable by the Landlord under clauses 7.1 and 6.1 respectively of the Superior Leases.
     
Tenant: the party of the second part including its successors in title and in the case of an individual his personal representatives.
     
Term: the term of years hereby created.
     
Term Commencement Date: 27 July 2018.
     
Value Added Tax: value added tax under the Value Added Tax Act 1994 and any similar replacement tax and any similar additional tax.
     
1927 Act: the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927.
     
1954 Act: the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
     
1995 Act: the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995.

 

1.2. Throughout this Lease:

 

(a) words importing the singular number only shall include the plural number and vice versa;

 

(b) where a party comprises more than one person covenants and obligations of that party are to be construed as having been made by such persons jointly and severally;

 

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(c) any reference to any statute shall include any re-enactment consolidation and/or renewal thereof for the time being in force and any references to any statute or statutes in general shall include any order instrument plan regulation permission and direction made or issued thereunder or deriving validity therefrom.

 

1.3. Any covenant on the part of the Tenant not to do any act or thing includes a covenant not to suffer or permit the doing of that act or thing.

 

1.4. Any rights excepted or reserved to the Landlord shall be construed as also being excepted or reserved to any mortgagee of the Landlord all persons authorised by the Landlord and the Superior Landlord and any covenant by the Tenant to permit entry by the Landlord for any purpose shall be construed as permitting entry by such persons.

 

1.5. Whenever the consent or approval of the Landlord is required under this Lease the giving of such consent or approval shall be conditional upon the prior consent or approval of the Superior Landlord from time to time and any mortgagee of the Landlord which consent or approval the Landlord shall use all reasonable endeavours to obtain.

 

1.6. Any consent approval authorisation or notice required or given under this Lease Shall only take effect if given in writing.

 

1.7. All Schedules to this Lease shall be deemed to form part of this Lease.

 

1.8. The headings in this Lease are inserted for convenience only ‘end shall not affect its construction or interpretation and references to a clause Schedule or paragraph are (unless otherwise stated) to a clause in and a Schedule to this Lease and to a paragraph of the relevant Schedule.

 

1.9. Any reference to the “end of the Term” shall mean the expiration or earlier determination of the Term and any reference to “the last year of the Term” shall mean the twelve months ending on the expiration or earlier determination of the Term (in each case howsoever the Term may be determined).

 

2. Demise

 

In consideration of the rents and covenants on the part of the Tenant hereinafter reserved and contained the Landlord HEREBY DEMISES to the Tenant the Demised Premises TOGETHER with the rights as mentioned in Part 2 of Schedule 1 EXCEPTING AND RESERVING as mentioned in Part 3 of Schedule 1 TO HOLD the same to the Tenant SUBJECT to all rights easements quasi-easements and privileges to which the Demised Premises are or may be subject and to the rights covenants and other matters contained or referred to in the documents details of which are set out in Part 4 of Schedule 1 for a term of ten years from and including the Term Commencement Date and expiring on 26 July 2028 YIELDING AND PAYING therefor during the Term and so in proportion for any less time than a year:

 

2.1. the yearly rent at the rate of a peppercorn (if demanded) for the period until the Rent Commencement Date and then from and including the Rent Commencement Date at the rate of £232,560 per annum (subject to review as provided for in Schedule 2) to be paid in advance (by Banker’s Order if the Landlord so requires) by equal quarterly payments on the usual quarter days in every year the first of such payments in respect of the period from the Rent Commencement Date to the day immediately before the next quarter day (both dates inclusive) to be made on the Rent Commencement Date;

 

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2.2. within 7 days of demand an amount equal to a fair proportion of the full cost (without deduction of any agency or other commission paid or allowed to the Landlord on such amount or otherwise which the Landlord shall be entitled to retain for its own benefit free of any obligation to bring the same into account hereunder) of every premium payable including any tax which may be payable thereon and other payment properly incurred by the Landlord from time to time during the Term in effecting and maintaining insurance in accordance with the provisions of clause 4.2(a) and further amounts equal to a fair proportion of the reasonable and proper costs incurred by the Landlord of obtaining from time to time (but not more often than every 2 years) professional valuations of the Demised Premises for insurance purposes;

 

2.3. the amounts payable to the Landlord pursuant to clause 3.2;

 

2.4. interest which may be payable pursuant to clause 3.3;

 

2.5. any Value Added Tax which may be payable pursuant to clause 3.5; and

 

2.6. all other sums payable by the Tenant under this Lease.

 

3. Tenant’s Covenants

 

The Tenant HEREBY COVENANTS with the Landlord throughout the Term as follows:

 

3.1. Rent

 

To pay the rents hereinbefore reserved at the times and in the manner aforesaid without any deduction whatsoever (whether by way of set-off, counterclaim or otherwise).

 

3.2. Service Charge

 

To pay to the Landlord by way of service charge without any deduction whatsoever a fair and reasonable proportion of the costs expenses and outgoings paid or incurred by the Landlord in supplying and providing the services in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 2.

 

3.3. Interest

 

If the rents or any other sum of money payable to the Landlord by the Tenant under this Lease shall have become due but remain unpaid for fourteen days after the same became due or if the Landlord shall refuse to accept the tender of rents by reason of a breach of covenant on the part of the Tenant to pay on demand to the Landlord interest thereon at the Prescribed Rate from the date when the same became due and until they are paid to and accepted by the Landlord (as well after as before any judgment).

 

3.4. Outgoings

 

To bear pay and discharge all existing and future rates taxes duties charges assessments impositions and outgoings whatsoever (whether or not of a capital or non-recurring nature) which now are or may at any time hereafter during the Term be charged levied assessed or imposed upon the Demised Premises or upon the owner or occupier in respect thereof save any on receipts of rent (other than Value Added Tax) or on a disposal of the Landlord’s interest in the Demised Premises and save any payment or payments due from time to time in respect of community infrastructure levy except any community infrastructure levy that becomes due as a result of the Tenant (or its sub-tenants or other occupiers of the Demised Premises) carrying out any works.

 

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3.5. Value Added Tax

 

(a) Supplies made by the Landlord to the Tenant pursuant to this Lease are exclusive of Value Added Tax and if any such supplies are (or become) liable to Value Added Tax (whether or not as a result of an election by the Landlord) then notwithstanding anything contained in this Lease such Value Added Tax shall be payable by the Tenant in addition to the consideration payable for such supplies under the terms of this Lease.

 

(b) Where under the terms of this Lease the Tenant is obliged to pay any sum which is not consideration for a supply to him but such sum is wholly or partly attributable (directly or indirectly) to a supply which is for the time being subject to Value Added Tax then notwithstanding anything contained in this Lease such sum payable by the Tenant shall be deemed for all purposes to be increased by the amount of such Value Added Tax save to the extent that the Landlord is able to obtain credit for such Value Added Tax as input tax.

 

(c) The Landlord (or its managing agents) shall render a receipted tax invoice in respect of taxable supplies made pursuant to this Lease promptly upon receipt of payment for the same.

 

(d) For the purposes of this clause 3.5 the expressions “supply” “taxable supply” “input tax” and “tax invoice” shall bear the same meanings as they do in the Value Added Tax Act 1994.

 

3.6. Landlord’s Costs

 

To pay to the Landlord (and where appropriate, the Superior Landlord) within 7 days of demand all reasonable and proper costs and , expenses including solicitors’ surveyors’ and other professional fees) of and incidental to:

 

(a) the preparation and service of any notice under Section 146 of the Law of Property Act 1925 and/or incurred in or in proper contemplation of proceedings under Section 146 and/or 147 of that Act notwithstanding in any such case that forfeiture may be avoided otherwise than by relief granted by the Court unless the Court otherwise directs;

 

(b) the preparation and service of any notice relating to a schedule of dilapidations and of any such schedule itself by the Landlord and whether or not the same is served during or within three (3) months after the end of the Term but relating in all cases only to dilapidations which accrued prior to the end of the Term;

 

(c) all applications by the Tenant for any consent or approval of the Landlord or the Landlord’s Surveyor or the Superior Landlord required by this Lease or the Superior Leases including such fees and expenses actually incurred in cases where consent is refused or the application is withdrawn except when a court determines that consent was unreasonably withheld;

 

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(d) subject to clause 3.6(e) the recovery of rent or other monies due and payable hereunder or to the remedying of any breach of covenant on the part of the Tenant herein contained;

 

(e) any action for the recovery of rent arrears under Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery;

 

(f) making good any damage to any Adjoining Property caused by the Tenant or any employee or licensee of the Tenant.

 

3.7. Repair

 

To repair and keep the Demised Premises together with all Conduits toilets heating and cooling system and boilers in or exclusively serving the same in good and substantial repair and condition and shall rebuild and renew as necessary (damage by any of the Insured Risks always excepted save where the payment of any of the insurance monies shall be withheld or refused by reason of any act or default of the Tenant any undertenant or their respective servants agents or licensees).

 

3.8. Decoration and Maintenance

 

As often as may be necessary but in any event in the last year of the Term to paint with at least two coats of paint of a colour which in such last year of the Term shall previously be approved by the Landlord (such approval not. to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and to varnish paper plaster or otherwise treat all the external and internal parts of the Demised Premises as are usually or ought to be varnished papered plastered or treated (as appropriate) and generally to carry out all such work with good quality materials of their several kinds available and in accordance with good standards of workmanship.

 

3.9. Cleaning of Demised Premises etc.

 

(a) As often as shall be necessary to clean treat and/or wash in an appropriate manner to the reasonable satisfaction of the Landlord’s Surveyor all glass and other surfaces and finishes of the Demised Premises which ought normally to be so cleaned treated and/or washed.

 

(b) Not to store or stack any goods crates boxes or other things outside the Building save in areas designated for such purpose.

 

(c) Not to obstruct or interfere with the free use of any roads or highways giving access to the Building whether by the parking of vehicles or the deposit of materials thereon.

 

(d) To clean regularly and insofar as practicable preserve in good condition all carpets (if any) belonging to the Landlord and replace the same as often as may be necessary and in any event in the last year of the Term replace with carpet of no less a quality and of similar appearance.

 

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3.10. Maintenance Contracts

 

To enter into and continue from time to time contracts with suitably qualified and experienced persons of repute for the regular maintenance inspection care and servicing of any boilers, air-conditioning and central heating plant and apparatus hot and cold water system ventilation plant and all installations relating to each of them, fire alarm system, smoke detector system, security system and any other mechanical and electrical equipment from time to time in and exclusively serving the Demised Premises and to supply to the Landlord details of all such contracts upon written request being made by the Landlord.

 

3.11. Entry to View

 

To permit the Landlord during normal business hours with or without workmen and all necessary tools and appliances after giving not less than two days’ prior notice (except in emergency) to the Tenant to enter and remain (for such reasonable period of time as may be necessary) upon the Demised Premises:

 

(a) to view the state of repair and condition thereof and to take a schedule of the Landlord’s fixtures and fittings and of any dilapidations;

 

(b) for the purpose of rebuilding or executing repairs and alterations to any adjoining or neighbouring premises belonging to the Landlord and to clean empty repair or replace any of the Conduits belonging to the same;

 

(c) to ascertain whether anything has been done which constitutes a breach or non-performance of any of the covenants contained in this Lease;

 

(d) to exercise the rights excepted and reserved to the Landlord by this Lease;

 

(e) to inspect and measure the Demised Premises for all purposes connected with the operation or implementation of the provisions of Schedule 2 or for any intended or pending step under the provisions of Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954;

 

(f) to comply with its obligations under the Superior Leases,

 

(g) for any other reasonable purpose properly connected with the interest of the Landlord in the Demised Premises

 

subject to the person exercising such rights making good any damage caused to the Demised Premises thereby as soon as is reasonably practicable to the Tenant’s reasonable satisfaction.

 

3.12. Compliance with Notice

 

To comply with any notice given by the Landlord requesting the Tenant to remedy any breach of the Tenant’s covenants within two calendar months after the giving of such notice or sooner if requisite and if the Tenant fails to comply with any such notice it shall be lawful (but not obligatory) for the Landlord (without prejudice to the right of re-entry hereinafter contained) to enter and remain upon the Demised Premises with or without workmen and with all necessary tools and appliances to make good the Demised Premises at the cost of the Tenant which cost shall be repaid by the Tenant to the Landlord within 7 days of demand together with all solicitors’ surveyors’ and other professional fees and other expenses which may be incurred by the Landlord in connection therewith together with interest thereon at the Prescribed Rate from the date on which the said expenditure is incurred by the Landlord until the date of actual payment.

 

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3.13. Overloading of Demised Premises

 

Not to suspend any heavy load from the ceilings or main structure of the Demised Premises or the Building nor to load or to use the floors of the Demised Premises or the structure or curtilage of the Building in any manner which will in any way impose a weight or strain in excess of that which the same are constructed to bear with due margin for safety.

 

3.14. User Prohibited

 

(a) Not to bring into the Demised Premises or to place or store in the Demised Premises any article or thing which is or may become dangerous offensive combustible inflammable radioactive or explosive other than such substances as may be stored, handled and used in accordance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) in connection with the Permitted User but where any such substances are or may become dangerous offensive combustible inflammable radioactive or explosive then the Tenant will comply with all the requirements of the insurers of the Building and all statutes in relation to their supply use storage and/or disposal.

 

(b) Not to use the Demised Premises for any noisy offensive or dangerous trade manufacture business or occupation nor for any illegal or immoral purpose nor permit any person to reside or sleep upon the Demised Premises nor do on the Demised Premises any act matter or thing whatsoever which in the reasonable opinion of the Landlord may be or tend to become a nuisance damage or disturbance to the prejudice of the Landlord or to the owners or occupiers of any adjoining or neighbouring property or any of them Provided That the foregoing shall not prevent the use of the Demised Premises permitted by and in accordance with this Lease.

 

(c) Not to discharge anything into the Conduits which will or may be corrosive or harmful or which may cause any obstruction or deposit therein.

 

(d) Not to use the Demised Premises for any public meeting exhibition or entertainment or as a club.

 

(e) Not to hold any sale by auction thereon or to play or use thereon any musical instrument gramophone wireless loudspeaker or similar apparatus so as to be audible outside the Demised Premises.

 

(f) Not to use the Demised Premises for the purpose of any betting transactions within the meaning of the Gambling Act 2005 or for gaming within the meaning of the Gambling Act 2005 with or between persons resorting to the Demised Premises.

 

(g) Not to make any application for a betting office licence or a licence or registration under the Gambling Act 2005 in respect of the Demised Premises.

 

(h) Not to overload any structural part of the Building.

 

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3.15. User

 

(a) Not to leave the Demised Premises continuously unoccupied for more than twenty-one days without notifying the Landlord and providing such caretaking or security arrangements as the Landlord and/or its insurers shall require (in the case of the Landlord acting reasonably) in order to protect the Demised Premises from vandalism theft damage or unlawful occupation.

 

(b) Not to use or permit the use of any part of the Demised Premises other Ise than for the Permitted User:

 

3.16. Alterations and Additions

 

(a) Not to make any alteration or addition to any part of the structure of the Building or the external elevations thereof nor to merge the Demised Premises with any adjoining premises and not to alter or change any of the architectural features (whether external or internal) of the Demised Premises.

 

(b) Not without the consent of the Landlord nor otherwise than in accordance with plans approved by the Landlord (such consent and approval not to be unreasonably withheld) and under the supervision and to the reasonable satisfaction of the Landlord’s Surveyor to make any other alteration or addition in or to the Demised Premises or any part thereof including is particular any Conduits electrical equipment and installations of any description Provided That:

 

(i) the Landlord may in its absolute discretion seek such advice as the Landlord shall require from surveyors and other professional advisers in connection with any such application for consent;

 

(ii) the Landlord may as a condition of giving any such consent and approval require the Tenant to enter into such covenants with the Landlord as the Landlord may reasonably require in regard to the execution of any such works or otherwise;

 

(iii) the Tenant shall if so requested by the Landlord reinstate the Demised Premises at the end or sooner determination of the Term;

 

(iv) the Tenant shall not make any addition or alteration to the Demised Premises which might weaken the structure of the Building;

 

(v) in the case of any works of a substantial nature if the Landlord shall so require prior to the commencement of such works the Tenant shall provide adequate security on terms reasonably required by the Landlord in the form of a deposit of money or the provision of a bond to ensure that any alterations which may from time to time be permitted by the Landlord shall be fully completed;

 

(vi) the Landlord may in its absolute discretion refuse its consent to any alteration addition or amendment to the Demised Premises which may be visible from the exterior of the Building;

 

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(vii) the Landlord will not unreasonably withhold consent to non-structural internal alterations;

 

(viii) all proposals for any alterations or additions to the Demised Premises shall first be submitted by the Tenant to the Landlord accompanied by all relevant detailed plans, drawings, elevations, sections and specifications and such other information as may be reasonably required.

 

(c) All alterations or additions to the electrical equipment and installations of the Demised Premises shall be carried out in accordance with the terms conditions and recommendations from time to time laid down by the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the regulations of the electricity supply authority.

 

(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing not at any time to commence any development within the meaning of the Planning Acts in relation to the Demised Premises without the Landlord’s prior consent which shall not be unreasonably withheld Provided That it shall in any event be reasonable for the Landlord to withhold its consent unless the Landlord shall first be satisfied that the proposed development is properly authorised by law and that the Tenant will indemnify and keep the Landlord fully and effectually indemnified from and against any tax charge or levy for which the Landlord may become liable as a result of any such proposed development being carried out by the Tenant.

 

(e) Not without the consent of the Landlord to change or make any application to change the name of the Building from The Schrodinger Building.

 

(f) Not to install blinds at the Demised Premises other than blinds which are Shade Tech Beta Screen 70, colour BS702 Charcoal/grey, without the Landlord’s consent.

 

3.17. Advertisements

 

Not to affix or exhibit in or upon any part of the exterior of the Demised Premises or so as to be visible from the exterior of the Demised Premises any bill placard advertisement flashlight or other sign except such as shall previously have been approved (as to design, size and positioning) by the Landlord.

 

3.18. Encroachments etc.

 

Not in any way to stop up or darken any window or opening in the Demised Premises nor to stop up or obstruct any access of light enjoyed by the Demised Premises nor to permit any wayleave easement privilege or encroachment to be made or acquired over against or upon the Demised Premises and forthwith upon the Tenant becoming aware of any of the same or circumstances which may give rise to the same to give notice thereof to the Landlord and to permit the Landlord to enter and remain upon the Demised Premises for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of any such wayleave easement privilege or encroachment and at the joint cost of the Landlord and the Tenant to adopt such means as the Landlord may properly require for preventing any encroachment and the acquisition or continued enjoyment of any wayleave easement or privilege.

 

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3.19. Rights of Light

 

Not to give to any third party any acknowledgement that the Tenant enjoys the access of light to any window or opening in the Demised Premises by the consent of such third party nor to pay to such third party any sum of money nor to enter into any agreement with such third party for the purpose of inducing or binding such third party to abstain from obstructing the access of light to any such window or opening and in the event of any third party doing or threatening to do anything which obstructs the access of light to any such window or opening to give immediate written notice thereof to the Landlord and to permit the Landlord to bring such proceedings as it may think fit in the name of the Tenant and at the joint cost of the Landlord and the Tenant against any such third party in respect thereof.

 

3.20. Claims for Destruction of Light

 

Not to bring any action or make any claim or demand on account of any diminution of light or air to the Demised Premises or any window or opening therein in consequence of the erection or alteration of any building on any land adjoining neighbouring or oppoe`e to the Demised Premises for which the Landlord may give its consent pursuant to any power reserved by this Lease or in respect of any easement right or privilege granted or to be granted by the Landlord for the benefit of any building erected or to be erected on any land adjoining neighbouring or opposite to the Demised Premises and (if reasonably required) to concur with the Landlord at the Landlord’s expense in any consent which the Landlord may give or any grant which the Landlord may make.

 

3.21. Insurance

 

(a) Forthwith on becoming aware of the s n to give written notice to the Landlord of any damage or destruction to the Demised Premises or any matter in respect of which a claim may be made under any policy of insurance effected hereunder.

 

(b) If the Demised Premises or the Building shall be destroyed or damaged by any of the Insured Risks and the payment of any of the insurance monies under any insurance against the same shall be withheld or refused by reason solely or in part of any act or default of the Tenant or any undertenant or their respective servants agents or licensees then and in every such ease the Tenant will forthwith pay to the Landlord the whole or (as the case may require) the withheld or refused portion of such insurance monies.

 

(c) Not to do any act or thing whereby any insurance effected in respect of the Demised Premises, the Building or any adjoining or neighbouring property would or might be vitiated or prejudiced and not without the written consent of the Landlord to do or omit to do anything whereby an increased or additional premium in respect of any such insurance (which shall in any event be borne by the Tenant) may become payable.

 

(d) To insure and keep insured all plate glass windows and other plate glass (if any) against the Insured Risks at the replacement cost thereof with such insurance office as the Landlord may approve (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and shall product the insurance policy and the last premium receipt for inspection by the Landlord whenever the Landlord shall reasonably require and shall apply all monies received under such policy in the reinstatement of such plate glass windows and other plate glass and shall make good any deficiency out of the Tenant’s own money.

 

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(e) If the Tenant shall become entitled to the benefit of any insurance on the Demised Premises then the Tenant shall hold all monies received by virtue of such insurance upon trust for the Landlord for making good the loss or damage in respect of which the same shall have been received.

 

3.22. Alienation Prohibited

 

(a) Not to charge assign transfer or underlet part only of the Demised Premises.

 

(b) Not to part with possession or share the occupation of the Demised Premises or any part thereof other than by way of an assignment permitted under clause 3.23 or an underlease permitted under clause 3.24 Provided That the Tenant may share the occupation of the Demised Premises with any company which is within the same group as the Tenant within the meaning of Section 42 of the 1954 Act so long as the Tenant previously gives prior written notice to the Landlord of the company occupying the Demised Premises no tenancy is thereby created and such company vacates upon it ceasing to be a member of such group.

 

(c) Not to hold or occupy the Demised Premises or any part thereof as trustee or agent or otherwise for the benefit of any other person.

 

3.23. Assignment Permitted

 

(a) Not to assign or transfer the whole of the Demised Premises without the prior written consent of the Landlord such consent not to be unreasonably withheld subject to the terms contained in clauses 3.23(b) to 3.23(f) (inclusive),

 

(b) The Landlord may withhold its consent to a proposed assignment or transfer if any one or more of the following circumstances (which are specified for the purpose of Section 19(1A) of the 1927 Act) exist:

 

(i) any sum properly due from the Tenant under this Lease remains unpaid;

 

(ii) in the Landlord’s reasonable opinion there is at the date of the application for consent to assign any material outstanding breach of any of the Tenant’s covenants or other terms of this Lease;

 

(iii) the proposed assignee or transferee (or any guarantor required under clause 3.23(d)(ii)) has or will have immunity from suit or legal process in relation to any breach of any covenants or conditions contained in this Lease;

 

(iv) the proposed assignee or transferee (or any guarantor required under clause 3.23(d)(ii)) is a corporation registered in a jurisdiction in which there is no reciprocity of treatment for the enforcement of judgments obtained in England and Wales;

 

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(v) the proposed assignee or transferee is a company which is in the same group (within the meaning of Section 42 of the 1954 Act) as the Tenant

 

(vi) that in the reasonable opinion of the Landlord the proposed assignee is not of sufficient financial standing to enable it to comply with the tenant’s covenants under this Lease.

 

(c) Clause 3.23(b) shall operate without prejudice to the right of the Landlord to refuse such consent on any other ground or grounds where such refusal would be reasonable;

 

(d) The Landlord may impose any one or more of the following conditions (which are specified for the purpose of Section 19(1A) of the 1927 Act):

 

(i) a requirement that the assigning Tenant and in the event of a previous unauthorised assignment a former tenant (as defined in Section 16(6) of the 1995 Act) each separately execute as a deed and deliver to the Landlord prior to the assignment in question an authorised guarantee agreement in the form set out in Part 2 of Schedule 5 (to the extent permitted by law);

 

(ii) a requirement that (to the extent permitted by any surety for the assigning tenant is made party to any authorised guarantee agreement entered into by the assigning tenant in order to guarantee the obligations of the assigning tenant contained in the authorised guarantee agreement;

 

(iii) if the Landlord reasonably so requires a requirement that not more than two third party guarantors reasonably acceptable to the Landlord are provided who execute in favour of the Landlord and deliver to the Landlord prior to the assignment in question a deed of covenant in the terms of the covenants for a surety contained in Part 1 of Schedule 5;

 

(e) Clause 3.23(d) shall operate without prejudice to the right of the Landlord to impose further conditions upon a grant of consent where such imposition would be reasonable.

 

(f) The Tenant shall give notice to the Landlord in writing within fifteen working days of the Tenant becoming aware of the death of any individual who has covenanted with the Landlord as surety or of an Event of Insolvency arising in respect of a surety. If so required by the Landlord at the expense of the Tenant the Tenant shall within two (2) months of such event procure that some other individual or company acceptable to the Landlord acting reasonably shall covenant with the Landlord as surety in the terms of clause 3.23(d)(iii) in place of such individual or company.

 

3.24. Underletting Permitted

 

(a) Not to underlet the whole of the Demised Premises without the consent of the Landlord (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld).

 

(b) Prior to any such underletting to procure that the intended undertenant shall covenant direct with the Landlord:

 

(i) that the undertenant will observe and perform the Tenant’s covenants and conditions contained in this Lease (other than the covenant to pay the rents hereby reserved);

 

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(ii) that the undertenant will not charge assign transfer or sub-underlet the whole or any part of the premises to be underlet (other than by an assignment as is permitted under this clause 3.24(b));

 

(iii) that the undertenant will not hold or occupy the premises to be underlet or any part thereof as trustee or agent or otherwise for the benefit of any other person.

 

(iv) that the undertenant will not assign the whole of the premises to be underlet without the prior written consent of the Landlord (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) Provided That the undertenant may share occupation of the underlet premises with a group company of the undertenant in accordance with the terms of clause 3.22(b); and

 

(v) that upon any assignment of the premises to be underlet the assignee shall enter into similar direct covenants with the Landlord as those set out in this clause 3.24(b).

 

And to procure that one or more third party guarantors reasonably acceptable to the Landlord shall if the Landlord reasonably so requires act as surety for such undertenant and shall jointly and severally (if appropriate) covenant with the Tenant and the Landlord in the same form mutatis mutandis as in Part 1 of Schedule 5.

 

(c) Not to underlet the whole of the Demised Premises except:

 

(i) at a rent which is not less than the rack rental value of the Demised Premises without taking a fine premium or other consideration and at no time to release the undertenant from the obligation to pay such rent nor to commute the same (or any part thereof) for a capital sum;

 

(ii) subject to Sections 24 to 28 (inclusive) of the 1954 Act (as amended) being excluded in relation thereto;

 

(iii) subject to obtaining the approval of the Landlord (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) to the form of underlease.

 

(d) Not at any time to release or waive or permit to be released or waived any covenants against assignment or underletting in an underlease or permit any dealing by any such undertenant without the written consent of the Landlord (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) but to enforce or procure the enforcement of the performance of any such covenants by all means in the power of the Tenant in respect thereof.

 

(e) To take all necessary steps at its own expense to secure the effective implementation of the provisions for rent review contained in any underlease and shall:

 

(i) not agree the amount of any such rent on review without the prior consent of the Landlord (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and so that for the avoidance of doubt the Landlord shall have the right (at the Landlord’s sole discretion) to submit any representations the Landlord thinks fit to the arbitrator or expert or to incorporate such representations in those which the Tenant shall make in connection with any such review of the rent reserved by any underlease;

 

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(ii) not agree upon the appointment of a person to act as the arbitrator or expert determining the rent in default of agreement without the approval of the Landlord (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); and

 

(iii) to supply the Landlord with a copy of the determination of every rent review within 14 days of receipt thereof together with such further details as the Landlord may reasonably require.

 

3.25. Disclosure of Information

 

Upon making an application for any consent or approval which is required under this Lease the Tenant shall disclose to the Landlord such information as the Landlord may reasonably require.

 

3.26. Registration

 

(a) Within twenty-one days after any assignment transfer underlease mortgage charge or other devolution of this Lease or any derivative interest to give notice thereof in duplicate to the Landlord’s solicitor for registration together with a certified copy of the deed document or instrument effecting such assignment transfer underlease mortgage charge or other devolution and to pay or cause to be paid to the Landlord’s solicitors or as the Landlord may from time to time direct a fee of Fifty Pounds (£50.00) or such higher fee as the Landlord may reasonably require for the registration thereof.

 

(b) Where a deed of transfer or deed of assignment of the Demised Premises or an underlease is registerable at the Land Registry the Tenant shall procure the registration of such deed of transfer or deed of assignment or underlease as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of the same and within one month of completion of the registration give notice in writing to the Landlord.

 

3.27. Schedule of Underlettings etc.

 

If and when called upon by the Landlord so to do to supply to the Landlord from time to time a schedule containing full details (including for the avoidance of doubt particulars of rent and any review dates) of all subsisting underlettings and occupiers of the Demised Premises.

 

3.28. Compliance with Statutes

 

(a) To comply with the provisions of all statutes now or hereafter to be passed which affect the Demised Premises or the Tenant’s user thereof including the execution of all works required to be done or executed pursuant thereto whether by the owner and/or the landlord and/or the tenant thereof and to comply with any notices which may be served by any competent authority and not to do on the Demised Premises any act or thing whereby the Landlord may become liable to pay any penalty imposed by or to bear the whole or any part of any expenses incurred under any such statute.

 

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(b) To comply with all requirements from time to time of the appropriate authority in relation to fire precautions and means of escape from the Demised Premises in case of fire or other emergency insofar as such escape route is located within the Demised Premises and at the expense of the Tenant to keep the Demised Premises sufficiently supplied and equipped with fire-fighting and extinguishing apparatus and appliances of a type to be approved from time to time by the appropriate authority and by the Landlord’s insurers and suitable in all respects to the type of user or business or trade carried on upon the Demised Premises.

 

3.29. Planning Acts

 

(a) To obtain so often as Occasion shall require all planning permissions licences consents and approvals as may be required under the Planning Acts for the carrying out by the Tenant of any development on the Demised Premises within the meaning of the Planning Acts or for the continuance thereof by the Tenant but so that the Tenant shall not make any application for planning permission or give any notice to any authority of an intention to commence or to carry Out any development without the previous consent of the Landlord and so that the Tenant shall (if and insofar as it is lawful for the parties hereto to make such an arrangement) indemnify the Landlord against all charges payable in respect of any such application

 

(b) Forthwith after the grant of any pleating permission or refusal of any application therefor made by the Tenant to give to the Landlord full particulars in writing thereof and supply a copy thereof for the retention of the Landlord and in the case of a refusal of such an application or a grant subject to conditions which the Landlord considers unreasonable forthwith if the Landlord reasonably so requires at the Landlord’s expense to give notice of appeal thereof to the competent authority and to proceed diligently with such appeal and to keep the Landlord informed of the progress thereof

 

(c) Without prejudice to the provisions of any other covenant by the Tenant under this Lease not to implement any planning permission until a copy of the same has been submitted to the Landlord and acknowledged by it as satisfactory (such acknowledgement not to be unreasonably withheld) Provided That the Landlord may refuse so to express its satisfaction with any such planning permission on the ground that any provision or condition would in the reasonable opinion of the Landlord be or be likely to be (whether during the Term or following its determination) prejudicial to the Landlord’s interest in the Demised Premises or the Building or any adjoining or neighbouring property belonging to the Landlord

 

(d) To comply with all conditions imposed by any planning permission implemented by the Tenant during the Term and if the Landlord reasonably so requires where a planning permission is granted subject to conditions to provide adequate security for the compliance with such conditions on terms reasonably required by the Landlord in the form of a deposit of money or the provision of a bond prior to the implementation by the Tenant of such planning permission.

 

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(e) Unless the Landlord shall otherwise direct to carry out before the end or sooner determination of the Term (howsoever the same may be determined) any works stipulated to be carried out to the Demised Premises by a date subsequent to such end or sooner determination as a condition of any planning permission which may have been granted to and been implemented by the Tenant or any person deriving title under the Tenant.

 

(f) If called upon so to do to produce to the Landlord all plans documents and other evidence as the Landlord may reasonably require in order to satisfy itself that the provisions of this covenant have been complied with.

 

(g) Not without the consent of the Landlord to enter into any agreement under the Planning Acts.

 

(h) Not without the consent of the Landlord to serve any notice under Planning Acts requiring any authority to purchase the interest of the Tenant in the Demised Premises.

 

3.30. Statutory Notices

 

(a) Within seven days of the receipt of any notice order permission refusal requisition or direction or proposal for the same made given or issued to the Tenant by any competent authority under or by virtue of any statutory powers or forthwith upon the happening of any occurrence which may be capable of adversely affecting the Landlord’s interest in the Demised Premises the Tenant shall deliver full particulars thereof to the Landlord and if so required by the Landlord thereafter to produce a copy of the same to the Landlord and without delay to take all reasonable and necessary steps to comply with the same,

 

(b) To make or join with the Landlord at the joint cost of the Landlord and the Tenant in making such objections or, representations against or in respect of any such notice order permission refusal requisition or direction or proposal for the same as the Landlord shall deem expedient

 

3.31. Reletting Arrangements

 

To permit the Landlord or its agents to fix and retain in a conspicuous position on the Demised Premises a notice-board during the last six months of the Term in respect of the reletting of the same and at any time during the Term in respect of the sale of the interest of the Landlord in the same (but not so as to restrict or interfere unreasonably with access to or the access of light and air to the Demised Premises) and not to take down or obscure the said notice-board and to permit all persons authorised by the Landlord or its agents to view the Demised Premises during normal business hours after the giving of not less than twenty-four hours’ prior notice.

 

3.32. Defects

 

To notify the Landlord promptly upon becoming aware of any defect in the Demised Premises which might give rise to a duty imposed by common law or statute on the Landlord in favour of the Tenant or any other person.

 

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3.33. Indemnity

 

(a) To indemnify and keep indemnified the Landlord against all losses costs damage and expenses (including professional fees properly incurred by the Landlord) incurred or sustained by the Landlord as a consequence of any breach of the covenants by the Tenant set out herein or implied Provided That such indemnity shall extend to all costs and expenses properly incurred by the Landlord in connection with any steps which the Landlord may (at its absolute discretion but without being in any way obliged to do so) take to remedy any such breach and shall be without prejudice to any other rights or remedies of the Landlord in respect of any such breach.

 

(b) To indemnify and keep indemnified the Landlord against liability in respect of any injury to or the death of any person or damage to any property movable or immovable or the infringement disturbance or destruction of any right easement or privilege or otherwise by reason of or arising directly or indirectly out of the repair or condition of the Demised Premises or any alteration thereto by the Tenant or any person deriving title under the Tenant or the Permitted User and against all actions proceedings costs expenses claims and demands of whatsoever nature in respect of any such liability or alleged liability.

 

3.34. Yield Up

 

At the end of the Term quietly to yield up to the Landlord the Demised Premises in such state and condition as shall in all respects be in accordance with the covenants on the part of the Tenant herein contained Provided That:

 

(a) the state and condition of the Demised Premises shall be assessed with reference to the specifications for a Category A office premises annexed to the Agreement for Lease and for the avoidance of doubt this shall mean any Variations (as defined in the Agreement for Lease) are to be removed;

 

(b) if any of the Landlord’s fixtures and fittings shall be missing broken damaged or destroyed the Tenant shall forthwith replace them with others of a similar character and of equal value;

 

(c) unless released from compliance by the Landlord by notice the Tenant shall remove all tenant’s and trade fixtures and fittings and every moulding sign writing or painting of the name or business of the Tenant or other occupiers from the Demised Premises and to make good all damage caused to the Demised Premises by the removal of the tenant’s and trade fixtures fittings furniture and effects

 

(d) if at the end of the Term the Demised Premises shall not be in such state and condition then whether the works necessary to put the Demised Premises into such repair and condition are carried out by the Tenant or at the entire cost of the Tenant by the Landlord there shall in addition be paid to the Landlord by the Tenant a sum equivalent to the amount of rent lost by the Landlord in respect of the period from such end or sooner determination until all such necessary works have been completed to the satisfaction of the Landlord such sum to be equivalent to a maximum of four months yearly rent and to be paid within seven days of the date of the Landlord informing the Tenant that all such works have been so completed.

 

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3.35. Regulations

 

To observe duly and perform the stipulations and regulations set out in Schedule 3 and such reasonable and proper regulations and instructions as the Landlord may from time to time make or give in connection with the management or administration of the Building and/or the Science Park.

 

3.36. Covenants in Documents

 

Not to breach the agreements covenants and stipulations contained or referred to in the documents referred to in Part 4 of Schedule 1 and to indemnify the Landlord in relation to any breach thereto attributable to the Tenant so far as they concern any act matter or thing to be done on the Demised Premises.

 

3.37. Superior Leases

 

Not to breach the covenants (other than the payment of rent) on the part of the tenant contained in the Superior Leases so far as they relate to the Demised Premises and not to do anything to put the Landlord in breach of the covenants on the part of the tenant contained in the Superior Leases so far as they relate to the Demised Premises.

 

4. Landlord’s Covenants

 

The Landlord HEREBY COVENANTS with the Tenant as follows:

 

4.1. Quiet Enjoyment

 

That the Tenant paying the rents hereby reserved and observing and performing the covenants conditions and stipulations herein contained and on the part of the Tenant to be observed and performed shall and may peaceably hold and enjoy the Demised Premises during the Term without any interruption by the Landlord or any person rightfully claiming under or in trust for the Landlord.

 

4.2. Insurance

 

(a) To insure and keep insured at rates which are not unreasonably above the market norm for readily available insurance for similar buildings in the London insurance market in a cost-effective manner (unless such insurance shall be vitiated by any act or default of the Tenant any person deriving title under the Tenant or their respective servants agents or licensees) the Building, and access to the Building for a sum being not less than the Reinstatement Value against loss or damage by the Insured Risks with some insurance office or underwriters of repute and to insure against the loss of three years’ rent for the time being payable to the Landlord hereunder in respect of the whole of the Demised Premises together with VAT and (if applicable) with any anticipated increase in respect of a review of the rent payable under this Lease pursuant to the provisions of Schedule 5.

 

(b) As often as the Building or the Demised Premises or the access thereto shall be destroyed or damaged subject to the payment of the policy monies not being withheld or refused in whole or in part through any act or default of the Tenant any person deriving title under the Tenant or their respective servants agents or licensees and subject to obtaining all necessary planning and other consents to lay out all monies received by virtue of such insurance which are attributable to damage caused to the Building and/or the Demised Premises (making up any shortfall from its own monies) in rebuilding repairing and reinstating the Building and/or the Demised Premises to their former state or condition or as near thereto as circumstances may reasonably permit Provided That if the Landlord has not been able to obtain all such planning and other consents and has not fully reinstated the Demised Premises or the access thereto within a period of three years from the date of damage or destruction either the Landlord or the Tenant shall be entitled to terminate this Lease by giving notice to the other and on the giving of such notice the Term shall cease and determine but without prejudice to the rights of any party hereto in respect of any antecedent breach of covenant whereupon all monies payable pursuant to any policy of insurance effected hereunder shall belong to the Landlord absolutely.

 

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(c) To produce to the Tenant upon demand (but not more often than once in every year) a schedule setting out relevant details of the insurance policy or policies effected pursuant to clause 4.2(a) and confirming payment of the fast premium thereon together with written details of all relevant requirements and recommendations of such insurance policy or policies.

 

4.3. Services

 

Subject as otherwise herein provided to perform the Building Services and to use reasonable endeavours to perform the Science Park Services in both cases as from time to time necessary under the principles of good estate management Provided That:

 

(a) the Landlord shall not be liable to the Tenant in respect of any interruption in any of the services which the Landlord does provide or supply by reason of any necessary inspection repair or maintenance of any plant or equipment or any damage thereto or by reason of mechanical or other defect or breakdown or inclement weather conditions or shortage of fuel materials water or labour or by reason of any circumstances whatever beyond the control of the Landlord provided that the Landlord shall procure that the services will be restored as soon as reasonably practicable;

 

(b) the Tenant shall have no claim against the Landlord in respect of any defect or want of maintenance repair amendment renewal or cleansing unless the Landlord has had notice thereof and has failed to remedy the same within a reasonable period thereafter.

 

4.4. Superior Leases

 

To pay the rent reserved by the Superior Leases and to observe and perform the tenant’s covenants in the Superior Leases (insofar as the Tenant is not liable for such observance and performance) under its covenants herein contained.

 

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5. Energy Performance Certificates

 

5.1. Tenant covenants

 

(a) The Tenant shall permit the Landlord at reasonable times after reasonable notice (except in emergency) to enter the Demised Premises in order to take the measurements and carry out the calculations required for the production of an EPC in respect of the Demised Premises or any part of them, subject to the person exercising such rights making good any damage thereby caused to the Demised Premises.

 

(b) On demand the Tenant shall supply the Landlord with the information required for the production of an EPC in respect of the Demised Premises, including without limitation information regarding energy consumption and equipment.

 

(c) The Tenant shall not obtain an EPC in respect of the Demised Premises or any part of them without the prior written consent of the Landlord and if the Landlord grants such consent then:

 

(i) the EPC shall be obtained by the Tenant from a reputable and appropriately qualified energy assessor at the Tenant’s own cost, and

 

(ii) the Tenant shall notify the Landlord in writing when an EPC has been obtained in respect of the Demised Premises or any part of them and its notice shall include a copy of the EPC and the reference number for the EPC.

 

(d) If and to the extent the Existing EPC is no longer valid (as the result of the Tenant’s alterations or any default by the Tenant) to notify the Landlord and to obtain any EPC required to be provided from a reputable and appropriately qualified energy assessor.

 

5.2. Landlord covenants

 

(a) On demand the Landlord shall supply the Tenant with the information required for the production of an EPC in respect of the Demised Premises, including without limitation information regarding energy consumption and equipment.

 

(b) The Landlord shall notify the Tenant whenever an EPC has been obtained in respect of the Demised Premises and its notice shall include a copy of the EPC and the reference number for the EPC.

 

6. Miscellaneous Provisions

 

PROVIDED ALWAYS AND IT IS HEREBY AGREED AND DECLARED as follows:

 

6.1. Power of Re-entry

 

(a) If the rents hereby reserved or any part thereof shall at any time be in arrear and unpaid for fourteen days after the same shall have become due (whether legally demanded or not); or

 

(b) If there shall be any breach of any of the covenants on the part of the Tenant contained in this Lease; or

 

(c) An Event of Insolvency arises in relation to the Tenant or in relation to any surety who at any time guarantees the obligations of the Tenant under this Lease; or

 

(d) If the Tenant suffers any distress or execution or any modern equivalent of these remedies to be levied on any goods including any action taken for the recovery of rent arrears from the Tenant under Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery for the time being on the Demised Premises which is not removed within fourteen days

 

then and in any such case it shall be lawful for the Landlord at any time thereafter to re-enter the Demised Premises or any part thereof in the name of the whole and thereupon the Term shall absolutely cease and determine but without prejudice to any right of action of the Landlord in respect of any antecedent breach of any of the covenants by the Tenant herein contained.

 

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6.2. Cesser of Rent

 

If the Building and/or the Demised Premises or any part thereof or the means of access thereto are destroyed or damaged by any of the Insured Risks so far as to render the Demised Premises or any part thereof or access to them unfit for occupation and use then and so often as it happens (if at the date thereof the payment of any of the insurance monies has not been withheld or refused by reason of any act or default of the Tenant any person deriving title under the Tenant or their respective servants agents or licensees) the rent reserved under clause 2.1 and the Service Charge or a fair and just proportion thereof according to the nature and extent of the damage shall be suspended for so long as the Demised Premises or the access to them or the destroyed or damaged part thereof remain unfit for occupation and use by reason of such destruction or damage or for three years whichever shall be the shorter and if any dispute arises between the Landlord and the Tenant in regard to the amount or the period of the suspension of the said rent or otherwise in relation thereto it shall be referred to arbitration under the provisions of the Arbitration Act 1996.

 

6.3. No Implied Rights

 

Nothing herein contained shall (except as otherwise expressly provided) by implication of law or otherwise operate or be deemed to confer upon the Tenant any easement right or privilege whatsoever.

 

6.4. Development of Adjoining Property

 

The Landlord shall have the right at any time to make any alterations to or to pull down rebuild redevelop or otherwise deal with or use any Adjoining Property as it may deem fit without obtaining any consent from or making any compensation to the Tenant and the Tenant will not object to any planning application made by or on behalf of the Landlord in respect of the development or redevelopment of any Adjoining Property.

 

6.5. Restrictions affecting Adjoining Property

 

Nothing herein contained or implied shall give the Tenant the benefit of or the right to enforce or to have enforced or to prevent the release or modification of any covenant agreement or condition entered into by any purchaser from or by any lessee or occupier of the Landlord in respect of property not comprised in this Lease or areas over which rights are granted by this Lease for the benefit of the Tenant.

 

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6.6. No Warranty as to Use

 

Notwithstanding the provisions as to the Permitted User contained in this Lease the Landlord does not hereby or in any other way give or make nor has given or made at any other time any representation or warranty that the Permitted User is or will be or will remain a permitted use within the provisions of the Planning Acts and notwithstanding that the Permitted User is not a permitted use as aforesaid the Tenant shall remain fully bound and liable to the Landlord in respect of the obligations undertaken by the Tenant by virtue of this Lease without any compensation recompense or relief of any kind whatsoever.

 

6.7. Exclusion of Representations

 

The Tenant acknowledges that this Lease has not been entered in reliance wholly or partly upon any statement or representation made by or on behalf of the Landlord save insofar as any such statement or representation is expressly set out in this Lease or has been made in writing by the Landlord’s solicitors to the Tenant’s solicitors before the date of entry into this Lease.

 

6.8. Disputes

 

Any dispute arising as between the Tenant and the tenants or occupiers of any property adjoining neighbouring or opposite to the Demised Premises belonging to the Landlord as to any easement right or privilege in connection with the user of the Demised Premises and such property adjoining neighbouring or opposite to the Demised Premises or as to the party or other walls separating the Demised Premises from the adjoining property or as to the amount of any contribution towards the expenses of works to services used in common with any other property shall be decided by the Landlord’s Surveyor whose decision shall be binding upon all parties to the dispute (save in the case of manifest error).

 

6.9. Removal of Tenant’s Property

 

(a) If at such time as the Tenant has vacated the Demised Premises at the end of the Term any property of the Tenant shall remain in or on the Demised Premises and the Tenant shall fail to remove the same within fourteen days after being requested in writing by the Landlord so to do then the Landlord may as the agent of the Tenant sell such property and shall then hold the proceeds of sale after deducting the costs and expenses of removal storage and sale properly incurred by it to the order of the Tenant.

 

(b) The Tenant shall indemnify the Landlord against any liability incurred by it to any third party whose property shall have been sold by the Landlord in the mistaken belief held in good faith (which shall be presumed unless the contrary be proved) that such property belonged to the Tenant.

 

6.10. Surrender of Easements

 

At any time during the Term the Tenant will at the request of the Landlord enter into a deed of variation of this Lease to give up or alter rights of access and easements granted hereunder which are not reasonably necessary for the use and/or enjoyment of the Demised Premises or which the Landlord reasonably requires to be varied as part of the redevelopment of the whole or part of the Science Park so long as the alternative rights of access or other easements are no less convenient than those hereby granted and provided that the Landlord indemnifies the Tenant in respect of any cost and expense reasonably incurred by the Tenant either relating to any such deed of variation or with regard to the cost of any works required to the Demised Premises or the Science Park which are the result of such request from the Landlord and which are approved by the Landlord (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld).

 

26 

 

 

6.11. Notices

 

The provisions of Section 196 of the Law of Property Act 1925 as amended by the Recorded Delivery Service Act 1962 shall apply to all notices required to be served hereunder.

 

6.12. Jurisdiction

 

Each party irrevocably agrees that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with this Lease or its subject matter or formation {including non-contractual disputes or claims).

 

6.13. Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999

 

A person who is not a party to this Lease shall not have any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of this Lease. This does not affect any right or remedy of a third party which exists, or is available, apart from that Act.

 

6.14. Break Clause

 

(a) In this clause the following definitions apply:

 

Break Date: 28 September 2024.

 

Break Notice: written notice to terminate this Lease.

 

(b) Subject to clause 6.14(c) the Tenant may terminate this Lease by serving a Break Notice on the Landlord at least nine months but not more than fifteen months before the Break Date.

 

(c) A Break Notice served by the Tenant pursuant to clause 6.14(b) shall have no effect if at the Break Date:

 

(i) the Tenant has not paid any part of the yearly rent or of the on-account service charge payable under clause 3.2 of the Lease or any VAT in respect of them, which was due to have been paid;

 

(ii) the Tenant has not given the Demised Premises back to the Landlord free of the Tenant’s occupation and the occupation of any other lawful occupier and without any continuing underleases;

 

(iii) the Tenant has not paid the Landlord the sum of ***58,140 plus (if applicable) VAT in cleared funds on or before the Break Date which sum is due, for the avoidance of doubt, in addition to any monies due under clause 6.14(c)(i).

 

(d) The Break Notice shall be in writing and, for the purposes of this clause, writing does not include facsimile transmission or email.

 

27

 

 

(e) Subject to clause 6.14(c), following service of a Break Notice pursuant to clause 6.14(b) this Lease shall terminate on the Break Date.

 

(f) Time shall be of the essence in respect of all time periods and limits in this clause.

 

(g) Termination of this Lease pursuant to this clause shall be without prejudice to any right or remedy of the Landlord in respect of any antecedent breach of the covenants or conditions on the part of the Tenant in this Lease, including any covenants expressed to be complied with before the end of the Term.

 

(h) If the Lease terminates at the Break Date pursuant to clause 6.14(b) the Landlord will within 10 working days of the Break Date reimburse to the Tenant any proportion of the yearly rent and on-account service charge and any VAT on them paid in advance by the Tenant and which relates to a period after the Break Date.

 

6.15. Uninsured risks

 

(a) In this Clause 6.15 (Uninsured Risks), an “Uninsured Risk” means any risk, or some aspect of any risk, which would be covered by the risks itemised in the definition of “Insured Risks” but which:

 

(i) is excluded from being so by reason of withdrawal of cover by the insurer and which is not otherwise available to be insured in the London insurance market; or

 

(ii) is withdrawn from cover by the Landlord on the grounds that in the Landlord’s reasonable opinion cover cannot be placed in the London insurance market at reasonable commercial rates or on reasonable commercial conditions.

 

(b) An Insured Risk does not become an Uninsured Risk for the purposes of clause 6.15(a) by reason only of:

 

(i) being excluded, or partially excluded, from cover due to standard exclusion provisions on the policy;

 

(ii) rejection by the insurer of liability, or some part of it, due to vitiation by the Tenant; or

 

(iii) infringement by the Landlord of policy conditions for the maintenance of cover.

 

(c) The obligations of the Tenant to repair and to decorate, and to yield up in repair and decorated, the Demised Premises do not apply to damage or destruction caused by an Uninsured Risk.

 

(d) The provisions of this clause 6.15 (Uninsured Risks) apply if the Building (whether or not directly affecting the Demised Premises) is damaged or destroyed by an Uninsured Risk so as to make the Demised Premises unfit for occupation, use or enjoyment.

 

(e) If the damage or destruction referred to in clause 6.15(d) occurs, the Landlord may within 12 months after the date of the damage or destruction elect to rebuild or reinstate the Demised Premises by giving notice to the Tenant to that effect and if the Landlord so elects the Landlord shall as soon as may reasonably be practicable use its reasonable endeavours to rebuild or reinstate the Building providing the cost of doing so out of its own resources.

 

28

 

 

(f) The Landlord may at any time before it has made an election under clause 6.15(e) decide not to rebuild or reinstate the Building and may instead terminate this Lease by giving notice to the Tenant to that effect to expire immediately.

 

(g) If the Landlord has not made an election under clause 6.15(e) within 12 months after the date of damage or destruction of the Building, the Tenant may terminate this Lease by giving to the Landlord notice to that effect at any time thereafter to expire immediately unless the Landlord has made such an election in the meantime.

 

(h) During the period before the Landlord makes an election under clause 6.15.(e) or terminates this Lease under clause 6.15(f), the rent and service charge, or a fair proportion of them according to the nature and extent of the damage or destruction sustained, are to be suspended and cease to be payable and in case of dispute the matter shall be referred to arbitration under the provisions of the Arbitration Act 1996.

 

(i) If the Landlord has not commenced rebuilding or reinstating the Building within twelve months after making the election under clause 6.15(e), the Tenant may terminate this Lease by giving to the Landlord notice to that effect at any time thereafter to expire immediately, unless the Landlord has commenced rebuilding or reinstating the Building before the expiry of the notice.

 

(j) If the Landlord has not practically completed the works of rebuilding or reinstating the Building (as evidenced by the issue of the certificate or statement of practical completion under the building contract for the works) within the period of three years after making the election under Clause 6.15(e), then either the Landlord or the Tenant may terminate this Lease by giving to the other not less than six months’ notice to that effect to expire at the end of that period, unless practical completion has taken place before the expiry of the notice.

 

(k) On the expiry of any notice of termination given under this Clause 6.15 (Uninsured Risks), this Lease will terminate unless provided otherwise, but without affecting any liability arising from a breach of covenant or condition which has occurred before then.

 

6.16. Retention of Insurance Proceeds

 

On the termination of this Lease under clause 6.15 (Uninsured Risks) or if this Lease is terminated by the operation of the doctrine of frustration or otherwise, the Landlord is to be entitled to retain all of the proceeds of insurance for its exclusive benefit.

 

7. New Lease

 

This Lease is a new tenancy for the purposes of the 1995 Act.

 

IN WITNESS whereof the parties to this Lease have executed and delivered this Lease as a deed the day and year first above written.

 

29

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by THE )  
OXFORD SCIENCE PARK LIMITED )  
acting by one director ) /s/
[                                                                                                   ] ) Director
in the presence of:    

 

Witness signature /s/ Philip Marsh  

 

Witness name (BLOCK CAPITALS):             PHILIP MARSH

 

Address:  Midland House, West_____________ Oxford

 

Occupation: Solicitor

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by )  
EX SCIENTIA LIMITED )  
acting by one director ) /s/ Andrew Hopkins
[Andrew Hopkins                          ] ) Director
in the presence of:    

 

Witness signature /s/ Miroslava Pilarova  

 

Witness name (BLOCK CAPITALS):             MIROSLAVA PILAROVA

 

Address: 18 Church Hill Rd
  OX4 3_____________ Oxford

 

Occupation: Executive Assistant

 

30 

 

 

Exhibit 10.12

 

 

DATED 11th April 2018

  

(1) THE OXFORD SCIENCE PARK LIMITED

  

and

 

(2) FUEL 3D TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

 

LEASE

 

relating to

Third Floor, The Schrodinger Building

The Oxford Science Park

Sandford-on-Thames

Oxford

 

Knights 1759

Festival House

Jessop Avenue

Cheltenham

Gloucestershire

GL50 3SH

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

CLAUSE

 

1. Definitions and Interpretation 1

 

2. Demise 7

 

3. Tenant’s Covenants 7

 

4. Landlord’s Covenants 23

 

5. Energy Performance Certificates 24

 

6. Miscellaneous Provisions 25

 

7. New Lease 28

 

 

SCHEDULES

 

Schedule 1 29

 

Schedule 2 - Provisions for the review of the Principal Rent 33

 

Schedule 3 - Provisions relating to the Service Charge 37

 

Schedule 4 - Science Park Regulations and Stipulations 42

 

Schedule 5 43

 

 

 

 

PRESCRIBED CLAUSES

 

LR1. Date of lease

 

11th April 2018

 

LR2. Title number(s)

 

LR2.1 Landlord’s title number(s)

 

ON324755

 

LR2.2 Other title numbers

 

ON323918

 

LR3. Parties to this Lease

 

Landlord

 

THE OXFORD SCIENCE PARK LIMITED company registration number 2287341 whose registered office is at Magdalen College, High Street, Oxford OX1 4AU (Landlord).

 

Tenant

 

FUEL 3D TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED company registration number 08852503 whose registered office is at Unit 2 Douglas Court, Seymour Business Park, Station Road, Chinnor, Oxfordshire OX39 4HA (Tenant).

 

Guarantor

 

None.

 

LR4. Property

 

In the case of a conflict between this clause and the remainder of this Lease then, for the purposes of registration, this clause shall prevail.

 

The land demised by this Lease is known as Third Floor, The Schrödinger Building, The Oxford Science Park, Sandford-on-Thames, Oxford defined as the Demised Premises in clause 1.1.

 

LR5. Prescribed statements etc.

 

LR5.1 Statements prescribed under rules 179 (dispositions in favour of a charity), 180 (dispositions by a charity) or 196 (leases under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993) of the Land Registration Rules 2003.

 

None.

 

LR5.2 This lease is made under, or by reference to, provisions of:

 

None.

 

 

 

 

LR6. Term for which the Property is leased

 

The term as specified in this Lease at clause 2.

 

LR7. Premium

 

None.

 

LR8. Prohibitions or restrictions on disposing of this Lease

 

This lease contains a provision that prohibits or restricts dispositions.

 

LR9. Rights of acquisition etc.

 

LR9.1 Tenant’s contractual rights to renew this Lease, to acquire the reversion or another lease of the Property, or to acquire an interest in other land

 

None.

 

LR9.2 Tenant’s covenant to (or offer to) surrender this Lease

 

None.

 

LR9.3 Landlord’s contractual rights to acquire this Lease

 

None.

 

LR10. Restrictive covenants given in this Lease by the Landlord in respect of land other than the Property

 

None.

 

LR11. Easements

 

LR11.1 Easements granted by this Lease for the benefit of the Property

 

See Schedule 1 Part 2.

 

LR11.2 Easements granted or reserved by this Lease over the Property for the benefit of other property

 

See Schedule 1 Part 3.

 

LR12. Estate rent charge burdening the Property N/A.

 

N/A

 

LR13. Application for standard form of restriction

 

None.

 

LR14. Declaration of trust where there is more than one person comprising the Tenant

 

Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

THIS LEASE is made on 11th April 2018

 

BETWEEN:

 

(1) THE OXFORD SCIENCE PARK LIMITED (company number 2287341) whose registered office is at Magdalen College, High Street, Oxford, OX1 4AU (Landlord); and

 

(2) FUEL 3D TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED company registration number 08852503 whose registered office is at Unit 2 Douglas Court, Seymour Business Park, Station Road, Chinnor, Oxfordshire, OX39 4HA (Tenant).

 

NOW THIS DEED WITNESSETH as follows:

 

1. Definitions and Interpretation

 

1.1. Throughout this Lease including the Schedules the following words and expressions have the following meanings:

 

  Adjoining Property: any adjoining or neighbouring property belonging to the Landlord from time to time.

 

  Agreement for Lease: the Agreement for Lease relating to the Demised Premises dated 8th March 2018 and made between The Oxford Science Park Limited (1) and Fuel 3D Technologies Limited (2).

 

  Base Rate: either the base rate of National Westminster Bank Plc for the time being in force (or such other Bank being a member of the Committee of London Clearing Banks as the Landlord may from time to time nominate) or if no such base rate can be ascertained then such alternative rate at the relevant time which the Landlord may reasonably specify in writing in substitution therefor.

 

Building: the building known as The Schrödinger Building shown edged green on plan C annexed to this Lease.

 

  Building Services: the services specified in Part II of Schedule 2.

 

  Car Park: the car parking areas within the Plot as shown edged green on plan F annexed to this Lease.

 

  Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery: the procedure by which a landlord can recover rent arrears due under a commercial lease from a tenant pursuant to the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.

 

  Common Parts: the footpaths, roads, entrance ways, lift, lift shaft, staircases, courtyard, walkways and landscaped areas and other areas which are from time to time during the Term provided by the Landlord for the common use and enjoyment of the occupants of the Building.

 

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Conduits: pipes sewers drains soakaways channels culverts gullies watercourses sumps ducts shafts flues wires cables or any other conducting media whatsoever.

 

  Demised Premises: the land described in Part 1 of Schedule 1 hereto and each and every part thereof together with all additions alterations and improvements thereto (other than tenant’s fixtures and fittings) and all Landlord’s fixtures and fittings from time to time therein.

 

  Environmental Performance: all or any of the following:

 

(a) the consumption of energy and associated generation of greenhouse gas emissions;

 

(b) the consumption of water;

 

(c) waste generation and management; and

 

(d) any other environmental impact arising from the use or operation of the Demised Premises or the Science Park.

 

EPC: an energy performance certificate and recommendation report as defined in the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 as amended or updated from time to time.

 

  Event of Insolvency: in respect of a company any one or more of the following:

 

(a) it shall be unable to pay its debts within the meaning of Section 123 of the Insolvency Act 1986;

 

(b) a proposal is made for a voluntary arrangement under Part I of the Insolvency Act 1986;

 

(c) a receiver or manager (including an administrative receiver) or trustee or similar officer is appointed over all or any of its assets;

 

(d) an administration order is made;

 

(e) a provisional liquidator is appointed;

 

2 

 

 

(f) it goes into liquidation either voluntary or compulsory (other than a voluntary liquidation entered into solely for the purpose of amalgamation or reconstruction while solvent and with the prior consent of the Landlord);

 

in respect of an individual any one or more of the following:

 

(a) he shall appear to be unable to pay his debts or any of them or appear to have no reasonable prospect of being able to pay a debt within the meaning of Section 268 of the Insolvency Act 1986;

 

(b) an application is made for an interim order or a proposal is made for a voluntary arrangement under Part VIII of the Insolvency Act 1986;

 

(c) a petition is presented under Part IX of the Insolvency Act 1986;

 

(d) he enters into any deed of arrangement or composition with his creditors;

 

(e) a receiver is appointed under the Mental Health Act 1983.

 

  Existing EPC: a copy of the EPC for the Demised Premises reference number 0970-1974-0388-5630-9024.

 

  Insured Risks: loss or damage by fire lightning explosion (including that of boilers and heating apparatus) aircraft and other aerial devices (other than hostile aircraft or aerial devices) or articles dropped therefrom earthquake riot and civil commotion malicious damage storm or tempest bursting or overflowing of water tanks apparatus or pipes flood impact by road vehicles terrorism and against third party claims and of property owners liability and against the risks of breakdown and third party claims in respect of the lifts (if any) and of the plate glass (if any) against breakage through impact or otherwise and in addition such other insurance in respect of the Demised Premises as the Landlord may from time to time reasonably require to be effected hereunder subject in all cases to any excesses exclusions or limitations as may be imposed by the insurers or underwriters and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing in the case of terrorism insofar as cover is available on reasonable terms in the London insurance market.


3 

 

 

Landlord: the party of the first part including the estate owner for the time being of the reversion immediately expectant upon the determination of the Term.

 

  Landlord’s Surveyor: any person or firm appointed by or acting for the Landlord (including an employee of the Landlord) to perform the function of a surveyor for any purpose of this Lease.

 

  this Lease: this Lease any licence or consent granted pursuant hereto and any variation hereof and any deed or instrument supplemental hereto.

 

  Lettable Area: the accommodation on the Science Park available for letting.

 

  Main Access Road: the road shown coloured brown on plan A annexed.

 

  Permitted Part: a part of the Demised Premises where:

 

(a) the extent of the part intended to be underlet shall first have been approved by the Landlord (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed; and

 

(b) the Landlord is satisfied, where it is reasonable to so require, that the part intended to be underlet and the remainder of the Demised Premises will in each case be self-contained and capable of separate use and occupation.

 

  Permitted User: within Class B1 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987.

 

  Planning Acts: the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 the Planning (Consequential Provisions) Act 1990 and the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 and any other statues for the time being in force of a similar nature.

 

Plot: the plot known as Plot 12, Oxford Science Park as shown edged blue on plan E annexed hereto.

 

  Prescribed Rate: the rate of interest which is from time to time three per centum per annum above the Base Rate;

 

4 

 

 

  Reinstatement Value: the cost for the time being at the start of the year of insurance cover in question of reinstating and replacing the Building of which the Demised Premises form part plus a provision to cover the effect of inflation on building costs during the year of insurance and until the Demised Premises have been reinstated together with architects’ surveyors’ and other professional fees and incidental expenses and the costs of demolition and site clearance.

 

  Rent Commencement Date: 6th April 2019.

 

  Review Dates: 6th April 2023 and
6th April 2028.

 

  Roof Terrace: the area on the roof of the Building shown edged blue on plan G annexed to this Lease.

 

  Science Park: the land comprised in title numbers ON323918 and ON324755 shown for identification purposes only edged red on plan B annexed or such larger area as the Landlord may designate from time to time Provided that designation of such larger area does not materially increase the amounts payable by the Tenant pursuant to clause 3.2 of this Lease.

 

  Science Park Services: the services specified in Part 1 of Schedule 3.

 

  Spin Out Company: a company in which the Tenant has a shareholding of at least 25%.

 

  Superior Landlord: the landlord for the time being of the Superior Lease.

 

  Superior Leases: the leases by virtue of which the Landlord holds the Science Park which are dated 31 December 2015 and 8 March 2016 respectively and made between (1) The President and Scholars of the College of Saint Mary Magdalen in the University of Oxford (2) The Oxford Science Park Limited.

 

  Superior Rent: the annual rent payable by the Landlord under clauses 7.1 and 6.1 respectively of the Superior Leases.

 

Tenant: the party of the second part including its successors in title and in the case of an individual his personal representatives.

 

Term: the term of years hereby created.

 

5 

 

 

 

Term Commencement Date: 6th April 2018.
   
Value Added Tax: value added tax under the Value Added Tax Act 1994 and any similar replacement tax and any similar additional tax.
   
1927 Act: the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927.
   
1954 Act: the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.
   
1995 Act: the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995.

 

1.2. Throughout this Lease:

 

(a) words importing the singular number only shall include the plural number and vice versa;

 

(b) where a party comprises more than one person covenants and obligations of that party are to be construed as having been made by such persons jointly and severally;

 

(c) any reference to any statute shall include any re-enactment consolidation and/or renewal thereof for the time being in force and any references to any statute or statutes in general shall include any order instrument plan regulation permission and direction made or issued thereunder or deriving validity therefrom.

 

1.3. Any covenant on the part of the Tenant not to do any act or thing includes a covenant not to suffer or permit the doing of that act or thing.

 

1.4. Any rights excepted or reserved to the Landlord shall be construed as also being excepted or reserved to any mortgagee of the Landlord all persons authorised by the Landlord and the Superior Landlord and any covenant by the Tenant to permit entry by the Landlord for any purpose shall be construed as permitting entry by such persons.

 

1.5. Whenever the consent or approval of the Landlord is required under this Lease the giving of such consent or approval shall be conditional upon the prior consent or approval of the Superior Landlord from time to time and any mortgagee of the Landlord which consent or approval the Landlord shall use all reasonable endeavours to obtain.

 

1.6. Any consent approval authorisation or notice required or given under this Lease Shall only take effect if given in writing.

 

1.7. All Schedules to this Lease shall be deemed to form part of this Lease.

 

1.8. The headings in this Lease are inserted for convenience only ‘end shall not affect its construction or interpretation and references to a clause Schedule or paragraph are (unless otherwise stated) to a clause in and a Schedule to this Lease and to a paragraph of the relevant Schedule.

 

1.9. Any reference to the “end of the Term” shall mean the expiration or earlier determination of the Term and any reference to “the last year of the Term” shall mean the twelve months ending on the expiration or earlier determination of the Term (in each case howsoever the Term may be determined).

 

6 

 

 

2. Demise

 

In consideration of the rents and covenants on the part of the Tenant hereinafter reserved and contained the Landlord HEREBY DEMISES to the Tenant the Demised Premises TOGETHER with the rights as mentioned in Part 2 of Schedule 1 EXCEPTING AND RESERVING as mentioned in Part 3 of Schedule 1 TO HOLD the same to the Tenant SUBJECT to all rights easements quasi-easements and privileges to which the Demised Premises are or may be subject and to the rights covenants and other matters contained or referred to in the documents details of which are set out in Part 4 of Schedule 1 for a term of fifteen years from and including the Term Commencement Date and expiring on 5th April 2033 YIELDING AND PAYING therefor during the Term and so in proportion for any less time than a year:

 

2.1. the yearly rent at the rate of a peppercorn (if demanded) for the period until the Rent Commencement Date and then from and including the Rent Commencement Date at the rate of £404,992 per annum (subject to review as provided for in Schedule 2) to be paid in advance by equal quarterly payments on the usual quarter days in every year the first of such payments in respect of the period from the Rent Commencement Date to the day immediately before the next quarter day (both dates inclusive) to be made on the Rent Commencement Date;

 

2.2. within 14 days of demand an amount equal to a fair proportion of the full cost (without deduction of any agency or other commission paid or allowed to the Landlord on such amount or otherwise which the Landlord shall be entitled to retain for its own benefit free of any obligation to bring the same into account hereunder) of every premium payable including any tax which may be payable thereon and other payment properly incurred by the Landlord from time to time during the Term in effecting and maintaining insurance in accordance with the provisions of clause 4.2(a) and further amounts equal to a fair proportion of the reasonable and proper costs incurred by the Landlord of obtaining from time to time professional valuations of the Demised Premises for insurance purposes provided that such valuations will not take place more than once every three years;

 

2.3. the amounts payable to the Landlord pursuant to clause 3.2;

 

2.4. interest which may be payable pursuant to clause 3.3; and

 

2.5. any Value Added Tax which may be payable pursuant to clause 3.5.

 

3. Tenant’s Covenants

 

The Tenant HEREBY COVENANTS with the Landlord throughout the Term as follows:

 

3.1. Rent

 

To pay the rents hereinbefore reserved at the times and in the manner aforesaid without any deduction whatsoever (whether by way of set-off, counterclaim or otherwise).

 

7 

 

 

3.2. Service Charge

 

To pay to the Landlord by way of service charge without any deduction whatsoever a fair and reasonable proportion of the costs expenses and outgoings paid or incurred by the Landlord in supplying and providing the services in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 2.

 

3.3. Interest

 

If the rents or any other sum of money payable to the Landlord by the Tenant under this Lease shall have become due but remain unpaid for fourteen days after the same became due or if the Landlord shall refuse to accept the tender of rents by reason of a breach of covenant on the part of the Tenant to pay on demand to the Landlord interest thereon at the Prescribed Rate from the date when the same became due and until they are paid to and accepted by the Landlord (as well after as before any judgment).

 

3.4. Outgoings

 

To bear pay and discharge all existing and future rates taxes duties charges assessments impositions and outgoings whatsoever (whether or not of a capital or non-recurring nature) which now are or may at any time hereafter during the Term be charged levied assessed or imposed upon the Demised Premises or upon the owner or occupier in respect thereof save any on receipts of rent (other than Value Added Tax) or on a disposal of the Landlord’s interest in the Demised Premises

 

3.5. Value Added Tax

 

(a) Supplies made by the Landlord to the Tenant pursuant to this Lease are exclusive of Value Added Tax and if any such supplies are (or become) liable to Value Added Tax (whether or not as a result of an election by the Landlord) then notwithstanding anything contained in this Lease such Value Added Tax shall be payable by the Tenant in addition to the consideration payable for such supplies under the terms of this Lease.

 

(b) Where under the terms of this Lease the Tenant is obliged to pay any sum which is not consideration for a supply to him but such sum is wholly or partly attributable (directly or indirectly) to a supply which is for the time being subject to Value Added Tax then notwithstanding anything contained in this Lease such sum payable by the Tenant shall be deemed for all purposes to be increased by the amount of such Value Added Tax save to the extent that the Landlord is able to obtain credit for such Value Added Tax as input tax.

 

(c) The Landlord (or its managing agents) shall render a receipted tax invoice in respect of taxable supplies made pursuant to this Lease promptly upon receipt of payment for the same.

 

(d) For the purposes of this clause 3.5 the expressions “supply” “taxable supply” “input tax” and “tax invoice” shall bear the same meanings as they do in the Value Added Tax Act 1994.

 

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3.6. Landlord’s Costs

 

To pay to the Landlord (and where appropriate, the Superior Landlord) on demand all reasonable and proper costs and , expenses including solicitors’ surveyors’ and other professional fees) of and incidental to:

 

(a) the preparation and service of any notice under Section 146 of the Law of Property Act 1925 and/or incurred in or in proper contemplation of proceedings under Section 146 and/or 147 of that Act notwithstanding in any such case that forfeiture may be avoided otherwise than by relief granted by the Court unless the Court otherwise directs;

 

(b) the preparation and service of any notice relating to a schedule of dilapidations and of any such schedule itself by the Landlord and whether or not the same is served during or within three months after the end of the Term but relating in all cases only to dilapidations which accrued prior to the end of the Term;

 

(c) all applications by the Tenant for any consent or approval of the Landlord or the Landlord’s Surveyor or the Superior Landlord required by this Lease or the Superior Leases including such fees and expenses actually incurred in cases where consent is refused or the application is withdrawn except when a court determined that consent was unreasonably withheld;

 

(d) subject to clause 3.6(e) the recovery of rent or other monies due and payable hereunder or to the remedying of any breach of covenant on the part of the Tenant herein contained;

 

(e) any action for the recovery of rent arrears under Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery;

 

(f) making good any damage to any Adjoining Property caused by the Tenant or any employee or licensee of the Tenant;

 

(g) carrying out works to the Demised Premises to improve the Environmental Performance where the Tenant in its absolute discretion has consented to the Landlord doing so.

 

3.7. Repair

 

To repair and keep the Demised Premises together with all Conduits toilets heating and cooling system and boilers in or exclusively serving the same in good and substantial repair and condition and shall rebuild repair and renew as necessary (damage by any of the Insured Risks always excepted save where the payment of any of the insurance monies shall be withheld or refused by reason of any act or default of the Tenant any undertenant or their respective servants agents or licensees).

 

3.8. Decoration and Maintenance

 

As often as may be reasonably necessary but in any event in the last year of the Term to paint with at least two coats of paint of a colour which in such last year of the Term shall previously be approved by the Landlord (such approval not. to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and to varnish paper plaster or otherwise treat all the parts of the Demised Premises as are usually or ought to be varnished papered plastered or treated (as appropriate) and generally to carry out all such work with good quality materials of their several kinds available and in accordance with good standards of workmanship.

 

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3.9. Cleaning of Demised Premises etc.

 

(a) As often as shall be necessary to clean treat and/or wash in an appropriate manner to the reasonable satisfaction of the Landlord’s Surveyor all glass and other surfaces and finishes of the Demised Premises (including the floor surface of the Roof Terrace) which ought normally to be so cleaned treated and/or washed.

 

(b) Not to store or stack any goods crates boxes or other things outside the Building save in areas designated for such purpose.

 

(c) Not to obstruct or interfere with the free use of any roads or highways giving access to the Building whether by the parking of vehicles or the deposit of materials thereon.

 

(d) To clean regularly and insofar as practicable preserve in good condition all carpets (if any) belonging to the Landlord and replace the same as often as may be necessary and in any event in the last year of the Term replace with carpet of no less a quality and of similar appearance.

 

3.10. Maintenance Contracts

 

To enter into and continue from time to time contracts with suitably qualified and experienced persons of repute for the regular maintenance inspection care and servicing of any boilers, air-conditioning and central heating plant and apparatus hot and cold water system ventilation plant and all installations relating to each of them, fire alarm system, smoke detector system, security system and any other mechanical and electrical equipment from time to time in and exclusively serving the Demised Premises and to supply to the Landlord details of all such contracts upon written request being made by the Landlord.

 

3.11. Entry to View

 

To permit the Landlord during normal business hours with or without workmen and all necessary tools and appliances after giving not less than two days’ prior notice (except in emergency) to the Tenant to enter and remain (for such reasonable period of time as may be necessary) upon the Demised Premises:

 

(a) to view the state of repair and condition thereof and to take a schedule of the Landlord’s fixtures and fittings and of any dilapidations;

 

(b) for the purpose of rebuilding or executing repairs and alterations to any adjoining or neighbouring premises belonging to the Landlord and to clean empty repair or replace any of the Conduits belonging to the same;

 

(c) to ascertain whether anything has been done which constitutes a breach or non-performance of any of the covenants contained in this Lease;

 

(d) to exercise the rights excepted and reserved to the Landlord by this Lease;

 

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(e) to inspect and measure the Demised Premises for all purposes connected with the operation or implementation of the provisions of Schedule 2 or for any intended or pending step under the provisions of Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954;

 

(f) to comply with its obligations under the Superior Leases,

 

(g) for any other reasonable purpose properly connected with the interest of the Landlord in the Demised Premises

 

subject to the person exercising such rights making good any damage caused to the Demised Premises thereby as soon as is reasonably practicable.

 

3.12. Compliance with Notice

 

To comply with any notice given by the Landlord requesting the Tenant to remedy any breach of the Tenant’s covenants within two calendar months after the giving of such notice or sooner if requisite and if the Tenant fails to comply with any such notice it shall be lawful (but not obligatory) for the Landlord (without prejudice to the right of re-entry hereinafter contained) to enter and remain upon the Demised Premises with or without workmen and with all necessary tools and appliances to make good the Demised Premises at the cost of the Tenant which cost shall be repaid by the Tenant to the Landlord on demand together with all solicitors’ surveyors’ and other professional fees and other expenses which may be incurred by the Landlord in connection therewith together with interest thereon at the Prescribed Rate from the date on which the said expenditure is incurred by the Landlord until the date of actual payment.

 

3.13. Overloading of Demised Premises

 

Not to suspend any heavy load from the ceilings or main structure of the Building nor to load or to use the floors of the Building or the structure or curtilage of the Building in any manner which will in any way impose a weight or strain in excess of that which the same are constructed to bear with due margin for safety.

 

3.14. User Prohibited

 

(a) Not to bring into the Demised Premises or to place or store in the Demised Premises any article or thing which is or may become dangerous offensive combustible inflammable radioactive or explosive other than such normal substances as may be employed in non-hazardous quantities in connection with the Permitted User but where any such normal substances are or may become dangerous offensive combustible inflammable radioactive or explosive then the Tenant will comply with all the requirements of the insurers of the Building and all statutes in relation to their supply use storage and/or disposal;

 

(b) Not to use the Demised Premises for any noisy offensive or dangerous trade manufacture business or occupation nor for any illegal or immoral purpose nor permit any person to reside or sleep upon the Demised Premises nor do on the Demised Premises any act matter or thing whatsoever which in the reasonable opinion of the Landlord may be or tend to become a nuisance damage or disturbance to the prejudice of the Landlord or to the owners or occupiers of any adjoining or neighbouring property or any of them Provided That the foregoing shall not prevent the use of the Demised Premises permitted by and in accordance with this Lease;

 

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(c) Not to discharge anything into the Conduits which will or may be corrosive or harmful or which may cause any obstruction or deposit therein;

 

(d) Not to use the Demised Premises for any public meeting exhibition or entertainment or as a club;

 

(e) Not to hold any sale by auction thereon or to play or use thereon any musical instrument gramophone wireless loudspeaker or similar apparatus so as to be audible outside the Demised Premises;

 

(f) Not to use the Demised Premises for the purpose of any betting transactions within the meaning of the Gambling Act 2005 or for gaming within the meaning of the Gambling Act 2005 with or between persons resorting to the Demised Premises;

 

(g) Not to make any application for a betting office licence or a licence or registration under the Gambling Act 2005 in respect of the Demised Premises;

 

(h) Not to use any type of barbeque or other cooking equipment on the Roof Terrace without the prior consent of the Landlord, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed Provided that (without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing) the Landlord may withhold consent if the Landlord is not satisfied with the Tenant’s fire risk assessment or health and safety assessment and further Provided That the Tenant must comply with all requirements of the Landlord’s insurers;

 

(i) Not to overload any structural part of the Building.

 

3.15. User

 

(a) Not to leave the Demised Premises continuously unoccupied for more than twenty-one days without notifying the Landlord and providing such caretaking or security arrangements as the Landlord and/or its insurers shall require (in the case of the Landlord acting reasonably) in order to protect the Demised Premises from vandalism theft damage or unlawful occupation.

 

(b) Not to use or permit the use of any part of the Demised Premises other Ise than for the Permitted User:

 

3.16. Alterations and Additions

 

(a) Not to make any alteration or addition to any part of the structure of the Building or the external elevations thereof nor to merge the Demised Premises with any adjoining premises and not to alter or change any of the architectural features (whether external or internal) of the Demised Premises.

 

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(b) Not without the consent of the Landlord nor otherwise than in accordance with plans approved by the Landlord (such consent and approval not to be unreasonably withheld) and under the supervision and to the reasonable satisfaction of the Landlord’s Surveyor to make any other alteration or addition in or to the Demised Premises or any part thereof including is particular any Conduits electrical equipment and installations of any description Provided That:

 

(i) the Landlord may in its absolute discretion seek such advice as the Landlord shall require from surveyors and other professional advisers in connection with any such application for consent;

 

(ii) the Landlord may as a condition of giving any such consent and approval require the Tenant to enter into such covenants with the Landlord as the Landlord may reasonably require in regard to the execution of any such works or otherwise;

 

(iii) the Tenant shall if so requested by the Landlord reinstate the Demised Premises at the end or sooner determination of the Term;

 

(iv) the Tenant shall not make any addition or alteration to the Demised Premises which might weaken the structure of the Building;

 

(v) in the case of any works of a substantial nature if the Landlord shall so require prior to the commencement of such works the Tenant shall provide adequate security on terms reasonably required by the Landlord in the form of a deposit of money or the provision of a bond to ensure that any alterations which may from time to time be permitted by the Landlord shall be fully completed;

 

(vi) the Landlord may in its absolute discretion refuse its consent to any alteration addition or amendment to the Demised Premises which may be visible from the exterior of the Building;

 

(vii) the Landlord will not unreasonably withhold consent to non-structural internal alterations;

 

(viii) all proposals for any alterations or additions to the Demised Premises shall first be submitted by the Tenant to the Landlord accompanied by all relevant detailed plans, drawings, elevations, sections and specifications and such other information as may be reasonably required.

 

(c) All alterations or additions to the electrical equipment and installations of the Demised Premises shall be carried out in accordance with the terms conditions and recommendations from time to time laid down by the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the regulations of the electricity supply authority.

 

(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing not at any time to commence any development within the meaning of the Planning Acts in relation to the Demised Premises without the Landlord’s prior consent which shall not be unreasonably withheld Provided That it shall in any event be reasonable for the Landlord to withhold its consent unless the Landlord shall first be satisfied that the proposed development is properly authorised by law and that the Tenant will indemnify and keep the Landlord fully and effectually indemnified from and against any tax charge or levy for which the Landlord may become liable as a result of any such proposed development being carried out by the Tenant.

 

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(e) Not without the consent of the Landlord to change or make any application to change the name of the Building from The Schrodinger Building.

 

3.17. Advertisements

 

Not to affix or exhibit in or upon any part of the exterior of the Demised Premises any bill placard advertisement flashlight or other sign except such as shall previously have been approved (as to design, size and positioning) by the Landlord such approval not to be unreasonably withheld.

 

3.18. Encroachments etc.

 

Not in any way to stop up or darken any window or opening in the Demised Premises nor to stop up or obstruct any access of light enjoyed by the Demised Premises nor to permit any wayleave easement privilege or encroachment to be made or acquired over against or upon the Demised Premises and forthwith upon the Tenant becoming aware of any of the same or circumstances which may give rise to the same to give notice thereof to the Landlord and to permit the Landlord to enter and remain upon the Demised Premises for the purpose of ascertaining the nature of any such wayleave easement privilege or encroachment and at the joint cost of the Landlord and the Tenant to adopt such means as the Landlord may properly require for preventing any encroachment and the acquisition or continued enjoyment of any wayleave easement or privilege.

 

3.19. Rights of Light

 

Not to give to any third party any acknowledgement that the Tenant enjoys the access of light to any window or opening in the Demised Premises by the consent of such third party nor to pay to such third party any sum of money nor to enter into any agreement with such third party for the purpose of inducing or binding such third party to abstain from obstructing the access of light to any such window or opening and in the event of any third party doing or threatening to do anything which obstructs the access of light to any such window or opening to give immediate written notice thereof to the Landlord and to permit the Landlord to bring such proceedings as it may think fit in the name of the Tenant and at the joint cost of the Landlord and the Tenant against any such third party in respect thereof.

 

3.20. Claims for Destruction of Light

 

Not to bring any action or make any claim or demand on account of any diminution of light or air to the Demised Premises or any window or opening therein in consequence of the erection or alteration of any building on any land adjoining neighbouring or oppoe`e to the Demised Premises for which the Landlord may give its consent pursuant to any power reserved by this Lease or in respect of any easement right or privilege granted or to be granted by the Landlord for the benefit of any building erected or to be erected on any land adjoining neighbouring or opposite to the Demised Premises and (if reasonably required) to concur with the Landlord at the Landlord’s expense in any consent which the Landlord may give or any grant which the Landlord may make.

 

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3.21. Insurance

 

(a) Promptly on becoming aware of the s n to give written notice to the Landlord of any damage or destruction to the Demised Premises or any matter in respect of which a claim may be made under any policy of insurance effected hereunder.

 

(b) If the Demised Premises or the Building shall be destroyed or damaged by any of the Insured Risks and the payment of any of the insurance monies under any insurance against the same shall be withheld or refused by reason solely or in part of any act or default of the Tenant or any undertenant or their respective servants agents or licensees then and in every such case the Tenant will pay to the Landlord the whole or (as the case may require) the withheld or refused portion of such insurance monies.

 

(c) Not to do any act or thing whereby any insurance effected in respect of the Demised Premises, the Building or any adjoining or neighbouring property would or might be vitiated or prejudiced and not without the written consent of the Landlord to do or omit to do anything whereby an increased or additional premium in respect of any such insurance (which shall in any event be borne by the Tenant) may become payable.

 

(d) To insure and keep insured all plate glass windows and other plate glass (if any) against the Insured Risks at the replacement cost thereof with such insurance office as the Landlord may approve (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and shall produce the insurance policy and the last premium receipt for inspection by the Landlord whenever the Landlord shall reasonably require and shall apply all monies received under such policy in the reinstatement of such plate glass windows and other plate glass and shall make good any deficiency out of the Tenant’s own money.

 

(e) If the Tenant shall become entitled to the benefit of any insurance on the Demised Premises then the Tenant shall hold all monies received by virtue of such insurance upon trust for the landlord for making good the loss or damage in respect of which the same shall have been received.

 

3.22. Alienation Prohibited

 

(a) Not to charge assign or transfer part only of the Demised Premises.

 

(b) Not to part with possession or share the occupation of the Demised Premises or any part thereof other than by way of an assignment permitted under clause 3.23 or an underlease permitted under clause 3.24 Provided That the Tenant may share the occupation of the Demised Premises with any company which is within the same group as the Tenant within the meaning of Section 42 of the 1954 Act or is a Spin Out Company so long as the Tenant gives prior written notice to the Landlord of the company occupying the Demised Premises and no tenancy is thereby created and such company vacates upon it ceasing to be a member of such group or ceasing to be a Spin Out Company.

 

(c) Not to hold or occupy the Demised Premises or any part thereof as trustee or agent or otherwise for the benefit of any other person.

 

(d) Not to underlet part only of the Demised Premises other than by way of an underlease of a Permitted Part as permitted under clause 3.24.

 

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3.23. Assignment Permitted

 

(a) Not to assign or transfer the whole of the Demised Premises without the prior written consent of the Landlord such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed subject to the terms contained in clauses 3.23(b) to 3.23(f) (inclusive),

 

(b) The Landlord may withhold its consent to a proposed assignment or transfer if any one or more of the following circumstances (which are specified for the purpose of Section 19(1A) of the 1927 Act) exist:

 

(i) any sum properly due and (other than the yearly rent) demanded from the Tenant under this Lease remains unpaid;

 

(ii) in the Landlord’s reasonable opinion there is at the date of the application for consent to assign any material outstanding breach of the Tenant’s covenants or other terms of this Lease;

 

(iii) the proposed assignee or transferee (or any guarantor required under clause 3.23(d)(ii)) has or will have immunity from suit or legal process in relation to any breach of any covenants or conditions contained in this Lease;

 

(iv) the proposed assignee or transferee (or any guarantor required under clause 3.23(d)(ii)) is a corporation registered in a jurisdiction in which there is no reciprocity of treatment for the enforcement of judgments obtained in England and Wales; or

 

(v) that in the reasonable opinion of the Landlord the proposed assignee is not of sufficient financial standing to enable it to comply with the tenant’s covenants under this Lease.

 

(c) Clause 3.23(b) shall operate without prejudice to the right of the Landlord to refuse such consent on any other ground or grounds where such refusal would be reasonable;

 

(d) The Landlord may impose any one or more of the following conditions (which are specified for the purpose of Section 19(1A) of the 1927 Act):

 

(i) a requirement that the assigning Tenant and in the event of a previous unauthorised assignment a former tenant (as defined in Section 16(6) of the 1995 Act) each separately execute as a deed and deliver to the Landlord prior to the assignment in question an authorised guarantee agreement in the form set out in Part 2 of Schedule 4 (to the extent permitted by law);

 

(ii) a requirement that (to the extent permitted by any surety for the assigning tenant is made party to any authorised guarantee agreement entered into by the assigning tenant in order to guarantee the obligations of the assigning tenant contained in the authorised guarantee agreement;

 

(iii) if the Landlord reasonably so requires a requirement that not more than two third party guarantors reasonably acceptable to the Landlord are provided who execute in favour of the Landlord and deliver to the Landlord prior to the assignment in question a deed of covenant in the terms of the covenants for a surety contained in Part 1 of Schedule 4;

 

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(e) Clause 3.23(c) shall operate without prejudice to the right of the Landlord to impose further conditions upon a grant of consent where such imposition would be reasonable.

 

(f) The Tenant shall give notice to the Landlord in writing within fifteen working days of the Tenant becoming aware of the death of any individual who has covenanted with the Landlord as surety or of an Event of Insolvency arising in respect of a surety. If so required by the Landlord at the expense of the Tenant the Tenant shall within two (2) months of such event procure that some other individual or company acceptable to the Landlord acting reasonably shall covenant with the Landlord as surety in the terms of clause 3.23(d)(iii) in place of such individual or company.

 

3.24. Underletting Permitted

 

(a) Not to underlet the whole or a Permitted Part of the Demised Premises without the consent of the Landlord (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

 

(b) Prior to any such underletting to procure that the intended undertenant shall covenant direct with the Landlord:

 

(i) that the undertenant will observe and perform the Tenant’s covenants and conditions contained in this Lease (other than the covenant to pay the rents hereby reserved);

 

(ii) that the undertenant will not charge assign transfer or sub-underlet the whole or any part of the premises to be underlet (other than by an assignment as is permitted under this clause 3.24(b));

 

(iii) that the undertenant will not hold or occupy the premises to be underlet or any part thereof as trustee or agent or otherwise for the benefit of any other person.

 

(iv) that the undertenant will not assign the whole of the premises to be underlet without the prior written consent of the Landlord (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) Provided That the undertenant may share occupation of the underlet premises with a group company of the undertenant in accordance with the terms of clause 3.22(b); and

 

(v) that upon any assignment of the premises to be underlet the assignee shall enter into similar direct covenants with the Landlord as those set out in this clause 3.24(b).

 

And to procure that one or more third party guarantors reasonably acceptable to the Landlord shall if the Landlord reasonably so requires act as surety for such undertenant and shall jointly and severally (if appropriate) covenant with the Tenant and the Landlord in the same form mutatis mutandis as in Part 1 of Schedule 45.

 

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(c) Not to underlet the whole or a Permitted Part of the Demised Premises except:

 

(i) at a rent which is not less than the rack rental value of the Demised Premises or the premises to be underlet (as the case may be) without taking a fine premium or other consideration and at no time to release the undertenant from the obligation to pay such rent nor to commute the same (or any part thereof) for a capital sum;

 

(ii) subject to Sections 24 to 28 (inclusive) of the 1954 Act (as amended) being excluded in relation thereto;

 

(iii) subject to obtaining the approval of the Landlord (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

 

(d) Not at any time to release or waive or permit to be released or waived any covenants against assignment or underletting in an underlease or permit any dealing by any such undertenant without the written consent of the Landlord (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) but to enforce or procure the enforcement of the performance of any such covenants by all means in the power both of the Tenant in respect thereof.

 

(e) To take all necessary steps at its own expense to secure the effective implementation of the provisions for rent review contained in any underlease and shall:

 

(i) not agree the amount of any such rent on review without the prior consent of the Landlord (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and so that for the avoidance of doubt the Landlord shall have the right (acting reasonably) to submit any representations the Landlord thinks fit to the arbitrator or expert or to incorporate such representations in those which the Tenant shall make in connection with any such review of the rent reserved by any underlease;

 

(ii) not agree upon the appointment of a person to act as the arbitrator or expert determining the rent in default of agreement without the approval of the Landlord (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); and

 

(iii) to supply the Landlord with a copy of the determination of every rent review within 14 days of receipt thereof together with such further details as the Landlord may reasonably require.

 

(f) The Tenant shall not underlet a Permitted Part if the total number of separate occupiers (including the occupancy of the Tenant pursuant to this Lease) in the Demised Premises would then exceed two.

 

3.25. Disclosure of Information

 

Upon making an application for any consent or approval which is required under this Lease the Tenant shall disclose to the Landlord such information as the Landlord may reasonably require.

 

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3.26. Registration

 

(a) Within twenty-one days after any assignment transfer underlease mortgage charge or other devolution of this Lease or any derivative interest to give notice thereof in duplicate to the Landlord’s solicitor for registration together with a certified copy of the deed document or instrument effecting such assignment transfer underlease mortgage charge or other devolution and to pay or cause to be paid to the Landlord’s Solicitors or as the Landlord may from time to time direct a fee of Fifty Pounds (£50.00) or such higher fee as the Landlord may reasonably require for the registration thereof.

 

(b) Where a deed of transfer or deed of assignment of the Demised Premises or an underlease is registerable at the Land Registry the Tenant shall procure the registration of such deed of transfer or deed of assignment or underlease as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of the same and within one month of completion of the registration give notice in writing to the Landlord.

 

3.27. Schedule of Underlettings etc.

 

If and when called upon by the Landlord so to do to supply to the Landlord from time to time a schedule containing full details (including for the avoidance of doubt particulars of rent and any review dates) of all subsisting underlettings and occupiers of the Demised Premises.

 

3.28. Compliance with Statutes

 

(a) To comply with the provisions of all statutes now or hereafter to be passed which affect the Demised Premises or the Tenant’s user thereof including the execution of all works required to be done or executed pursuant thereto whether by the owner and/or the landlord and/or the tenant thereof and to comply with any notices which may be served by any competent authority and not to do on the Demised Premises any act or thing whereby the Landlord may become liable to pay any penalty imposed by or to bear the whole or any part of any expenses incurred under any such statute.

 

(b) To comply with all requirements from time to time of the appropriate authority in relation to fire precautions and means of escape from the Demised Premises in case of fire or other emergency insofar as such escape route is located within the Demised Premises and at the expense of the Tenant to keep the Demised Premises sufficiently supplied and equipped with fire-fighting and extinguishing apparatus and appliances of a type to be approved from time to time by the appropriate authority and by the Landlord’s insurers and suitable in all respects to the type of user or business or trade carried on upon the Demised Premises.

 

3.29. Planning Acts

 

(a) To obtain so often as Occasion shall require all planning permissions licences consents and approvals as may be required under the Planning Acts for the carrying out by the Tenant of any development on the Demised Premises within the meaning of the Planning Acts or for the continuance thereof by the Tenant but so that the Tenant shall not make any application for planning permission or give any notice to any authority of an intention to commence or to carry Out any development without the previous consent of the Landlord (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld where the Landlord is not to unreasonably withhold its consent under this Lease to the development for which planning permission is required) and so that the Tenant shall (if and insofar as it is lawful for the parties hereto to make such an arrangement) indemnify the Landlord against all charges payable in respect of any such application

 

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(b) Promptly after the grant of any pleating permission or refusal of any application therefor made by the Tenant to give to the Landlord full particulars in writing thereof and supply a copy thereof for the retention of the Landlord and in the case of a refusal of such an application or a grant subject to conditions which the Landlord considers unreasonable if the Landlord reasonably so requires at the Landlord’s expense to give notice of appeal thereof to the competent authority and to proceed diligently with such appeal and to keep the Landlord informed of the progress thereof

 

(c) Without prejudice to the provisions of any other covenant by the Tenant under this Lease not to implement any planning permission until a copy of the same has been submitted to the Landlord and acknowledged by it as satisfactory (such acknowledgement not to be unreasonably withheld) Provided that the Landlord may refuse so to express its satisfaction with any such planning permission on the ground that any provision or condition would in the reasonable opinion of the Landlord be or be likely to be (whether during the Term or following its determination) prejudicial to the Landlord’s interest in the Demised Premises or the Building or any adjoining or neighbouring property belonging to the Landlord.

 

(d) If the Landlord reasonably so requires where a planning permission is granted subject to conditions to provide adequate security for the compliance with such conditions on terms reasonably required by the Landlord in the form of a deposit of money or the provision of a bond prior to the implementation by the Tenant of such planning permission.

 

(e) Unless the Landlord shall otherwise direct to carry out before the end or sooner determination of the Term (howsoever the same may be determined) any works stipulated to be carried out to the Demised Premises by a date subsequent to such end or sooner determination as a condition of any planning permission which may have been granted to and been implemented by the Tenant or any person deriving title under the Tenant.

 

(f) If called upon so to do to produce to the Landlord all plans documents and other evidence as the Landlord may reasonably require in order to satisfy itself that the provisions of this covenant have been complied with.

 

(g) Not without the consent of the Landlord to enter into any agreement under the Planning Acts.

 

(h) Not without the consent of the Landlord to serve any notice under Planning Acts requiring any authority to purchase the interest of the Tenant in the Demised Premises.

 

3.30. Statutory Notices

 

(a) Within seven days of the receipt of any notice order permission refusal requisition or direction or proposal for the same made given or issued to the Tenant by any competent authority under or by virtue of any statutory powers or forthwith upon the happening of any occurrence which may be capable of adversely affecting the Landlord’s interest in the Demised Premises the Tenant shall deliver full particulars thereof to the Landlord and if so required by the Landlord thereafter to produce a copy of the same to the Landlord and without delay to take all reasonable and necessary steps to comply with the same,

 

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(b) To make or join with the Landlord at the joint cost of the Landlord and the Tenant in making such objections or, representations against or in respect of any such notice order permission refusal requisition or direction or proposal for the same as the Landlord shall deem expedient

 

3.31. Reletting Arrangements

 

To permit the Landlord or its agents to fix and retain in a conspicuous position on the Demised Premises a notice-board during the last six months of the Term in respect of the reletting of the same and at any time during the Term in respect of the sale of the interest of the Landlord in the same (but not so as to restrict or interfere unreasonably with access to or the access of light and air to the Demised Premises) and not to take down or obscure the said notice-board and to permit all persons authorised by the Landlord or its agents to view the Demised Premises during normal business hours after the giving of not less than twenty-four hours’ prior notice.

 

3.32. Defects

 

To notify the Landlord promptly upon becoming aware of any defect in the Demised Premises which might give rise to a duty imposed by common law or statute on the Landlord in favour of the Tenant or any other person.

 

3.33. Indemnity

 

(a) To indemnify and keep indemnified the Landlord against all proper losses costs damage and expenses (including professional fees properly incurred by the Landlord) incurred or sustained by the Landlord as a consequence of any breach of the covenants by the Tenant set out herein or implied Provided That such indemnity shall extend to all costs and expenses properly incurred by the Landlord in connection with any steps which the Landlord may (acting reasonably) take to remedy any such breach and shall be without prejudice to any other rights or remedies of the Landlord in respect of any such breach.

 

(b) To indemnify and keep indemnified the Landlord against liability in respect of any injury to or the death of any person or damage to any property movable or immovable or the infringement disturbance or destruction of any right easement or privilege or otherwise by reason of or arising directly or indirectly out of the repair or condition of the Demised Premises or any alteration thereto by the Tenant or any person deriving title under the Tenant or the Permitted User and against all actions proceedings costs expenses claims and demands of whatsoever nature in respect of any such liability or alleged liability.

 

21 

 

 

3.34. Yield Up

 

At the end of the Term quietly to yield up to the Landlord the Demised Premises in such state and condition as shall in all respects be in accordance with the covenants on the part of the tenant herein contained Provided That:

 

(a) the state and condition of the Demised Premises shall be assessed with reference to the specifications for a Category A office premises annexed to the Agreement for Lease and for the avoidance of doubt this shall mean any Variations (as defined in the Agreement for Lease) are to be removed;

 

(b) if any of the Landlord’s fixtures and fittings shall be missing broken damaged or destroyed and beyond economic repair the Tenant shall replace them with others of a similar character;

 

(c) unless released from compliance by the Landlord by notice the Tenant shall remove all tenant’s and trade fixtures and fittings and every moulding sign writing or painting of the name or business of the Tenant or other occupiers from the Demised Premises and to make good all damage caused to the Demised Premises by the removal of the tenant’s and trade fixtures fittings furniture and effects;

 

(d) if at the end of the Term the Demised Premises shall not be in such state and condition then whether the works necessary to put the Demised Premises into such repair and condition are carried out by the Tenant or at the entire cost of the Tenant by the Landlord there shall in addition be paid to the Landlord by the Tenant a sum equivalent to the amount of rent lost by the Landlord in respect of the period from such end or sooner determination until all such necessary works have been completed promptly and without delay to the reasonable satisfaction of the Landlord such sum to be paid within seven days of the date of the Landlord informing the Tenant that all such works have been so completed.

 

3.35. Regulations

 

To observe duly and perform the stipulations and regulations set out in Schedule 3 as the Landlord may reasonably amend from time to time.

 

3.36. Covenants in Documents

 

To observe and perform the agreements covenants and stipulations contained or referred to in the documents referred to in Part 4 of Schedule 1 and to indemnify the Landlord in relation to any breach thereto attributable to the Tenant so far as they concern any act matter or thing to be done on the Demised Premises.

 

3.37. Superior Leases

 

To perform and observe the covenants (other than the payment of rent) on the part of the tenant contained in the Superior Leases so far as they relate to the Demised Premises and not to do anything to put the Landlord in breach of the covenants on the part of the tenant contained in the Superior Leases so far as they relate to the Demised Premises.

 

22 

 

 

4. Landlord’s Covenants

 

The Landlord HEREBY COVENANTS with the Tenant as follows:

 

4.1. Quiet Enjoyment

 

That the Tenant paying the rents hereby reserved and observing and performing the covenants conditions and stipulations herein contained and on the part of the Tenant to be observed and performed shall and may peaceably hold and enjoy the Demised Premises during the Term without any interruption by the Landlord or any person rightfully claiming under or in trust for the Landlord.

 

4.2. Insurance

 

(a) To insure and keep insured at rates which are not unreasonably above the market norm for readily available insurance for similar buildings in the London insurance market in a cost-effective manner (unless such insurance shall be vitiated by any act or default of the Tenant any person deriving title under the Tenant or their respective servants agents or licensees) the Building, and access to the Building for a sum being not less than the Reinstatement Value against loss or damage by the Insured Risks with some insurance office or underwriters of repute and to insure against the loss of three years’ rent for the time being payable to the Landlord hereunder in respect of the whole of the Demised Premises together with VAT and (if applicable) with any anticipated increase in respect of a review of the rent payable under this Lease pursuant to the provisions of Schedule 5.

 

(b) As often as the Building or the Demised Premises or the access thereto shall be destroyed or damaged subject to the payment of the policy monies not being withheld or refused in whole or in part through any act or default of the Tenant any person deriving title under the Tenant or their respective servants agents or licensees and subject to obtaining all necessary planning and other consents to lay out all monies received by virtue of such insurance which are attributable to damage caused to the Building and/or the Demised Premises (making up any shortfall from its own monies) in rebuilding repairing and reinstating the Building and/or the Demised Premises to their former state or condition or as near thereto as circumstances may reasonably permit Provided That if the Landlord has not been able to obtain all such planning and other consents and has not fully reinstated the Demised Premises or the access thereto within a period of three years from the date of damage or destruction either the Landlord or the Tenant shall be entitled to terminate this Lease by giving notice to the other and on the giving of such notice the Term shall cease and determine but without prejudice to the rights of any party hereto in respect of any antecedent breach of covenant whereupon all monies payable pursuant to any policy of insurance effected hereunder shall belong to the Landlord absolutely.

 

(c) To produce to the Tenant upon demand (but not more often than once in every year) a schedule setting out relevant details of the insurance policy or policies effected pursuant to clause 4.2(a) and confirming payment of the fast premium thereon

 

23 

 

 

4.3. Services

 

Subject as otherwise herein provided to perform the Building Services and to use reasonable endeavours to perform the Science Park Services in both cases as from time to time necessary under the principles of good estate management Provided that:

 

(a) the Landlord shall not be liable to the Tenant in respect of any interruption in any of the services which the Landlord does provide or supply by reason of any necessary inspection repair or maintenance of any plant or equipment or any damage thereto or by reason of mechanical or other defect or breakdown or inclement weather conditions or shortage of fuel materials water or labour or by reason of any circumstances whatever beyond the control of the Landlord provided that the Landlord shall procure that the services will be restored as soon as reasonably practicable;

 

(b) the Tenant shall have no claim against the Landlord in respect of any defect or want of maintenance repair amendment renewal or cleansing unless the Landlord has had notice thereof and has failed to remedy the same within a reasonable period thereafter.

 

4.4. Superior Leases

 

To pay the rent reserved by the Superior Leases and to observe and perform the tenant’s covenants in the Superior Leases (insofar as the Tenant is not liable for such observance and performance) under its covenants herein contained.

 

5. Energy Performance Certificates

 

5.1. Tenant covenants

 

(a) The Tenant shall permit the Landlord at reasonable times on at least 72 hours prior notice to enter the Demised Premises in order to take the measurements and carry out the calculations required for the production of an EPC in respect of the Demised Premises or any part of them, subject to the person exercising such rights making good any damage thereby caused to the Demised Premises.

 

(b) On demand the Tenant shall supply the Landlord with the information required for the production of an EPC in respect of the Demised Premises, including without limitation information regarding energy consumption and equipment.

 

(c) The Tenant shall not obtain an EPC in respect of the Demised Premises or any part of them without the prior written consent of the Landlord such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed and if the Landlord grants such consent then:

 

(i) the EPC shall be obtained by the Tenant from a reputable and appropriately qualified energy assessor at the Tenant’s own cost, and

 

(ii) the Tenant shall notify the Landlord in writing when an EPC has been obtained in respect of the Demised Premises or any part of them and its notice shall include a copy of the EPC and the reference number for the EPC.

 

(d) If and to the extent the Existing EPC is no longer valid (whether or not as the result of the Tenant’s alterations) to notify the Landlord and to obtain any EPC required to be provided from a reputable and appropriately qualified energy assessor.

 

24 

 

 

5.2. Landlord covenants

 

(a) On demand the Landlord shall supply the Tenant with the information required for the production of an EPC in respect of the Demised Premises, including without limitation information regarding energy consumption and equipment.

 

(b) The Landlord shall notify the Tenant whenever an EPC has been obtained in respect of the Demised Premises and its notice shall include a copy of the EPC and the reference number for the EPC.

 

6. Miscellaneous Provisions

 

PROVIDED ALWAYS AND IT IS HEREBY AGREED AND DECLARED as follows:

 

6.1. Power of Re-entry

 

(a) If the rents hereby reserved or any part thereof shall at any time be in arrear and unpaid for twenty-one days after the same shall have become due and (except in the case of the yearly rent) demanded; or

 

(b) If there shall be any breach of any of the covenants on the part of the Tenant contained in this Lease; or

 

(c) An Event of Insolvency arises in relation to the Tenant or in relation to any surety who at any time guarantees the obligations of the Tenant under this Lease; or

 

(d) If the Tenant suffers any distress or execution or any modern equivalent of these remedies to be levied on any goods including any action taken for the recovery of rent arrears from the Tenant under Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery for the time being on the Demised Premises which is not removed within fourteen days

 

then and in any such case it shall be lawful for the Landlord at any time thereafter to re-enter the Demised Premises or any part thereof in the name of the whole and thereupon the Term shall absolutely cease and determine but without prejudice to any right of action of the Landlord in respect of any antecedent breach of any of the covenants by the Tenant herein contained.

 

6.2. Cesser of Rent

 

If the Building and/or the Demised Premises or any part thereof or the means of access thereto are destroyed or damaged by any of the Insured Risks so far as to render the Demised Premises or any part thereof or access to them unfit for occupation and use then and so often as it happens (if at the date thereof the payment of any of the insurance monies has not been withheld or refused by reason of any act or default of the Tenant any person deriving title under the Tenant or their respective servants agents or licensees) the rent reserved under clause 2.1 or a fair and just proportion thereof according to the nature and extent of the damage shall be suspended for so long as the Demised Premises or the access to them or the destroyed or damaged part thereof remain unfit for occupation and use by reason of such destruction or damage or for three years whichever shall be the shorter and if any dispute arises between the Landlord and the Tenant in regard to the amount or the period of the suspension of the said rent or otherwise in relation thereto it shall be referred to arbitration under the provisions of the Arbitration Act 1996.

 

25 

 

 

6.3. No Implied Rights

 

Nothing herein contained shall (except as otherwise expressly provided) by implication of law or otherwise operate or be deemed to confer upon the Tenant any easement right or privilege whatsoever.

 

6.4. Development of Adjoining Property

 

The Landlord shall have the right at any time to make any alterations to or to pull down rebuild redevelop or otherwise deal with or use any Adjoining Property as it may deem fit without obtaining any consent from or making any compensation to the Tenant and the Tenant will not object to any planning application made by or on behalf of the Landlord in respect of the development or redevelopment of any Adjoining Property.

 

6.5. Restrictions affecting Adjoining Property

 

Nothing herein contained or implied shall give the Tenant the benefit of or the right to enforce or to have enforced or to prevent the release or modification of any covenant agreement or condition entered into by any purchaser from or by any lessee or occupier of the Landlord in respect of property not comprised in this Lease or areas over which rights are granted by this Lease for the benefit of the Tenant.

 

6.6. No Warranty as to Use

 

Notwithstanding the provisions as to the Permitted User contained in this Lease the Landlord does not hereby or in any other way give or make nor has given or made at any other time any representation or warranty that the Permitted User is or will be or will remain a permitted use within the provisions of the Planning Acts and notwithstanding that the Permitted User is not a permitted use as aforesaid the Tenant shall remain fully bound and liable to the Landlord in respect of the obligations undertaken by the Tenant by virtue of this Lease without any compensation recompense or relief of any kind whatsoever.

 

6.7. Exclusion of Representations

 

The Tenant acknowledges that this Lease has not been entered in reliance wholly or partly upon any statement or representation made by or on behalf of the Landlord save insofar as any such statement or representation is expressly set out in this Lease or has been made in writing by the Landlord’s solicitors to the Tenant’s solicitors before the date of entry into this Lease.

 

6.8. Disputes

 

Any dispute arising as between the Tenant and the tenants or occupiers of any property adjoining neighbouring or opposite to the Demised Premises belonging to the Landlord as to any easement right or privilege in connection with the user of the Demised Premises and such property adjoining neighbouring or opposite to the Demised Premises or as to the party or other walls separating the Demised Premises from the adjoining property or as to the amount of any contribution towards the expenses of works to services used in common with any other property shall be decided by the Landlord’s Surveyor whose decision shall be binding upon all parties to the dispute (save in the case of manifest error).

 

26 

 

 

6.9. Removal of Tenant’s Property

 

(a) If at such time as the Tenant has vacated the Demised Premises at the end of the Term any property of the Tenant shall remain in or on the Demised Premises and the Tenant shall fail to remove the same within fourteen days after being requested in writing by the Landlord so to do then the Landlord may as the agent of the Tenant sell such property and shall then hold the proceeds of sale after deducting the costs and expenses of removal storage and sale properly incurred by it to the order of the Tenant.

 

(b) The Tenant shall indemnify the Landlord against any liability incurred by it to any third party whose property shall have been sold by the Landlord in the mistaken belief held in good faith (which shall be presumed unless the contrary be proved) that such property belonged to the Tenant.

 

6.10. Surrender of Easements

 

At any time during the Term the Tenant will at the request of the Landlord enter into a deed of variation of this lease to give up or alter rights of access and easements granted hereunder which the Landlord reasonably requires to be varied as part of the redevelopment of the whole or part of the Science Park so long as the alternative rights of access or other easements are no less convenient than those hereby granted and provided that the Landlord indemnifies the Tenant in respect of any cost and expense reasonably incurred by the Tenant either relating to any such deed of variation or with regard to the cost of any works required to the Demised Premises or the Science Park which are the result of such request from the Landlord and which are approved by the Landlord (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

 

6.11. Notices

 

The provisions of Section 196 of the Law of Property Act 1925 as amended by the Recorded Delivery Service Act 1962 shall apply to all notices required to be served hereunder.

 

6.12. Jurisdiction

 

Each party irrevocably agrees that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with this Lease or its subject matter or formation {including non-contractual disputes or claims).

 

6.13. Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999

 

A person who is not a party to this Lease shall not have any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of this Lease. This does not affect any right or remedy of a third party which exists, or is available, apart from that Act.

 

27 

 

 

6.14. Break Clause

 

(a) In this clause the following definitions apply:

 

Break Date: 6th April 2028

 

Break Notice: written notice to terminate this Lease.

 

(b) The Tenant may terminate this Lease by serving a Break Notice on the Landlord at least twelve months but not more than eighteen months before the Break Date.

 

(c) A Break Notice served by the Tenant pursuant to clause 6.14(b) shall have no effect if at the Break Date:

 

(i) the Tenant has not paid any part of the yearly rent or of the service charge payable under clause 3.2 of the Lease or any VAT in respect of them, which was due to have been paid;

 

(ii) the Tenant has not given the Demised Premises back to the Landlord free of the Tenant’s occupation and the occupation of any other lawful occupier and without any continuing underleases.

 

(d) The Break Notice shall be in writing and, for the purposes of this clause, writing does not include facsimile transmission or email.

 

(e) Subject to clause 6.14(c), following service of a Break Notice pursuant to clause 6.14(b) this Lease shall terminate on the Break Date.

 

(f) Time shall be of the essence in respect of all time periods and limits in this clause.

 

(g) Termination of this Lease pursuant to this clause shall be without prejudice to any right or remedy of the Landlord in respect of any antecedent breach of the covenants or conditions on the part of the Tenant in this Lease, including any covenants expressed to be complied with before the end of the Term.

 

7. New Lease

 

This Lease is a new tenancy for the purposes of the 1995 Act.

 

IN WITNESS whereof the parties to this Lease have executed and delivered this Lease as a deed the day and year first above written.

 

28 

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by THE OXFORD   )    
SCIENCE PARK LIMITED acting by   )   /s/
two directors or by a director and its   )   Director
secretary   )    
        /s/
        Director/Secretary

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by FUEL 3D   )    
TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED acting by   )   Director
one director in the presence of:   )    
    )    

 

Signature of witness    
Name (in BLOCK CAPITALS)    
Address:    

 

29

 

 

Exhibit 10.13

 

 

Dated 13 July 2021

  

(1) MEPC Milton Park No. 1 Limited and MEPC Milton Park No. 2 Limited

 

and

 

(2) exscientia limited

  

lease

 

relating to

 

155 Brook Drive

 

Milton Park

 

Knights plc  
Midland House  
West Way  
Botley  
Oxford  
OX2 0PH  

 

 

 

 

PRESCRIBED CLAUSES

 

LR1. Date of lease 13 July 2021     
LR2. Title number(s)  

LR2.1 Landlord’s title number(s)

 

BK102078

 

LR2.2 Other title number(s)

 

ON122118, ON122717, ON130606, ON145942, ON146219, ON225380, ON38283, ON72772, ON96949, ON216090

LR3.

Parties to this lease

 

Landlord

 

MEPC MILTON PARK NO. 1 LIMITED (Company number 5491670) and MEPC MILTON PARK NO. 2 LIMITED (Company number 5491806), on behalf of MEPC Milton LP (LP No. LP14504), both of whose registered offices are at Sixth Floor, 150 Cheapside, London EC2V 6ET

 

Tenant

 

EXSCIENTIA LIMITED (Company number SC428761) whose registered office is at Level 3, Dundee One River Court, 5 West Victoria Dock Road, Dundee, United Kingdom

 

Other parties

 

None

LR4. Property

In the case of a conflict between this clause and the remainder of this lease then, for the purposes of registration, this clause shall prevail.

 

155 Brook Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 4SD shown edged red on the Plan with a gross internal floor area of 1,872.0 square metres (20,151 square feet) measured in accordance with the RICS Code of Measuring Practice (sixth edition)

LR5. Prescribed Statements etc. None
LR6. Term for which the Property is leased  

From and including 13 July 2021

 

To and including 12 July 2031

LR7. Premium   None
LR8. Prohibitions or restrictions on disposing of this lease   This lease contains a provision that prohibits or restricts dispositions

 

1

 

 

LR9. Rights of acquisition etc.  

LR9.1 Tenant's contractual rights to renew this lease, to acquire the reversion or another lease of the Property, or to acquire an interest in other land

 

None

 

LR9.2 Tenant's covenant to (or offer to) surrender this lease

 

None

 

LR9.3 Landlord's contractual rights to acquire this lease

 

None

LR10. Restrictive covenants given in this lease by the Landlord in respect of land other than the Property   None
LR11. Easements  

LR11.1 Easements granted by this lease for the benefit of the Property

 

The easements specified in Part I of the First Schedule of this lease

 

LR11.2 Easements granted or reserved by this lease over the Property for the benefit of other property

 

The easements specified in Part II of the First Schedule of this lease

LR12. Estate rentcharge burdening the Property   None
LR13. Application for standard form of restriction   None
LR14. Declaration of trust where there is more than one person comprising the Tenant   None

 

 

2

 

 

This lease made on the date and between the parties specified in the Prescribed Clauses Witnesses as follows:

 

1 Definitions and Interpretation

 

In this lease unless the context otherwise requires:

 

1.1 Definitions

 

Adjoining Property means any adjoining or neighbouring premises in which the Landlord or a Group Company of the Landlord holds or shall at any time during the Term hold a freehold or leasehold interest;

 

Base Rate means the base rate from time to time of Barclays Bank PLC or (if not available) such comparable rate of interest as the Landlord shall reasonably require;

 

Break Date means 13 July 2026;

 

Break Payment means a sum equal to six (6) months’ worth of the Principal Rent for the time being payable under this lease;

 

Concessionary Rent Period means the period beginning on and including the Rent Commencement Date to but excluding the second anniversary of the Rent Commencement Date;

 

Conduit means any existing or future media for the passage of substances or energy and any ancillary apparatus attached to them and any enclosures for them;

 

Contractual Term means the term specified in the Prescribed Clauses;

 

Encumbrances means the obligations and encumbrances (if any) specified in Part III of the First Schedule;

 

Estate means Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire (of which the Property forms part) and the buildings from time to time standing on it as owned by the Landlord and shown edged [] on the Plan together with any other adjoining land which is incorporated into Milton Park;

 

Estate Common Areas means the roads, accesses, landscaped areas, car parks, estate management offices and other areas or amenities on the Estate or outside the Estate but serving or otherwise benefiting the Estate as a whole which are from time to time provided or designated for the common amenity or benefit of the owners or occupiers of the Estate;

 

Estate Services means the services provided or procured by the Landlord in relation to the Estate as set out in Part II of the Fourth Schedule;

 

Group Company means a company which is a member of the same group of companies within the meaning of Section 42 of the 1954 Act;

 

Guarantor means any party to this lease so named in the Prescribed Clauses (which in the case of an individual includes his personal representatives) and any guarantor of the obligations of the Tenant from time to time;

 

Insurance Commencement Date means 13 July 2021;

 

Insured Risks means fire, lightning, earthquake, explosion, terrorism, aircraft (other than hostile aircraft) and other aerial devices or articles dropped therefrom, riot, civil commotion, malicious damage, storm or tempest, bursting or overflowing of water tanks apparatus or pipes, flood and impact by road vehicles (to the extent that insurance against such risks may ordinarily be arranged with an insurer of good repute) and such other risks or insurance as may from time to time be reasonably required by the Landlord (subject in all cases to such usual and reasonable exclusions and limitations as may be imposed by the insurers), and Insured Risk means any one of them;

 

Landlord means the party to this lease so named in the Prescribed Clauses and includes any other person entitled to the immediate reversion to this lease;

 

3

 

 

Landlord’s Surveyor means a suitably qualified person or firm appointed by the Landlord (including an employee of the Landlord or a Group Company) to perform the function of a surveyor for the purposes of this lease;

 

Landscaping and Parking Services means the services provided or procured by the Landlord in relation to the Property Landscaped Areas and Parking Area(s) as set out in Part III of the Fourth Schedule;

 

Lease Particulars means the descriptions and terms in the section headed Lease Particulars which form part of this lease insofar as they are not inconsistent with the other provisions of this lease;

 

Parking Area(s) means the parking area(s) at the Estate within which there are a total of sixteen (16) car parking spaces in such locations as the Landlord acting reasonably from time to time allocates, the initial allocation being shown for identification only coloured yellow on the Plan;

 

Permitted Use means office / research and development / industrial use within Class E(g) of Schedule 2 to the Use Classes Order;

 

Plan means the plan or plans annexed to this lease;

 

Prescribed Clauses means the descriptions and terms in the section headed Prescribed Clauses which form part of this lease;

 

Previous Lease means the lease of the Property dated 16 August 2016 and made between (1) MEPC Milton Park No. 1 Limited and MEPC Milton Park No. 2 Limited (2) DC Payments UK Limited and (3) Direct Payments Inc which was surrendered immediately before the grant of this lease;

 

Principal Rent means:

 

From and including the Rent Commencement Date to but excluding the second anniversary of the Rent Commencement Date: ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY NINE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND SIX POUNDS AND TWENTY FIVE PENCE (£179,506.25) per annum;

 

From and including the second anniversary of the Rent Commencement Date to but excluding the Review Date: THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE THOUSAND AND TWELVE POUNDS AND FIFTY PENCE (£359,012.50);

 

subject to review in accordance with the Second Schedule;

 

Property means the property described in the Prescribed Clauses and includes any part of it, any alteration or addition to the Property and any Landlord’s fixtures and fittings in or on the Property;

 

Property Landscaped Areas means any soft landscaped areas which now or at any time during the Term form part of the Property (excluding any within the principal building in the Property);

 

Quarter Days means 25 March, 24 June, 29 September and 25 December in every year and Quarter Day means any of them;

 

Rent Commencement Date means 13 July 2021;

 

Review Date means 12 July 2026;

 

Schedule of Condition means the schedule of condition annexed to this lease;

 

Section 106 Agreement means the agreement made pursuant to, inter alia, section 106 and section 106A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 dated 12 December 2012 between (1) MEPC Milton Park No. 1 Limited and MEPC Milton Park No. 2 Limited (2) Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch and (3) Oxfordshire County Council as varied by a deed of variation to this agreement dated 7 September 2017 between (1) MEPC Milton Park No. 1 Limited and MEPC Milton Park No. 2 Limited (2) Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch and (3) Oxfordshire County Council;

 

Service Charge means the Service Charge set out in the Fourth Schedule;

 

4

 

 

Service Charge Commencement Date means 13 July 2021;

 

Services means the Estate Services and the Landscaping and Parking Services;

 

Tenant means the party to this lease so named in the Prescribed Clauses and includes its successors in title;

 

Term means the Contractual Term;

 

This lease means this lease and any document supplemental to it or entered into pursuant to it;

 

Uninsured Risk means an Insured Risk against which insurance is from time to time unobtainable on normal commercial terms in the London insurance market at reasonable commercial rates for a property equivalent in size, layout, type and location, and Uninsured Risks shall be interpreted accordingly;

 

Use Classes Order means the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended by the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020);

 

VAT means Value Added Tax and any similar tax substituted for it or levied in addition to it;

 

Working Day means any day except Saturdays, Sundays and bank, public and statutory holidays;

 

1954 Act means the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954;

 

1995 Act means the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995;

 

2003 Order means The Regulatory Reform (Business Tenancies) (England and Wales) Order 2003.

 

1.2 Interpretation

 

1.2.1 If the Tenant or the Guarantor is more than one person then their covenants are joint and several;

 

1.2.2 Any reference to a statute includes any modification extension or re-enactment of it and any orders, regulations, directions, schemes and rules made under it;

 

1.2.3 Any covenant by the Tenant not to do any act or thing includes an obligation not knowingly to permit or suffer such act or thing to be done;

 

1.2.4 If the Landlord reserves rights of access or other rights over or in relation to the Property then those rights extend to persons authorised by it;

 

1.2.5 References to the act or default of the Tenant include acts or default or negligence of any undertenant or of anyone at the Property with the Tenant’s or any undertenant’s permission or sufferance;

 

1.2.6 The index and Clause headings in this lease are for ease of reference only;

 

1.2.7 References to the last year of the Term shall mean the twelve months ending on the expiration or earlier termination of the Term;

 

1.2.8 References to Costs include all liabilities, claims, demands, proceedings, damages, losses and proper and reasonable costs and expenses;

 

1.2.9 References to Principal Rent, Current Rent, Indexed Rent and Revised Rent are references to yearly sums.

 

2 Demise

 

The Landlord with Full Title Guarantee DEMISES the Property to the Tenant for the Contractual Term TOGETHER WITH the rights set out in Part I of the First Schedule, EXCEPT AND RESERVING as mentioned in Part II of the First Schedule and SUBJECT TO the Encumbrances;

 

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3 Rent

 

The Tenant will pay by way of rent during the Term or until released pursuant to the 1995 Act without any deduction counterclaim or set off except where required by law:

 

3.1 The Principal Rent and any VAT by equal quarterly payments in advance on the Quarter Days to be paid by, Banker’s Standing Order or other reasonable means as the Landlord reasonably requires to a UK clearing bank the first payment for the period from and including the Rent Commencement Date to (but excluding) the next Quarter Day to be made on the Rent Commencement Date;

 

3.2 The Service Charge and any VAT at the times and in the manner set out in the Fourth Schedule;

 

3.3 The following amounts and any VAT thereon:

 

3.3.1 the sums specified in Clauses 4.1 and 4.2;

 

3.3.2 the sums specified in Clause 6.2.1;

 

3.3.3 all Costs reasonably incurred by the Landlord as a result of any breach of the Tenant’s covenants in this lease.

 

4 Tenant’s covenants

 

The Tenant covenants with the Landlord throughout the Term, or until released pursuant to the 1995 Act, as follows:

 

4.1 Interest

 

If the Landlord does not receive any sum due to it within twenty-one (21) days of the due date pursuant to this lease to pay on demand interest on such sum at 2 per cent above Base Rate from the due date until payment (both before and after any judgment), provided this Clause shall not prejudice any other right or remedy for the recovery of such sum;

 

4.2 Outgoings and Utilities

 

4.2.1 To pay all existing and future rates, taxes, charges, assessments and outgoings in respect of the Property (whether assessed or imposed on the owner or the occupier), except any tax (other than VAT) arising as a result of the receipt by the Landlord of the rents reserved by this lease and any tax arising on any dealing by the Landlord with its reversion to this lease;

 

4.2.2 To pay for all gas, electricity, water, telephone and other utilities used on the Property, and all charges in connection with such utilities and for meters and all standing charges, and a fair and reasonable proportion of any joint charges properly attributable to the Property or the Parking Areas as determined by the Landlord’s Surveyor (acting reasonably);

 

4.3 VAT

 

4.3.1 Any payment or other consideration to be provided to the Landlord is exclusive of VAT, and the Tenant shall in addition pay any VAT chargeable on any supply under or pursuant to this lease on the date the payment or other consideration is due and shall in the case of rents be entitled to provision of a valid VAT invoice following payment;

 

4.3.2 Any obligation to reimburse or pay the Landlord’s expenditure extends to irrecoverable VAT on that expenditure, and the Tenant shall also reimburse or pay such VAT;

 

4.4 Repair

 

4.4.1 To keep the Property (excluding the Property Landscaped Areas) in good and substantial repair and condition (damage by the Insured Risks excepted save to the extent that insurance moneys are irrecoverable as a result of the act or default of the Tenant and damage by Uninsured Risks also excepted) PROVIDED THAT nothing in this lease shall oblige the Tenant to put the Property in any better state of repair or condition than as at the date of this lease as evidenced by the Schedule of Condition;

 

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4.4.2 To make good any disrepair for which the Tenant is liable within 2 months after the date of written notice from the Landlord (or sooner if the Landlord reasonably requires);

 

4.4.3 If the Tenant fails to comply with any such notice as set out in clause 4.4.2 the Landlord may enter and carry out the work and the reasonable cost properly incurred by the Landlord shall be reimbursed by the Tenant ondemand as a debt;

 

4.4.4 To enter into maintenance contracts with contractors with the reasonable experience and expertise required for the regular servicing of all plant and equipment serving only the Property;

 

4.5 Decoration

 

4.5.1 To clean, prepare and paint (in so far as such surfaces are painted as at the date hereof) or treat and generally redecorate:

 

(i) all external parts of the Property (excluding the Property Landscaped Areas) in every third year and in the last year of the Term provided that the Tenant shall not be regarded to do this more than once in any 24 month period;

 

(ii) all internal parts of the Property in the fifth year and In the last year of the Term provided that the Tenant shall not be regarded to do this more than once in any 24 month period;

 

4.5.2 All the work described in Clause 4.5.1 is to be carried out:

 

(i) in a good and workmanlike manner to the Landlord’s reasonable satisfaction; and

 

(ii) in the last year of the term only (i.e. the period of twelve (12) months ending at the expiry or sooner determination of the Term) in colours which (if different from the existing colour) are first approved in writing by the Landlord (approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed);

 

4.6 Cleaning

 

4.6.1 To keep the Property (excluding the Property Landscaped Areas) clean, tidy and free from rubbish;

 

4.6.2 To clean the inside and outside of windows and any washable surfaces at the Property as often as reasonably necessary;

 

4.7 Overloading

 

Not to overload the floors, ceilings or structure of the Property or any plant machinery or electrical installation serving the Property;

 

4.8 Conduits

 

To keep the Conduits in or serving the Property clear and free from any noxious, harmful or deleterious substance, and to remove any obstruction and repair any damage to the Conduits as soon as reasonably practicable to the Landlord’s reasonable satisfaction;

 

4.9 User

 

4.9.1 Not to use the Property otherwise than for the Permitted Use;

 

4.9.2 Not to use the Property for any purpose which is:

 

(i) noisy, offensive, dangerous, illegal, immoral or an actionable nuisance; or

 

(ii) which in the reasonable opinion of the Landlord causes damage or disturbance to the Landlord, or to owners or occupiers of any neighbouring property; or

 

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(iii) which involves any substance which may be harmful, polluting or contaminating other than in quantities which are normal for and used in connection with the Permitted Use;

 

4.10 Signs

 

Not to erect any sign, notice or advertisement which is visible outside the Property without the Landlord’s prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) provided that the Tenant shall be permitted to display signage indicating the name of the Property (such name to be chosen by the Tenant and approved by the Landlord, approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) in a location and of a size and style to be approved by the Landlord (approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and further provided that the Tenant shall not be permitted to alter the postal address of the Property at the Post Office;

 

4.11 Alterations

 

4.11.1 Not to make any alterations or additions which:

 

(i) affect the structural integrity of the Property (including without limitation the roofs and foundations and the principal or load-bearing walls, floors, beams and columns);

 

(ii) merge the Property with any adjoining premises;

 

(iii) affect the external appearance of the Property;

 

4.11.2 Not to make any other alterations or additions to the Property without the Landlord’s written consent (which is not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) PROVIDED THAT such consent is not required in the case of internal non-load bearing, demountable, non-structural partitioning provided plans showing the extent of such works are deposited with the Landlord promptly on completion of the works.

 

4.12 Preservation of Easements

 

4.12.1 Not to prejudice the acquisition of any right of light for the benefit of the Property and to preserve all rights and easements enjoyed by the Property;

 

4.12.2 Promptly to give the Landlord notice upon becoming aware of any easement enjoyed by the Property being obstructed, or any new easement affecting the Property being made or attempted;

 

4.13 Alienation

 

4.13.1 Not to:

 

(i) assign, charge, underlet or part with possession of the whole or part only of the Property nor to agree to do so except by an assignment or underletting or charging permitted by this Clause 4.13;

 

(ii) share the possession or occupation of the whole or any part of the Property except as permitted by this clause 4.13;

 

(iii) assign, part with or share any of the benefits or burdens of this lease, or any interest derived from it by a virtual assignment or other similar arrangement except as permitted by this clause 4.13;

 

4.13.2 Assignment

 

Not to assign or agree to assign the whole of the Property without the Landlord’s written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), provided that:

 

(i) the Landlord may withhold consent in circumstances where in the reasonable opinion of the Landlord

 

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(a) the proposed assignee together with any guarantor (excluding any guarantor pursuant to an authorised guarantee agreement) is not of sufficient financial standing to enable it to comply with the Tenant’s covenants in this lease; or

 

(b) such person(s) as the Landlord reasonably requires do not act as guarantor(s) for the assignee and do not enter into direct covenants with the Landlord including the provisions set out in the Third Schedule (but referring in paragraph 1.2 to the assignee)

 

(ii) the Landlord’s consent shall in every case be subject to conditions (unless expressly excluded) requiring that:

 

(a) the assignee covenants with the Landlord to pay the rents and observe and perform the Tenant’s covenants in this lease during the residue of the Term, or until released pursuant to the 1995 Act;

 

(b) the Tenant enters into an authorised guarantee agreement guaranteeing the performance of the Tenant’s covenants in this lease by the assignee including the provisions set out in paragraphs 1-5 (inclusive) of the Third Schedule (but omitting paragraph 1.2);

 

(c) all rent and other payments due and, other than in the case of Principal Rent, demanded under this lease are paid before completion of the assignment save where such sums are the subject of a bona fide dispute between the Landlord and the Tenant;

 

4.13.3 Underletting

 

Not to underlet or agree to underlet the whole of the Property nor vary the terms of any underlease without the Landlord’s written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed). Any permitted underletting must comply with the following:

 

(i) the rent payable under the underlease must be:

 

(a) not less than the rent reasonably obtainable in the open market for the Property without fine or premium;

 

(b) payable no more than one quarter in advance;

 

(c) where an underlease is for a term of more than 5 years, subject to upward only reviews at intervals no less frequent than the rent reviews under this lease;

 

(ii) the undertenant covenants with the Landlord and in the underlease:

 

(a) to observe and perform the Tenant’s covenants in this lease (except for payment of the rents) during the term of the underlease or until released pursuant to the 1995 Act;

 

(b) not to underlet, share or part with possession or occupation of the whole or any part of the underlet premises, nor to assign or charge part only of the underlet premises;

 

(c) not to assign the whole of the underlet premises without the Landlord’s prior written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed);

 

(iii) all rents and other payments due and demanded (other than in the case of Principal Rent) under this lease (not the subject of a bona fide dispute) are paid before completion of the underletting;

 

(iv) Sections 24 to 28 of the 1954 Act must be excluded and before completion of the underletting a certified copy of each of the following documents must be supplied to the Landlord:

 

(a) the notice served on the proposed undertenant pursuant to section 38A(3)(a) of the 1954 Act; and

 

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(b) the declaration actually made by the proposed undertenant in compliance with the requirements of Schedule 2 of the 2003 Order; and

 

(c) the proposed form of underlease containing an agreement to exclude the provisions of sections 24 to 28 of the 1954 Act and a reference to both the notice pursuant to section 38A(3)(a) of the 1954 Act and the declaration pursuant to the requirements of Schedule 2 of the 2003 Order as referred to in this clause 4.13.3;

 

and before completion of the underletting the Tenant must warrant to the Landlord that both the notice pursuant to section 38A(3)(a) of the 1954 Act has been served on the relevant persons as required by the 1954 Act and the appropriate declaration pursuant to the requirements of Schedule 2 of the 2003 Order as referred to in this clause 4.13.3 has been made prior to the date on which the Tenant and the proposed undertenant became contractually bound to enter into the tenancy to which the said notice applies;

 

(v) the underlease reserves as rent the Service Charge payable under this lease;

 

4.13.4 To take all necessary (but commercially reasonable) steps and proceedings to remedy any breach of the covenants of the undertenant under the underlease and not to permit any reduction of the rent payable by any undertenant;

 

4.13.5 Group Sharing

 

Notwithstanding Clause 4.13.1 the Tenant may share occupation of the whole or any part of the Property with a Group Company

 

PROVIDED THAT

 

(a) the relationship of landlord and tenant is not created; and

 

(b) occupation by any Group Company shall cease upon it ceasing to be a Group Company; and

 

(c) the Tenant informs the Landlord in writing before each occupier commences occupation and after it ceases occupation;

 

4.14 Registration

 

Within 21 days to give to the Landlord’s solicitors (or as the Landlord may direct) written notice of any assignment, charge, underlease or other devolution of the Property together with a certified copy of the relevant document and a reasonable registration fee of not less than £50;

 

4.15 Statutory Requirements and Notices

 

4.15.1 To supply the Landlord with a copy of any notice, order or certificate or proposal for any notice order or certificate affecting or capable of affecting the Landlord’s interest in the Property as soon as it is received by or comes to the notice of the Tenant;

 

4.15.2 To comply promptly with all notices served by any public, local or statutory authority, and with the requirements of any present or future statute or subordinate legislation (whether imposed on the owner or occupier) which affects the Property or its use;

 

4.15.3 At the request of the Landlord, but at the joint cost of the Landlord and the Tenant, to make or join the Landlord in making such objections or representations against or in respect of any such notice, order or certificate as the Landlord may reasonably require provided that such actions are not adverse to the Tenant’s own commercial interests;

 

4.15.4 To observe and perform the obligations of any agreement entered into prior to the date of this lease under any statute or subordinate legislation so far as the same relates to the use and/or occupation of the Property.

 

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4.16 Planning

 

4.16.1 Not to apply for or implement any planning permission affecting the Property without first obtaining the Landlord’s written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed in cases where the subject matter of the planning permission has been approved by the Landlord pursuant to the other provisions of this lease or where the Landlord is not entitled to unnecessarily withhold as consent to such matters);

 

4.16.2 If a planning permission is implemented the Tenant shall complete all the works permitted and comply with all the conditions imposed by the permission before the determination of the Term (including any works stipulated to be carried out by a date after the determination of the Term unless the Landlord requires otherwise);

 

4.17 Contaminants and Defects

 

4.17.1 To give the Landlord prompt written notice upon becoming aware of the existence of any defect in the Property, or of the existence of any contaminant, pollutant or harmful substance on the Property but not used in the ordinary course of the Tenant’s use of the Property;

 

4.17.2 If so requested by the Landlord, to remove from the Property or remedy to the Landlord’s reasonable satisfaction any such contaminant, pollutant or harmful substance introduced on the Property by or at the request of the Tenant not used in the ordinary course of the Tenant’s use of the Property;

 

4.18 Entry by Landlord

 

To permit the Landlord at all reasonable times and on reasonable written notice of at least two (2) Working Days (except in an emergency) to enter the Property in order to:

 

4.18.1 inspect and record the condition of the Property or the Adjoining Property;

 

4.18.2 remedy any breach of the Tenant’s obligations under this lease which have not been remedied by the Tenant within a reasonable period (having regard to the nature of the breach) of a Landlord’s written request to remedy such breach;

 

4.18.3 repair, maintain, clean, alter, replace, install, add to or connect up to any Conduits which serve the Adjoining Property;

 

4.18.4 repair, maintain, alter or rebuild the Adjoining Property;

 

4.18.5 comply with any of its obligations under this lease;

 

Provided that the Landlord shall cause as little inconvenience as reasonably practicable in the exercise of such rights and shall promptly make good all physical damage to the Property caused by such entry and further it shall;

 

(a)       only remain on the Property for so long as reasonably necessary;

 

(b)       only enter the Property with the Tenant’s accompanying staff;

 

(c)       comply with any health and safety or security protocols of the Tenant and comply with the Tenant’s reasonable instructions;

 

(d)       such access should be taken within business hours of 9am to 5pm where reasonably necessary; and

 

(e)       have regard to the Tenant’s reasonable representations regarding such access.

 

4.19 Landlord’s Costs

 

To pay to the Landlord within twenty-one (21) days of written demand amounts equal to such Costs as it may properly and reasonably incur:

 

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4.19.1 in connection with any application for consent made necessary by this lease (including where consent is lawfully refused or the application is withdrawn);

 

4.19.2 incidental to or in reasonable contemplation of the preparation and service of a schedule of dilapidations (whether before or within three (3) months after the end of the Term) or a notice or proceedings under Section 146 or Section 147 of the Law of Property Act 1925 (even if forfeiture is avoided other than by relief granted by the Court);

 

4.19.3 in connection with the enforcement or remedying of any breach of the covenants in this lease on the part of the Tenant and any Guarantor;

 

4.19.4 incidental to or in reasonable contemplation of the preparation and service of any notice under Section 17 of the 1995 Act;

 

4.20 Yielding up

 

Immediately before the end of the Term:

 

(i) to give up the Property repaired and decorated and otherwise in accordance with the Tenant’s covenants in this lease;

 

(ii) (save to the extent required otherwise in writing by the Landlord) to remove all alterations made during the Term or any preceding period of occupation by the Tenant and reinstate the Property as the Landlord shall reasonably direct and to its reasonable satisfaction;

 

(iii) to remove all signs, tenant’s fixtures and fittings and other goods from the Property, and make good any damage caused thereby to the Landlord’s reasonable satisfaction;

 

(iv) to replace any damaged or missing Landlord’s fixtures with ones of no less quality and value;

 

(v) to replace all carpets with ones of no less quality and value than those in the Property at the start of the Contractual Term;

 

(vi) to give to the Landlord all operating and maintenance manuals together with any health and safety files relating to the Property;

 

(vii) to provide evidence of satisfactory condition and maintenance of plant and machinery including (without limitation) electrical installation condition reports in respect of all of the electrical circuits and supply equipment in the Property, other condition reports as required under any relevant statute or subordinate legislation and copies of all service records;

 

(viii) to return any security cards or passes provided by the Landlord for use by the Tenant and its visitors,

 

provided that in (i), (ii), (iv) and (v) of this Clause 4.20 the tenant shall not be liable to put the Property into any better state and condition than as evidenced by the Schedule of Condition.

 

4.21 Encumbrances

 

To perform and observe the Encumbrances so far as they relate to the Property.

 

4.22 Roads Etc

 

Not to obstruct the roads, pavements, footpaths and forecourt areas from time to time on the Estate in any way whatsoever and not to use any part of the forecourts and car parking spaces or other open parts of the Property for the purpose of storage or deposit of any materials, goods, container ships’ pallets, refuse, waste scrap or any other material or matter.

 

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4.23 Parking Restrictions

 

Except as to any right specifically granted in this lease not to permit any vehicles belonging to or calling upon the Tenant to stand on the roads, car parking spaces, forecourts, pavements or footpaths on the Estate.

 

4.24 Estate Regulations

 

At all times during the Term to observe and perform such regulations (if any) in respect of the Estate as the Landlord may reasonably think expedient to the proper management of the Estate and which are notified to the Tenant in writing provided that where there is a conflict between the Estate Regulations and this lease, the Tenant shall not be required to comply with any regulations which are more onerous than the terms of this lease.

 

4.25 Landscaping and Parking

 

Not to cause or permit damage to be caused to any of the Property Landscaped Areas or the Parking Area(s) nor obstruct access to any of the Property Landscaped Areas or the Parking Area(s) for the purpose of carrying out the Landscaping and Parking Services.

 

4.26 Land Registration Provisions

 

4.26.1 Promptly following the grant of this lease the Tenant shall apply to register this lease at the Land Registry and shall ensure that any requisitions raised by the Land Registry in connection with that application which are within its reasonable control to respond to are dealt with promptly and properly and within one month after completion of the registration, the Tenant shall send the Landlord official copies of its title;

 

4.26.2 Promptly after the end of the Term (and notwithstanding that the Term has ended), the Tenant shall make an application to close the registered title of this lease and shall ensure that any requisitions raised by the Land Registry in connection with that application which are within its reasonable control to respond to are dealt with promptly and properly and the Tenant shall keep the Landlord reasonably informed of the progress and completion of its application.

 

5 Landlord’s Covenants

 

5.1 Quiet Enjoyment

 

The Landlord covenants with the Tenant that the Tenant may peaceably enjoy the Property during the Term without any interruption by the Landlord or any person lawfully claiming under or in trust for it.

 

5.2 Provision of Services

 

The Landlord will use all reasonable endeavours to provide or procure the provision of the Services PROVIDED THAT the Landlord shall be entitled to withhold or vary the provision or procurement of such of the Services as the Landlord considers necessary or appropriate in the interests of good estate management and PROVIDED FURTHER THAT the Landlord will not be in breach of this Clause as a result of any failure or interruption of any of the Services:

 

5.2.1 resulting from circumstances beyond the Landlord’s reasonable control, so long as the Landlord uses its reasonable endeavours to remedy the same as soon as reasonably practicable after becoming aware of such circumstances; or

 

5.2.2 to the extent that the Services (or any of them) cannot reasonably be provided as a result of works of inspection, maintenance and repair or other works being carried out at the Estate or the Property provided that such period of interruption (except in an emergency) shall be for as short a period as reasonably practicable, the Tenant shall be provided with advance notice of such interruptions and the Landlord shall make provision where possible of replacement services as reasonably necessary to enable the Tenant’s use and occupation of the Property at all times.

 

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5.3 Removal of furniture from the Property

 

The Landlord shall remove or procure the removal of all items of furniture left at the Property from the preceding period of occupation by the previous tenant of the Property pursuant to the Previous Lease as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this lease (and shall use all reasonable endeavours to do so by 19 July 2021) and shall:

 

5.3.1 do so at the Landlord’s own cost; and

 

5.3.2 in full compliance with the entry requirements contained at clause 4.18.5; and

 

5.3.3 shall make good any damage caused to the Property in complying with this clause 5.3 promptly, at the Landlord’s cost and to the Tenant’s reasonable satisfaction.

 

6 Insurance

 

6.1 Landlord’s insurance covenants

 

The Landlord covenants with the Tenant as follows:

 

6.1.1 To insure the Property (other than tenant’s and trade fixtures and fittings) unless the insurance is invalidated in whole or in part by any act or default of the Tenant:

 

(i) with an insurance office or underwriters of repute;

 

(ii) against loss or damage by the Insured Risks;

 

(iii) subject to such excesses as may be imposed by the insurers;

 

(iv) in the full cost of reinstatement of the Property (in modern form if appropriate) including shoring up, demolition and site clearance, professional fees, VAT and allowance for building cost increases;

 

6.1.2 To insure against loss of the Principal Rent and the Service Charge thereon payable or reasonably estimated by the Landlord to be payable under this lease arising from damage to the Property by the Insured Risks for three years or such longer period as the Landlord may reasonably require having regard to the likely period for reinstating the Property;

 

6.1.3 The Landlord will use all reasonable endeavours to procure that the insurer waives its rights of subrogation against the Tenant (so long as such provision is available in the London insurance market);

 

6.1.4 At the request and cost of the Tenant (but not more frequently than once in any twelve month period) to produce summary details of the terms of the insurance under this Clause 6.1 and evidence of Payment of the relevant premium;

 

6.1.5 If the Property is destroyed or damaged by an Insured Risk, then, unless payment of the insurance moneys is refused in whole or part because of the act or default of the Tenant, and subject to obtaining all necessary planning and other consents to use the insurance proceeds (except those relating to loss of rent and fees) and any uninsured excess paid by the Tenant under Clause 6.2.4(ii) in reinstating the same (other than tenant’s and trade fixtures and fittings) as quickly as reasonably practicable substantially as it was before the destruction or damage in modern form if appropriate but not necessarily identical in layout

 

6.2 Tenant’s insurance covenants

 

The Tenant covenants with the Landlord from and including the Insurance Commencement Date and then throughout the Term or until released pursuant to the 1995 Act as follows:

 

6.2.1 To pay to the Landlord within twenty-one (21) days of written demand sums equal to:

 

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(i) the amount which the Landlord spends on insurance pursuant to Clause 6.1;

 

(ii) the cost of property owners’ liability and third party liability insurance in connection with the Property;

 

(iii) the cost of any professional valuation of the Property properly required by the Landlord (but not more than once in any two (2) year period);

 

6.2.2 To give the Landlord immediate written notice on becoming aware of any event or circumstance which might affect or lead to an insurance claim;

 

6.2.3 Not to do anything at the Property which would prejudice or invalidate the insurance of the Property or the Adjoining Property or cause any premium for their insurance to be increased;

 

6.2.4 To pay to the Landlord within twenty-one (21) days of written demand:

 

(i) any increased premium and any Costs incurred by the Landlord as a result of a breach of Clause 6.2.3;

 

(ii) any uninsured excess to which the insurance policy may be subject;

 

(iii) the whole (if applicable) of the irrecoverable proportion of the insurance moneys if the Property or any part is destroyed or damaged by an Insured Risk but the insurance moneys are irrecoverable in whole or part due to the act or default of the Tenant;

 

6.2.5 To comply with the requirements and reasonable recommendations of the insurers;

 

6.2.6 To notify the Landlord of the full reinstatement cost of any fixtures and fittings installed at the Property at the cost of the Tenant which become Landlord’s fixtures and fittings and upon receiving notice of such fixtures and fittings the Landlord shall use all reasonable endeavours to procure that these are insured under the insurance policy;

 

6.2.7 Not to effect any insurance of the Property against an Insured Risk but if the Tenant effects or has the benefit of any such insurance the Tenant shall hold any insurance moneys upon trust for the Landlord and pay the same to the Landlord as soon as practicable;

 

6.3 Suspension of Rent

 

6.3.1 If the Property and/or the means of access to it is unfit for occupation and use because of damage by an Insured Risk then (save to the extent that payment of the loss of rent insurance moneys is refused due to the act or default of the Tenant) the Principal Rent and the Service Charge (or a fair proportion according to the nature and extent of the damage) shall be suspended until the date on which the Property is again fit for occupation and use and accessible (excluding fitting out and replacement of contents);

 

6.3.2 If the Property suffers damage or destruction by an Insured Risk during the Concessionary Rent Period the Tenant is to be entitled to a credit against the Principal Rent becoming payable at or after the end of the abatement period to the extent of the period of overlap of the abatement period with the Concessionary Rent Period to the extent that it is covered by the insurance monies;

 

6.4 Determination Right

 

6.4.1 If the Property is destroyed or damaged by an Insured Risk such that the Property is unfit for occupation and use or inaccessible and shall not be rendered fit for occupation and use and accessible within two years and nine months of the date of such damage then either the Landlord or the Tenant may whilst the Property has not been rendered fit for occupation and use and accessible terminate the Contractual Term by giving to the other not less than three (3) months’ previous notice in writing PROVIDED THAT if the Property has been rendered fit for occupation and use within three years of the date of such damage then such notice shall be deemed not to have been given.

 

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6.4.2 Termination of this lease pursuant to the provisions of Clause 6.4.1 shall be without prejudice to the liability of either party for any antecedent breach of the covenants and conditions herein contained (save for Clause 6.1.5 which shall be deemed not to have applied).

 

6.5 Uninsured Risks

 

6.5.1 For the purposes of this Clause 6.5:

 

(i) These provisions shall apply from the date on which any Insured Risk becomes an Uninsured Risk but only in relation to the Uninsured Risk;

 

(ii) References to an Insured Risk becoming an Uninsured Risk shall, without limitation, include the application by insurers of an exclusion, condition or limitation to an Insured Risk to the extent to which such risk thereby is or becomes an Uninsured Risk.

 

(iii) The Landlord shall notify the Tenant in writing as soon as reasonably practicable after an Insured Risk becomes an Uninsured Risk.

 

6.5.2 If during the Term the Property and/or the means of access to it shall be damaged or destroyed by an Uninsured Risk so as to make the Property unfit for occupation and use:

 

(i) The Principal Rent and the Service Charge or a fair proportion according to the nature and extent of the damage sustained will not be payable from the date of such damage or destruction until the earlier of the date on which:

 

(a) The Property and/or the means of access to it shall again be fit for occupation and use (excluding fitting out and replacement of contents); or

 

(b) This lease shall be terminated in accordance with Clause 6.5.2(ii) or 6.5.5

 

(ii) The Landlord may within one year of the date of such damage or destruction serve notice on the Tenant confirming that it will reinstate the Property and/or the means of access to it (a ‘Reinstatement Notice’) so that the Property shall be fit for occupation and use and accessible and if the Landlord fails to serve a Reinstatement Notice by the expiry of such prescribed period the lease will automatically end on the date one year after the date of such damage or destruction.

 

6.5.3 Clause 6.5.2(i) shall not apply if an Insured Risk shall have become an Uninsured Risk owing to the act or default of the Tenant or any person deriving title under the Tenant or their respective agents, employees, licensee, invitees or contractors.

 

6.5.4 If the Landlord shall have served a Reinstatement Notice the provisions of Clause 6.1.5 shall apply as if the damage or destruction had been caused by an Insured Risk

 

6.5.5 If the Landlord shall have served a Reinstatement Notice and such reinstatement has not been completed by the date two years and nine months of the date of such damage or destruction at any time after that date the Landlord or the Tenant may terminate this lease by serving not less than three months’ notice on the other stating that it terminates this lease. I, and if by the end of such notice period the Property has been reinstated so that the Property is fit for occupation and use the notice shall be void and this lease shall continue in full force and effect.

 

6.5.6 Service of a Reinstatement Notice shall not oblige the Landlord to replace any Tenant’s fitting out works or property belonging to the Tenant or any third party.

 

16

 

 

7 Provisos

 

7.1 Forfeiture

 

If any of the following events occur:

 

7.1.1 the Tenant fails to pay any of the rents payable under this lease within 21 days of the due date (in the case of Principal Rent only whether or not formally demanded); or

 

7.1.2 the Tenant or Guarantor breaches any of its obligations in this lease; or

 

7.1.3 the Tenant or Guarantor being a company incorporated within the United Kingdom

 

(i) has an Administration Order made in respect of it; or

 

(ii) passes a resolution, or the Court makes an Order, for the winding up of the Tenant or the Guarantor, otherwise than a member’s voluntary winding up of a solvent company for the purpose of amalgamation or reconstruction previously consented to by the Landlord (consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); or

 

(iii) has a receiver or administrative receiver or receiver and manager appointed over the whole or any part of its assets or undertaking; or

 

(iv) is struck off the Register of Companies; or

 

(v) is deemed unable to pay its debts within the meaning of Section 123 of the Insolvency Act 1986; or

 

7.1.4 proceedings or events analogous to those described in Clause 7.1.3 shall be instituted or shall occur where the Tenant or Guarantor is a company incorporated outside the United Kingdom; or

 

7.1.5 the Tenant or Guarantor being an individual:

 

(i) has a bankruptcy order made against him; or

 

(ii) appears to be unable to pay his debts within the meaning of Section 268 of the Insolvency Act 1986;

 

then the Landlord may re-enter the Property or any part of the Property in the name of the whole and forfeit this lease and the Term created by this lease shall immediately end, but without prejudice to the rights of either party against the other in respect of any breach of the obligations contained in this lease;

 

7.2 Notices

 

7.2.1 All notices under or in connection with this lease shall be given in writing

 

7.2.2 Any such notice shall be duly and validly served if it is served (in the case of a company) to its registered office or (in the case of an individual) to his last known address and in the case of the Tenant to: Legal Department, Exscientia Ltd, the Schrödinger Building Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GE or such other address notified to the Landlord in writing from time to time;

 

7.2.3 Any such notice shall be deemed to be given when it is:

 

(i) personally delivered to the locations listed in Clause 7.2.2; or

 

(ii) sent by registered post, in which case service shall be deemed to occur on the third Working Day after posting.

 

7.2.4 Copies of all notices served on the Tenant shall also be served by email on legal@exscientia.co.uk.

 

7.3 No Implied Easements

 

The grant of this lease does not confer any rights over the Adjoining Property or any other property except those mentioned in Part I of the First Schedule, and Section 62 of the Law of Property Act 1925 is excluded from this lease;

 

17

 

 

8 Break Clause

 

8.1 The Tenant may terminate the Contractual Term on the Break Date by giving to the Landlord not less than twelve (12) months’ previous notice in writing;

 

8.2 Any notice given by the Tenant shall operate to terminate the Contractual Term only if:

 

8.2.1 all rents reserved by this lease have been paid by the time of such termination (in the case of Service Charge and any sums specified in Clause 6.2.1 [Insurance] only where demanded in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to the Break Date and not including any sums which are the subject of a bona fide dispute between the Landlord and the Tenant;

 

8.2.2 the Break Payment together with a sum equal to VAT thereon at the standard rate for the time being payable has been paid to the Landlord or its solicitors in cleared funds by the Break Date; and

 

8.2.3 the Tenant yields up the Property free from any subleases and other third party occupational interests on termination;

 

8.3 Upon termination the Contractual Term shall cease but without prejudice to any claim in respect of any prior breach of the obligations contained in this lease;

 

8.4 If the Tenant terminates this Lease in accordance with this clause 8 the Landlord shall promptly reimburse the Tenant in respect of any sums received which relate to a period following termination of this Lease;

 

8.5 Time shall be of the essence for the purposes of this Clause.

 

9 Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999

 

A person who is not a party to this lease has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any terms of this lease.

 

10 Exclusion of Security of Tenure

 

10.1 The Landlord and the Tenant agree that Sections 24 to 28 of the 1954 Act shall be excluded from the tenancy created by this lease;

 

10.2 The Landlord has served on the Tenant a notice as referred to in section 38A(3)(a) of the 1954 Act and the Tenant has made a declaration pursuant to the requirements of Schedule 2 of the 2003 Order the original or a true copy of which declaration is annexed to this lease.

 

11 Agreement on Environmental Liabilities

 

11.1 For the purposes of this clause the expression “Environment” includes air, man-made structures and surface or substrata any surface water or ground water, any life form (including human) or eco system and notwithstanding any other provisions of this Lease to the extent that the Property or Estate are affected by contamination or pollution, the Environment or the presence of any substance harmful to the Environment present or occurring prior to the date of this Lease otherwise than through the act or default of the Tenant or any party under their control (an “Environmental Condition”) the Tenant shall not:

 

11.1.1 be responsible for (or contribute to whether by Service Charge or otherwise) any management compliance with statutory requirements, clean up, remediation or containment of any such Environmental Condition; nor

 

11.1.2 be responsible to repair any damage disrepair or injury caused by or arising from any Environmental Condition; nor

 

11.1.3 be responsible to contribute to any cost, fine, remediation costs or liability of any kind arising out of or in any way connected with any Environmental Condition.

 

18

 

 

Executed by the parties as a Deed on the date specified in the Prescribed Clauses.

 

19

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by _______________as attorney for MEPC MILTON PARK NO. 1 LIMITED in the presence of: 

 

   
    as attorney for MEPC MILTON PARK NO. 1 LIMITED

 

   
Signature of witness  
   
Witness name:  
   
Address:  

 

 

EXECUTED as a DEED by _______________as attorney for MEPC MILTON PARK NO. 2 LIMITED in the presence of: 

 

   
    as attorney for MEPC MILTON PARK NO. 2 LIMITED

 

   
Signature of witness  
   
Witness name:  
   
Address:  

 

20

 

 

EXECUTED AS A DEED by EXSCIENTIA LIMITED acting by a director and the company secretary or by two directors 

 

   
Director  
Director/Company Secretary    

 

21

 

 

Exhibit 10.14

 

University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna

Medical Department
Vienna

 

SUBLEASE AGREEMENT

 

The University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, represented by the President of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinary Place 1, 1210 Vienna, as Sublessor, concludes the following sublease agreement with Allcyte GmbH, Lazarettgasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Commercial Register Number: 465200v, as Sublessee:

 

1. Sublease Object

 

The business premises located in Building 1030 Vienna, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 5 / Helmut-Qualtinger-Gasse 6, EZ 4354, Property No. 2847/5 on Level 3 are subleased in accordance with the attached site plan (Annex 1), in which the sublease area is included and marked, which forms an integral part of this Lease Agreement. The leased area consists of the following administrative areas:

 

Room number     Designated use   Area [m2]  
3622.1     Schreibraum     12,26  
3616.1     Schreibraum     12,26  
3610.1     Schreibraum     12,26  
3116.1     Besprechungsraum     34,20  
3116     Büro     37,58  
3116.4     Garderobe Damen 2     7,13  
3605     Lager     6,86  

 

as well as the following laboratory areas:

 

Room number     Designated use   Area [m2]  
3622     Labor     57,04  
3620     Zellkulturlabor Nebenraum     13,97  
3618     Zellkulturlabor Nebenraum     13,97  
3616     Labor     55,48  
3610     Labor     55,48  
3608     Zellkulturlabor Nebenraum     13,97  
3602     Isotopenlabor     23,93  
3615.1     Kühlraum     12,88  
3609     Geräteraum     20,13  
3607     Dunkelraum     21,44  

 

and has a total usable area of 410.84 m2. Only this area listed here is the subject of the sublease.

 

Page 1/11

 

 

Some rooms of the subleased area are used jointly with other tenants. The rent for these rooms is shared among the users.

 

Room
number
    Designated use   Area [m2]     Share of rent     Rent share / m2
[EUR gross]
    Rent Subtenant [EUR
gross]
 
3116.5     Sozialraum     31,88       1/3       6,50       207,22  
3117     Waschraum H     7,37       1/3       6,50       47,91  
3115     Waschraum D     9,21       1/3       6,50       59,87  
3113     Waschraum barrierefrei     4,62       1/3       6,50       30,03  
3118     Gang     64,62       1/3       6,50       420,03  
3425     Gang     23,81       1/2       9,50       226,20  
3623     Gang     87,83       1/2       9,50       834,39  
3615     Geräteraum     23,55       2/3       19,00       447,45  
3116.3     Vorraum     5,35       1/2       9,50       50,83  

 

The IT technology room 3520.1 is not part of the rental area. There is an IT switchbox in it, to which the subtenant receives access to the operation of the IT infrastructure, if necessary.

 

1.1 Furnishings

 

The furnishings available in the leased rooms must be treated with care. This may only be dismantled after consultation with the Sub-Lessor. The original condition must be restored before the end of the lease. The Sub-Lessee must carry out repairs and subsequent procurement at its own expense. In order to ensure the operational readiness and functionality of furnishings of a technical nature, the ongoing maintenance of these must be arranged and paid for by the Sub-Lessee, unless these are services that are covered by the costs specified in point 5. The Sub-Lessee must keep comprehensible records of the maintenance performed for the Sub-Lessor. The Sub-Lessor expressly reserves the right to check the functionality and the appropriate use of the technical equipment at any time. The Sub-Lessee is liable for damage to the furnishings caused by improper maintenance.

 

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2. Intended use

 

The Sublease Object is subleased for the following purposes:

 

Use as an office and laboratory

 

Any use other than the one agreed upon is not permitted.

 

The Sub-Lessor is not liable for the fact that the Sub-Lessee is fit and suitable for a business use intended by the Sub-Lessee. Instead, the Sub-Lessee itself must obtain the necessary designated use and any official permits at its own expense. The Sub-Lessee must also pay all associated levies without claim for reimbursement. The Sub-Lessee is liable for all damages to the subject of the contract caused by the Sub-Lessee, its employees or visitors.

 

A change in the intended use requires the written consent of the Sub-Lessor. If the Sublease Object is also used only partially in breach of contract, the Sublease shall increase by 25% for this period, irrespective of the claim for injunctive relief of the Sublessor.

 

If the Sub-Lessee intends to carry out conversion measures in the existing property, the Sub-Lessor will conclude a conversion agreement with TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. If a dismantling obligation is provided for in the conversion agreement, the Sub-Lessee undertakes to carry out the dismantling of the conversions at the end of its lease relationship at its own expense, provided that TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. does not waive this.

 

The Sub-Lessor undertakes to conclude the conversion agreement with TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. only with the consent of and with the consent of the Sub-Lessee.

 

Allcyte GmbH shall be liable to the Veterinary Medical University Vienna for all claims against the Veterinary Medical University Vienna that TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. or third parties arising from the conversion measures requested by Allcyte GmbH.

 

3. Rental period

 

The sublease relationship begins on 01.03.2018 and is concluded for a period of 2 years 10 months. It thus ends by the expiration of time on 31.01.2021 without termination.

 

Page 3/11

 

 

The keys will be handed over to the Sub-Lessee for the lease term.

 

The Veterinary Medical University Vienna is entitled to terminate the contract immediately at any time for the following reasons:

 

a) if there is a reason pursuant to § 1118 ABGB;

 

b) if settlement or bankruptcy proceedings are opened on the assets of the Sub-Lessee or an application for bankruptcy proceedings is rejected due to lack of cost coverage;

 

c) if the Sub-Lessee uses the contractual object in whole or in part for purposes other than the contractual object without the written consent of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna or in the case of use of the premises beyond the exercise of the relevant business;

 

d) in the event of complete or partial transfer of the Sublease Object to third parties without the consent of the Sublessor;

 

e) in the event of termination of the Lease Agreement between the Veterinary Medical University Vienna and TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. - The Sub-Lessor is obligated to inform the Sub-Lessor immediately of the termination of the Main Lease Agreement, but no later than 6 months before the end of the Main Lease Agreement.

 

4. Sublease payment

 

The sublease payment is EUR 2,328.45 (EUR 19.00/m2) per month for the administrative areas, EUR 8,216.27 (EUR 28.50/m2) per month for the laboratory areas and EUR 2,323.93 per month for the jointly used areas. The monthly sublease rent for the areas is thus a total of EUR 12,868.65. There are also additional monthly costs. This amount does not include VAT.

 

5. Additional costs

 

The Sub-Lessee shall bear a proportionate share of the aliquot extent of the subleased area in relation to the total area leased by the Sub-Lessor, which the Sub-Lessor has leased from the Lessor TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H., the operating and ancillary costs prescribed by TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H of the Sub-Lessor and the pro rata costs for services commissioned by the Sub-Lessor (in particular maintenance and inspection), which concern the subleased rooms.

 

The additional costs include in particular:

 

1.        operating and ancillary costs accruing to the leased premises and the entire property (e.g. general areas, stairwells, outdoor facilities), through use, the operation and management as well as from the presence of communal facilities, public levies and expenses of any kind and from any title, including the costs associated with the maintenance, upkeep and management of the leased property and other expenses associated with the entire property, which are required for proper operation, such as administrative costs, facility management, security costs as well as a share of ancillary costs of the ongoing in-house operation, which are defined as such costs by the respectively valid laws or regulations, e.g. new statutory charges for waste disposal, etc.;

 

Page 4/11

 

 

2.       the chargeable costs include in particular the operating costs and ongoing public charges pursuant to § 21 para. 1 no. 1-8 and para. 2 MRG; and the special expenses pursuant to § 24 MRG and HeizKG;

 

3.       The shares according to points 1 and 2 are determined according to the ratio of the total usable area of the Sublease Object to the total usable area of the lease object of the Veterinary Medical University Vienna according to point 5 first paragraph.

 

4.       All costs that are paid by the Sub-Lessee directly to service and supply companies, such as in particular the costs for electricity, if necessary gas or district heating (heating), water, telecommunications, etc. shall be borne by the Sub-Lessee and settled directly.

 

5.       The Sub-Lessee must ensure the storage and disposal of waste exceeding normal household waste in terms of type and quantity at its own expense and without any disruption to the Sub-Lessor or the other tenants (trash, odour and noise nuisance, etc.).

 

6.       The chargeable costs include in particular the pro rata costs for service and supply companies commissioned by the Sub-Lessor (in particular electricity, water, gas or district heating (heating), telecommunications, maintenance and inspection) that concern the subleased premises and are not paid directly by the Sub-Lessee to service and supply companies.

 

7.       In order to cover the management costs listed in the above points, the Sub-Lessee shall pay the Sub-Lessor together with the Sub-Lessee advance payments against subsequent settlement. In the event of an increase in these costs, the Sub-Lessor reserves the right to a corresponding increase in the on-account amounts.

 

The settlement of the advance payment amounts received during a calendar year with the actual costs incurred shall take place by 30 June of the following year; credit notes or subsequent charges from this settlement shall be corrected by the next sublease payment date at the latest. If the sublease relationship ends during the billing period, the expenses to be offset also include those that are incurred only after the end of the lease period, but were caused during the lease period and are actually attributable to the Sub-Lessee. In this case, the Sub-Lessee will be charged the share attributable to the duration of the existing sublease.

 

Page 5/11

 

 

A contractual penalty in the amount of six monthly gross sublease payments is agreed upon in the event that the Sublease Object is not handed over on the contractually or judicially determined evacuation date without execution of eviction.

 

The value retention of the sublease is expressly agreed. The consumer price index 2010 published monthly by the Austrian Statistical Central Office (VPI 2010) or an index replacing it serves as a measure for the calculation of the value stability. In the absence of such an index, an index based on consumer prices must be used. The final index number announced for the first month of the term of the contract serves as the reference value for this contract. Fluctuations of the index number upwards or downwards up to exclusively 2% are not taken into account. However, if the fluctuations exceed 2%, the entire change is taken into account. The leeway is to be recalculated up or down each time it is exceeded, whereupon the first index number outside the respective applicable leeway must always form the new reference value both for the re-determination of the receivable amount and for the calculation of the leeway. A waiver of the application of the indexation must be made in writing. From the circumstance that the Sub-Lessor has not made an index change that has occurred in the past as a reason for a sublease increase, no waiver of the application of the indexation can be derived for the future.

 

The sublease is due monthly in advance on the first day of each calendar month and must be paid by the sub-lessee free of expenses and deductions to the account of the Veterinary Medical University Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, at UniCredit Bank Austria AG, Bank routing number 12000, account number 51430900401. The date of receipt is decisive for the timeliness of the payment. The Sub-Lessee shall be liable to the Sub-Lessor for all costs and expenses caused by the late sublease payment; in particular, it shall reimburse the Sub-Lessor for those costs (including litigation costs) incurred by the Sub-Lessor as a result of the Sub-Lessor not receiving timely knowledge of the late payment - whether by post or by a financial institution. In addition, the Sub-Lessee must pay interest on sublease arrears at the capital market interest rate.

 

The Sub-Lessee is not entitled to offset any counterclaims (including operating costs, charges, etc.) that it should have to the Sub-Lessor and that are not legally related to the Sublease Agreement with the Sublease Rent. Addenda or declarations of the Sub-Lessee on payment slips do not become known to the Sub-Lessor due to machine processing. The form of the remanded letter is recommended for all notifications of the Sub-Lessee to the Sub-Lessor.

 

Page 6/11

 

 

6. Subletting or other transfer

 

The complete or partial sublease or other paid or free transfer of the Sublease Object or the inclusion of co-users in the Sublease Object is prohibited without the prior written consent of the Sub-Lessor. It is expressly stated that the Sub-Lessor and TC-Quinta Immobiliengesellschaft m.b.H. give consent that the Sub-Lessee transfers parts of the subleased area to CeMM – Forschungszentrum für Molekulare Medizin GmbH.

 

The Sub-Lessee undertakes to notify the Sub-Lessor immediately in writing of the sale, leasing, and any change in the legal and economic potentials in the company.

 

7. Maintenance and use

 

The Sub-Lessee confirms that it has taken over the Sublease Object in a usable condition. The Sub-Lessee undertakes to maintain the Sublease Object at its own expense, to properly maintain co-accepted facilities, to replace them if necessary, and to have any damage repaired immediately by the Sub-Lessor at the expense of the Sub-Lessee. The Sub-Lessee undertakes in particular to obtain the gas line, water line, drainage line, electrical line, heating and sanitary systems and devices at its own expense and to have any damage rectified immediately by the Sub-Lessor at the expense of the Sub-Lessee. In any case, the Sub-Lessee waives the right to demand maintenance in the interior of the Sublease Object from the Sub-Lessor in accordance with § 1096 ABGB. If the Sub-Lessee fails to comply with its maintenance obligation, the Sub-Lessor may carry out the required work at any time in the Sublease Object at the expense of the Sub-Lessee after a fruitless request and deadline has been set.

 

The Sub-Lessee must notify the Sub-Lessee in writing of planned structural changes to the Sublease Object, in particular the preparation of gas, water, drainage, electrical and heating installations inside or outside the Sublease Object, stating the exact nature and scope of the work. All structural changes require the prior written consent of the Sub-Lessor and TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H., which must be obtained by the Sub-Lessee. In the course of this coordination, the most appropriate form of processing must also be agreed. In all cases, the Sub-Lessee shall be responsible for obtaining the required official permits and other documents in a timely manner. The Sub-Lessee must immediately reimburse all costs incurred by the Sub-Lessor due to the structural changes or other work (also as a result of official requirements). The Sub-Lessor shall support the Sub-Lessee in the best possible way and to the extent useful or necessary in the procurement of any consent of TC- Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. as well as in the procurement of the required official permits and other documents.

 

Page 7/11

 

 

The attachment of signs, company boards and antennas outside the Sublease Object requires the written consent of the Sub-Lessor and TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. The Sub-Lessee undertakes to dismantle any signs, company boards and antennas it affixes at its own expense in the event of necessary work and to ensure the subsequent reassembly itself.

 

If the repair of serious damage to the building is required, the Sub-Lessee is obligated to notify the Sub-Lessor without delay in the event of other damages. The Sub-Lessee must allow the Sub-Lessor to enter the Sublease Object by the Sub-Lessor or the persons commissioned by the Sub-Lessor for good cause and to make the leased premises accessible to the Sub-Lessee at reasonable times after prior notification. In the event of imminent danger, the Sub-Lessor may enter the Sublease Object at any time, even in the absence of the Sub-Lessee. If necessary, the Sub-Lessor will inform the Sub-Lessee in writing. The replacement of the door lock is not permitted.

 

The Sub-Lessee must permit the temporary use and modification of its Sublease Object for the execution of maintenance, improvement, modification or construction work if this is necessary for the execution of maintenance, improvement, modification or construction work on general parts of the building or in other business premises, as necessary, appropriate and reasonable for the Sub-Lessee. Components, installations or devices that must be accessible for the purpose of inspection, cleaning, maintenance or repair, such as fireplace doors, water shut-off valves, gas or electricity meters, heat meters, heaters, supply and disposal lines, etc., must be kept accessible by the Sub-Lessee or made accessible at its own expense if necessary.

 

In the event that the Sublease Object cannot be used for a limited period of time due to necessary repairs, the Sub-Lessee undertakes to vacate and waives the reimbursement of the costs of the replacement quarter, but this only insofar and to the extent that the necessary repair is not due to the wilful or grossly negligent culpability of the Sub-Lessor. In particular, it waives any legal consequences due to temporary malfunctions or blockages of the water supply, breakage or blockage of the passenger elevator, the central heating, the gas, electrical and drainage lines, provided that the Sub-Lessor has not caused this malfunction either intentionally or through gross negligence.

 

Page 8/11

 

 

In the event of temporary unusability of the Sublease Object due to necessary orders (e.g. in the event of epidemic), the Sub-Lessee shall refrain from deriving any legal consequences from this.

 

The Sub-Lessor shall only be liable under exclusion of any warranty claims for damage that the Sub-Lessor incurs if the Sub-Lessor has caused the damage intentionally or through gross negligence. The Sub-Lessor is not liable to the Sub-Lessee for lost profits or other financial losses. Insofar as the Sub-Lessor is obligated to pay compensation, the liability is limited to the compensation of the typical damage. Liability for consequential damages is excluded.

 

Upon dissolution of the sublease, the Sub-Lessee must return the Sublease Object, including the equipment taken over by it, in the condition in which it took over it. With the approval of the Veterinary Medical University Vienna and TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H., structural changes without claim to reimbursement of expenses are to be left, unless otherwise agreed in writing. The Sub-Lessee is entitled to remove the equipment financed by it, provided that this is possible without damage to the substance of the subject matter of the contract.

 

8. House rules

 

The Sub-Lessee declares that it will comply with the house rules and other usage rules that apply to the Campus Vienna Biocenter 5/ Helmut Qualtinger Straße 6 and to the Veterinary Medical University Vienna.

 

9. Additional obligations of the Sub-Lessor

 

In the event of a temporary, partial sublease of the leased property, the Veterinary Medical University Vienna must ensure to TC-Quinta Immobiliengesellschaft m.b.H. that all permits for the operation of the subtenant have been obtained. The Sub-Lessee must therefore prove to the Sub-Lessor before starting any activity that all necessary permits for this activity have been obtained.

 

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Pursuant to the Lease Agreement with TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H., the Veterinary Medical University Vienna must impose all obligations on the Sub-Lessee under this Lease Agreement in such a way that the Sub-Lessee is jointly and severally liable with the Lessee for all claims of the Lessor TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H.

 

For the purpose of the subject matter of the sublease, the Sub-Lessee therefore assumes all obligations on the part of the Lessee arising from this Lease Agreement and this liability for all obligations of the Lessee arising from the Lease Agreement towards TC- Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. in accordance with the Lease Agreement (Annex 2) between TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. and Veterinary Medical University Vienna.

 

In the case of the transfer of premises to CeMM – Forschungszentrum für Molekulare Medizin GmbH, CeMM – Forschungszentrum für Molekulare Medizin GmbH of the Veterinary Medical University Vienna must also submit the declaration of liability, that CeMM – Forschungszentrum für Molekulare Medizin GmbH assumes all obligations from this Lease Agreement on the part of the Lessee for the premises used by it and this liability for all obligations of the University on the part of the Lessee arising from the Lease Agreement towards TC-Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. pursuant to the Lease Agreement forming an integral part of this Sublease Agreement (Annex 2) between TC-Qärbta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft m.b.H. and Veterinary Medical University Vienna. The Sub-Lessee is obligated to hand over this declaration to the Veterinary Medical University Vienna before handing over the premises to CeMM - Forschungszentrum für Molekulare Medizin GmbH.

 

The Sub-Lessee further undertakes to comply with the agreed purpose of use.

 

10. Confidentiality

 

The Contractual Partners undertake to maintain secrecy of all information obtained on the basis of this Agreement about internal circumstances and processes at the Contractual Partners and to maintain secrecy of other technical and economic information about the other Contractual Partner.

 

11. Form requirements

 

Any written or verbal agreements made before the conclusion of this contract shall become invalid upon conclusion of the contract. Any amendment of this contract can only be made in writing. Deliveries of any kind shall be made to the address of the Sublease Object with the effect that they are deemed to have been received by the Sub-Lessee.

 

12. Fees

 

The Sub-Lessee must pay the fees associated with the contract to the Tax Office for Fees, Traffic Taxes and Gambling and submit an application concerning the legal transaction. The Sub-Lessee shall bear all public charges associated with the execution of this Agreement and/or reimburse the Sub-Lessor if such charges have been paid by the Sub-Lessor.

 

Page 10/11

 

 

 

 

 

13. Legal provisions

 

The law of the Republic of Austria shall apply to this contract.

 

14. Copy of contract

 

This Agreement shall be drawn up in two equal steps, whereby the Sub-Lessor and the Sub-Lessee shall each receive a copy.

 

This contract, including the plan appendix forming an integral part of the contract, was read and discussed before signing; agreement was reached regarding all contractual conditions.

 

  Vienna, on  06 FEB 2018 Vienna, on  06 FEB 2018
         
         
  For the Sub-Lessor: For the Sub-Lessee:

Veterinary medicine

University of Vienna

 

Resource Facilitator

 

Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna

Vienna Medical School

 

 

 

T+43 1 250 77-1320

F+43 1 250 77-1090

 

               

 

Annex 1: Site plan

 

Annex 2: Lease Agreement TC Quinta Immobilienerrichtungsgesellschaft. m.b.H.

 

    Page 11/11

 

 

ADDENDUM TO THE SUBLEASE AGREEMENT

 

concluded between

 

University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna

Represented by the rector of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Veterinärplatz 1

1210 Vienna, Austria

(the “Lessor”)

 

and

 

Allcyte GmbH

FN 465200v

Campus Visa Biocenter 5

1030 Vienna, Austria

(the “Subtenant”)

 

As of the reference date 01.12.2019, the currently existing sublease agreement between Lessor and Subtenant dated 06.02.2018 will be amended in the points listed here. In all other points, the sublease agreement remains unaffected in its validity.

 

Supplement to

1.            Sublease Object:

 

The following space is rented from the business premises in the building 1030 Vienna, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 5 / Helmut-Qualtinger-Gasse 6, EZ 4354, plot no. 2847/5 on level 3, in addition to the areas already mentioned in the existing sublease agreement:

 

Room number Designated use Area [m2]
     
3015 Biiro 15,34

 

The additional rental object is included and marked in the attached site plan, which forms an integral part of the addendum.

 

This increases the total use area of the sub-lessee to 426.18 m2. Only this listed area is the subject of the sublease.

 

4.            Sublease rent:

 

The sublease rent is thus newly for the administrative areas EUR 2,619.91 (EUR 19.00/m2) per month, for the laboratory areas EUR 8,216.27 (EUR 28.50/m2) per month and for the jointly used areas EUR 2,323.93 per month. The monthly sublease payment for the areas is thus EUR 13,160.11. In addition, there are also monthly aliquot additional costs as defined under point 5 of the sublease agreement dated 06.12.2018. This amount does not include VAT. The price information per square metre refers to the status of the conclusion of the existing sublease agreement dated 06.02.2018. Any index adjustments made to date are not taken into account.

 

 

 

 

Supplement to

 

7.            Maintenance and use:

 

In order to guarantee the Sub-Lessee access to the additional room 3015, an exchange of the necessary door cylinders is permitted, provided that other parties remain unaffected by this. The Sub-Lessee shall assume the costs for this.

 

Vienna, on  19/11/2019 Vienna, on  15 Nov 2019
For the Sub-Lessor: For the Subtenant:

 

 

University of Veterinary Medicine

Vienna

Vice rectorate for resources

Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna

   
Medical
Centre of
Vienna

+43 1 25077-1320

rektorat@vetmeduni.ac.at

                   

 

 

 

ADDENDUM 2 TO THE SUBLEASE AGREEMENT

 

concluded between

 

University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna

Represented by the President of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna

Veterinärplatz I 1210 Vienna

(the “Lessor”)

 

and

 

Allcyte GmbH

FN 465200v

Campus Visa Biocenter 5

1030 Vienna, Austria

(the “Sub-Lessee”)

 

As of the reference date 01.11.2020, the currently existing sublease agreement between Lessor and Sub-Lessee dated 06.02.2018, last adapted by Addendum 1 dated 19.11.2019, will be amended in the points listed here. In all other points, the sublease agreement remains unaffected in its validity.

 

Supplement to

 

3.            Rental period:

 

The first section of point 3 (lease period) of the original lease agreement is supplemented or amended as follows:

 

“The sublease relationship begins on 01.03.2018. The sublease relationship ends automatically on 15.12.2022 by the end of time. By mutual agreement, this tenancy can extend to 31.12.2022.

 

The Sub-Lessee must ensure that the premises are handed over to the Lessor swept clean at the latest on the day of the time. Otherwise, EUR 500.00 net will be charged to penalty for each day exceeded at the agreed rent valid until then (aliquot; monthly rent of 30 days).

 

The Sub-Lessee shall bear all costs that the Lessor incurs if the Lessor has to vacate the premises at its own expense (e.g. costs for vacating and storing the objects available in the leased property by professionals). Penal payments already made can be offset. In this case, the payment obligation shall end only after collection of all items. If this should not occur within a reasonable period of time, but at the earliest after one month, the Lessor is free to use the items within the meaning of § 1101 ABGB to cover its expenses.

 

In the event that the Sub-Lessee concludes a lease agreement with the owner of the property with regard to the leased premises, the leased property does not have to be vacated. This circumstance must be reflected in the new lease agreement. In such a case, the Sub-Lessee must notify the Lessor of this circumstance no later than one month before the end of the sublease relationship and must submit the future lease agreement, legally signed by both parties. The Lessor may not incur any costs or damages of any kind in this arrangement; otherwise, the Sub-Lessee must pay for these.

 

 

 

 

For clarification, it is stated that the further paragraphs of point 3 do not change.

 

  Vienna, on 02 NOV 2020 Vienna, on 04-NOV-2020
         
  For the Sub-Lessor: For the Subtenant:
     
     
   

Dr Manuela Raith, MBA

Vice-Rector for Resources

 

University of Veterinary Medicine

Vienna

Vice Rectorate for Resources

 

Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna

   

Nikolaus Krall

 

CEO

 

Allcyte GmbH

Medical
Centre of
Vienna

+43 1 25077-1320

rektorat@vetmeduni.ac.at

                     

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.15

 

LEASE AGREEMENT

 

1.     Lessor: HG 3 Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH & CoKG
  FN 501241 w
   
  Rotenturmstrasse 13/4th floor, 1010 Vienna
   
2.     Lessee: Alphaexscientia Beteiligungs GmbH
   
  FN 561674 t
   
  Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna
   
3.     Rental property: 2965 m2 office space on the 3rd floor
   
  116 m2 storage areas in the basement
   
4.     Start of the lease: the first day of the month following the takeover of the rental properties, at the earliest 01/10/2022, at the latest 01/01/2023. The regulations agreed under 3.1.2 apply in the event of delays beyond 01/10/2022.
   
5.     Term of lease: for a limited period of time at the end of the seventh year following the start of the lease, the tenancy ends without the need for termination, upon takeover on 01/10/2022 at the end of 30/09/2029.
   
6.     Rent: The rent is composed of the flat-rate rent in the amount of EUR 47,510.75 net per month plus operating and ancillary costs in accordance with point 7 and VAT in the (respective) statutory amount
   
7.     Current operating and ancillary cost discounts: current account operating and ancillary costs general parts: EUR 9,127.00/month net plus VAT in the statutory amount.
   
8.     Indexation: Main rent index CPI 2020 = 100
   
  Reference month: the month of conclusion of the Agreement

 

 

 

 

9.     Use: exclusively for use for office purposes (and storage purposes in the basement) in compliance with all statutory and official regulations that do not lead to the pre-tax exclusion
   
10     .Security deposit: 3 Gross monthly rent (consisting of flat-rate rent as well as operating and ancillary cost discounts plus VAT) in the form of an abstract bank guarantee, that is EUR 203,895.90
   
11.     Fee assessment basis: EUR 5.709,085.20
   
12.     List of Appendices: Layout plan Appendix 1.2
   
  Rental space office floor basic fit-out 3rd floor Appendix 1.2.1.
   
  Furniture concept 3rd floor Appendix 1.2.1.1.
   
  Floor plan of basement Appendix 1.2.3.
   
  Company names Appendix 1.5
   
  Construction and equipment description Appendix [1.7.1]
   
  Warranty provisions GU-TGA (General Contractor-Technical Building Installations) Appendix 1.7.1.a.
   
  Warranty provisions GU-TGA (General Contractor-Building) Appendix 1.7.1.b.
   
  Sample Bank Guarantee Appendix4.6.1

 

  - 2 -  

 

 

1.
Rental property

 

1.1. The Lessor is the sole owner of the property EZ6702, land register01613, Floridsdorf District Court, with the properties no. 1572/3 and 1572/5 and address 1210 Vienna, Siemensstrasse 89 (“Property”), as well as the building to be newly built on it with a legally valid building permit notice dated 27/04/2020, in which the leased property is/will be located.

 

It is noted that a department of the newly created plot 1572/7 (construction site B) and the creation of a new deposit number based on the survey certificate of DI Meixner, GZ 19475c dated 29/03/2021, will take place for the garage even before the completion of the rental property.

 

1.2. The Lessor leases and the Lessee leases in this building to be newly constructed, the areas described in more detail in Appendix 1.2. on the third floor as well as a warehouse in the basement floor (“rental property”). The rental property is shown in red in the site plan Appendix [1.2.1].

 

1.3. The leased property is located in a building that is newly constructed on the basis of a building permit issued after 30 June 1953 without the aid of public funds (§ 1 para. 4 no. 1 MRG (Tenancy Law)). The leased property itself was constructed after 31 December 1967 without the aid of public funds. The present tenancy is therefore only subject to the termination restrictions of the MRG.

 

1.4. Only the interior space, but not outdoor areas, is leased for exclusive use by the Lessee.

 

1.5. The Lessee is entitled to affix company designations according to Appendix [1.5] to the areas to be designated by the Lessor. The business signs of the Lessee must be uniformly designed in accordance with the guidelines separately announced by the Lessor. The costs and risk for any official permits to be obtained shall be borne by the Lessee.

 

In the event of structural changes or maintenance and repair work, the Lessee undertakes, if reasonable, to remove and store its business signs at its own expense and to reattach them after completion of the work. In any case, the Lessee must also remove these business signs at the end of the Agreement at its own expense, while at the same time remedying any damages incurred as a result.

 

1.6. Usable area of the leased property: the usable area of the leased property relevant to rent and operating and ancillary costs (leased area) is based on provisional figures at the time of conclusion of the Agreement on the basis of ÖNorm (Austrian set of standards) 1801 and is based on the site plan Appendix [1.2.1] and the usable area list according to Appendix [1.6a]. After completion of the building, the Lessor shall provide an expert report on the usable area at its own expense by a state-authorised civil engineer for surveying, which is to be prepared on the basis of ÖNorm 1801. On the basis of this report, the Lessor shall determine the usable areas of the building. In the event of deviations of the actual dimension from the aforementioned planned dimension to the extent of more than +/- 5% and thus the usable area, the rent and the operating and ancillary costs change accordingly; changes of up to +/- 5% are not to be taken into account.

 

1.7. Condition and equipment of the rental property

 

1.7.1. The equipment of the leased property can be found in the building and equipment description Appendix [1.7.1]. The condition corresponds to the conditions required by the building authorities for issuing the building permit. The Lessee must obtain any additional permits (in particular also those from the trade authorities) that result from the respective specific use by the Lessee in a timely manner and provide proof to the Lessor at its own expense. Any resulting costs and measures shall be borne by the Lessee at its own expense.

 

  - 3 -  

 

 

The Lessor was granted warranties by the companies used for the construction of the building, which result from the extracts from the GU-TGA part and the GU-Bau part (Appendix 1.7.1.a and 1.7.1.b.). The Lessor grants the Lessee warranty claims to the same extent as described in Appendices 1.7.1.a and 1.7.1.b. Within this framework, the Lessor guarantees that the leased property has been constructed in accordance with the building and equipment description (Appendix 1.7.1.). In addition, however, the Lessor does not provide any guarantee for a specific condition, a specific condition or property (in particular sound insulation) or a specific possible use of the leased property.

 

1.7.2. If the authorities should impose new requirements that arise from the business activity of the Lessee after the handover of the leased property, the Lessee must fulfil these at its own expense. All other requirements of the authorities, insofar as they relate to other rental properties or the general parts of the property and are not exclusively caused by the business activity of the Lessee, must be fulfilled by the Lessor at its expense.

 

1.7.3. The building and equipment description in accordance with Appendix [1.7.1] was discussed in detail with the Lessee before the conclusion of this Lease Agreement and coordinated in detail. The Lessee confirms that these two descriptions are suitable for its purposes and needs.

 

In the course of further planning and the execution of the office and business building, changes may arise to the plans and/or the building and equipment description, which are continuously brought to the Lessee's attention. The Lessee is entitled to reject planned changes in a justified manner, provided they are not due to legal or official requirements or if they are not insignificant changes or deviations. In this case, agreement must be reached between the contractual parties. The amended plans and/or construction and equipment description shall form an integral part of this Agreement. In any case, however, the Lessee must accept surface area deviations of up to (including) plus/minus five percent.

 

2. Duration of Agreement

 

2.1. The lease shall begin at the time specified in point [4.] of the cover sheet. The contractual payment obligations of the Lessee also begin at this time. The tenancy is concluded for a certain period and ends without requiring a termination at the end date stated in the cover sheet.

 

2.2. Extraordinary early termination of the Agreement

 

2.2.1. Each contractual party is entitled to premature termination of the Agreement if the other contractual party grossly or persistently violates the Agreement (despite registered reminder and setting of a grace period) or for other reasons provided for in this Agreement.

 

The Lessor is entitled to declare the early cancellation of the lease agreement for the reasons of § 1118 ABGB (Civil Code of Austria). In the event that the leased property is completely or partially destroyed by a circumstance covered by an existing insurance policy and the Lessor declares within one month, to rebuild the leased property, the parties shall, to clarify the question, whether the reconstruction can take place within one year from the (partial) destruction of the leased property, by mutual agreement appoint an independent civil engineer responsible for building construction or a generally sworn court expert for the construction industry. In the event that the civil technician/expert comes to the conclusion that the reconstruction cannot be completed within one year, the Lessee may immediately terminate the Lease Agreement prematurely. In the event that the reconstruction can take place within one year, the Lessee may terminate the lease agreement prematurely only if the reconstruction has not actually been completed within one year of (partial) destruction. Irrespective of any possible early dissolution, the Lessee is entitled to a rent reduction claim without restriction in accordance with § 1096 ABGB.

 

  - 4 -  

 

 

2.2.2. If the lease relationship is prematurely terminated by the Lessor for a reason for which the Lessee is responsible and the leased property is empty until the originally agreed end of the lease agreement or it can only be rented at a lower rent, then the Lessee must transfer the leased property as described under [6.4] “Provision” and to pay to the Lessor the existing difference to the Lessor up to the end of the term, if applicable, in accordance with point 4. monthly net rents to be paid and pro rata operating costs. The Lessor is obliged to reduce the damage.

 

2.2.3. The Lessee is entitled to terminate the lease relationship if the leased property becomes unsuitable for use for longer than two months due to the fault of the Lessor despite a written request to the Lessor to restore the contractually compliant condition within a reasonable period of time.

 

2.2.4. The declaration of termination submitted by registered letter from one of the contractual parties to the address of the other contractual party last communicated to it shall terminate the contractual relationship with immediate effect.

 

3. Handover of the rental property

 

3.1. Handover

 

3.1.1. The handover and acceptance of the rental property shall take place at the latest at the time specified in the cover sheet in the condition according to Appendix [1.7.1] The exact handover date shall be communicated by the Lessor in writing no later than six weeks before the planned handover.

 

3.1.2. The handover is only deemed to be on time if the rental property is handed over in its entirety. In the event of a delay in the handover date, the latest handover date shall be deemed to be 31/12/2022, whereby a penalty in the amount of one net monthly rent per commenced month is to be paid to the Lessee from the delay (01/10/2022). In the event of a delay beyond 01/01/2023, the Lessee shall be entitled to a right of withdrawal with a final grace period of four weeks. An early handover before the planned date is permitted if the Lessee is informed in writing three months before the handover.

 

3.1.3. The Lessee is obligated to take over the leased property at the date announced by the Lessor, unless the use of the leased property is objectively impossible due to significant defects that prevent the intended use.

 

  - 5 -  

 

 

3.2. Handover report/ready for handover/arbitrator

 

3.2.1. A written handover protocol must be prepared for the handover of the rental property on the day of handover and signed by the contractual parties. In this protocol, any defects of the executions or equipment to be provided by the Lessor must be recorded and the Lessor is then obligated to remedy any defects within a reasonable period at its own expense. If the remedy is not done in a timely and proper manner by the Lessor, the Lessee has the right to commission the replacement at the expense of the Lessor. In this case, the prohibition of offsetting pursuant to point [4.8.] of this Agreement does not apply. If minor deviations from the building and equipment description or minor defects that do not significantly impair use are found, the Lessee may not refuse to accept them, irrespective of its other rights.

 

By signing the handover report, the Lessee shall finally acknowledge the appropriateness of the agreed rent.

 

3.2.2. If the contractual parties are unable to agree on their existence or non-existence within four weeks after the Lessor has announced the transfer readiness, this must be determined by DI Heinz Kropiunik (aetas Ziviltechniker GmbH) as arbitrator for both contractual parties. If the arbitrator cited above is – for whatever reason – not available, the arbitrator must be selected and appointed by the respective President of the Vienna Bar Association from the list of the experts for the construction industry registered with the Vienna Higher Regional Court. The arbitrator is entitled to consult sub-experts.

 

It is agreed that the arbitrator must have a liability insurance with a coverage sum of at least EUR 5,000,000.00. The costs of the arbitrator, including the costs for the coverage of a corresponding liability insurance, shall be borne by the party whose argumentation is rejected by the arbitrator, unless this party determines a different division for reasons of equity. The contractual parties are obligated to make advance payments at the request of the arbitrator.

 

This agreement is deemed to be an arbitrator Agreement.

 

If the arbitrator determines the existence of the transfer maturity, the Lessee is obligated to take over the rental property. If the arbitrator decides that the rental property is ready for handover within the meaning of this Agreement, the handover and takeover shall be deemed to have been completed on the day on which the Lessor requested the Lessee to take over (ex tunc).

 

3.2.3. The Lessee shall be entitled to claims for damages against the Lessor to the same extent as these were granted to the Lessor by the companies it used for the construction of the building. With regard to a delayed handover [Point 3.1.2], the Lessee is also entitled to claims for damages to the same extent, insofar as the delayed handover is the responsibility of the Lessor. Any further claims against the Lessor, in particular for lost profit, cannot be made. In the event of termination of the Agreement for the reasons specified under point 3.1.2, all services rendered mutually with regard to the validity of this Agreement must be reversed.

 

  - 6 -  

 

 

3.3. Keys/code cards

 

3.3.1. The handover of keys and code cards as well as their number (at least 50 pieces) is noted in the handover protocol. Additional keys/code cards may be made by the Lessor at the request of the Lessee against reimbursement of the costs plus a reasonable processing fee. The transfer of keys/code cards of the Lessor may only be made to employees of the Lessee.

 

3.3.2. Keys/code cards handed over by the Lessor or that are also reproduced by the Lessee with the consent of the Lessor must be returned in full after the end of the Agreement without the Lessor being obligated to pay compensation. If a change to the locking system is necessary due to the loss or theft of a key/code card, the Lessee must bear all associated costs or reimburse the Lessor. The same applies at the end of the lease relationship if the Lessee cannot hand over all keys/code cards in full.

 

4. Rent, operating and ancillary costs

 

4.1. Rent

 

The rent specified in point [6.] of the cover sheet is agreed by the contractual parties and is described by both parties as appropriate.

 

4.2. Indexation

 

4.2.1. The indexation (value protection) of the sublease is expressly agreed as follows:

 

The consumer price index published by STATISTIK AUSTRIA 2020 = 100 or an index replacing it serves as the primary calculation measure. The reference figure is the index number announced for the month specified in point [8.] of the cover sheet.

 

The index adjustment is done once a year by comparing the index number of the consumer price index 2020 announced for September of the respective calendar year. The rent shall then be adjusted from the 1st January of each year. It is expressly agreed that a decrease in the rent is also taken into account in the adjustment, whereby a decrease under the rent agreed in accordance with point 4 (minor interest at the time of the signing of the Agreement) is excluded. The index number relevant for the index adjustment then forms the starting basis for the next index adjustment. The change is credited at 100%.

 

If the index of the consumer prices is no longer published, the (successor) index announced by an official body shall be deemed to be the basis for the indexation that most closely corresponds to this index.

 

If no equivalent successor index is announced or a binding to an index is no longer possible or permissible for legal or factual reasons, the change in purchasing power must be determined by an expert to be appointed by mutual agreement between the contractual parties according to the principles that were last applied by STATISTIK AUSTRIA, so that the purchasing power of the originally agreed amount is maintained. If the contractual parties do not agree on the person of such an expert within four weeks, the respective president of the Vienna Bar Association appoints him at the request of each contractual party.

 

  - 7 -  

 

 

The costs of the arbitrator shall be borne by the part whose argumentation is rejected by the arbitrator, unless the arbitrator determines a different division for reasons of equity.

 

This agreement is deemed to be an arbitrator agreement.

 

4.2.2. The Lessor's right to request an increase in the rent for the past due to the change in the index figures or the purchasing power shall only expire if this right is not asserted within three years from the relevant index change or the Lessor waives it in writing. However, a failure to assert the indexation does not mean a waiver of future indexation.

 

4.3. Operating and ancillary costs

 

4.3.1. The Lessee is obligated to pay the rent as well as the proportionate operating and ancillary costs of the property and the associated systems, facilities and areas, including VAT, from the time specified in point [4.] of the cover sheet.

 

4.3.2. Operating costs (in the sense of building operating/management and consumption operating costs of the property, the building and the associated systems, facilities and areas) include:

 

a. public levies, taxes and fees in the respective prescribed amount relating to the property and the building;

 

b. the costs of supply and disposal with water, gas, (remote) heat and cooling as well as electricity from the public networks (including fees and costs incurred by the inspections of the lines required according to the delivery conditions) as well as the costs of gauging, maintenance and reading of measuring devices;

 

c. the costs of the regular smoke trap sweeping due to the sweeping order, the costs of sewer removal, waste removal or waste disposal and pest control; with regard to waste disposal, each tenant must dispose of commercial or hazardous waste that is not normal general household or office waste separately and at his/her own expense; the same applies if a tenant causes continuously above-average waste quantities due to his/her business operations;

 

d. the costs of supplying the general parts with electricity, heat and cooling, air, water and gas;

 

e. the costs of the reasonable insurance of the building (based on the replacement value), against power damage, storm damage, glass breakage, burglary, business interruption, fire damage (fire insurance), the legal liability of the home owner (liability insurance), damage to tap water, including corrosion damage, against damage to parts of the equipment, such as certain machines and systems; the Lessee undertakes to join a global insurance agreement against comprehensive damages at the request of the Lessor;

 

f. the – like the main rent, value-secured – costs of administration and facility management as well as the proportionate costs of the superordinate district management, including the associated costs for district app, central booking and information systems, etc.;

 

  - 8 -  

 

 

g. the reasonable expenses for house care, including (land and maintenance) cleaning, maintenance of the general parts, the exterior of the façade, the support of the pavements and traffic routes that fall under the care of the property owner, including winter service, as well as the supervision of the house and the property;

 

h. the costs of operating the communal systems (including the energy costs of the associated systems and consumption of them in general parts and rental properties, meter proving and energy management), i.e. in detail: passenger lift, the joint heating and cooling supply system, trash press heating systems, bell and intercom system, cooling unit, fire alarm and lightning protection/fire protection equipment, costs of the fire protection officer, of the smoke and heat extraction system, the safety lighting system, the fire extinguishing systems and fire extinguishers, of the water treatment systems, of the regulatory system, the safety technology and lighting system, of the smoke and heat extraction system, of the video surveillance system, of the time recording system, of the access control system, the (TUS) alarm systems, the property radio system, of the sprinkler system, the conveyor and lifting systems, of the escalators, of the RWA system (smoke and heat exhaust ventilation system), of the solar, Geothermal power plants and wind turbines, the communication systems, the emergency power system, the lighting, of the compensation system, of the doors, gates and fire doors, or the building control system;

 

i. the costs for the ongoing care and care of green and garden facilities, watering and drainage or replacement planting.

 

4.3.3. The proportionate ancillary costs include all expenses incurred by the Lessor for the maintenance, maintenance, repair, servicing and operation of the property, the office and business building and the associated areas and facilities (if these are not serious damages to the building to be borne by the Lessor). These include in particular:

 

a. the costs of the implementation of government orders issued in connection with the proper operation/proper use of the leased property and the building (this is exclusively insofar as the requirements arise from the business activity of the Lessee);

 

b. the costs of cleaning and maintaining all open spaces, access and entry routes, passageways, parking spaces, loading bays, fences, illuminated signs, collective signage systems or information and business signs inside and outside the building, including personnel costs in this regard;

 

c. the costs of maintenance, repair, repair and repair as well as replacement of the gas, water, electricity as well as district heating and cooling lines (insofar as they are not laid in the building substance and it is not serious damage to be borne by the Lessor);

 

d. the costs of maintenance, repair, repair and repair as well as renovation of the communal systems (including the energy costs of the associated systems and consumption of them in general parts and rental properties, meter proving and energy management), i.e. in detail: passenger lift, the joint heating and cooling supply system, trash press heating systems, bell and intercom system, cooling unit, fire alarm and lightning protection/fire protection equipment, costs of the fire protection officer, of the smoke and heat extraction system, the safety lighting system, the fire extinguishing systems and fire extinguishers, of the water treatment systems, of the regulatory system, the safety technology and lighting system, of the smoke and heat extraction system, of the video surveillance system, of the time recording system, of the access control system, the (TUS) alarm systems, the property radio system, of the sprinkler system, the conveyor and lifting systems, of the escalators, of the RWA system (smoke and heat exhaust ventilation system), of the solar, Geothermal power plants and wind turbines, the communication systems, the emergency power system, the lighting, of the compensation system, of the doors, gates and fire doors, or the building control system;

 

  - 9 -  

 

 

e. the costs of operation and maintenance, repair and servicing as well as renovation (including the energy costs of the associated systems and consumption of these in general parts and rental properties, meter calibration and energy management) of the safety and monitoring systems, Access and access control systems, opening and closing systems, of the ventilation systems, air conditioning systems, toilet and wet groups, switchboard, speakers, music systems, Information statuses, other outdoor facilities, illuminated lettering systems, fences, collective signage systems, Information and business signs inside and outside the building, also in the public traffic area, flagpoles or flags and the like, which do not relate to individual tenants, but refer to the entire one;

 

In this context, the Lessor and the Lessee shall record that in the sense of this point [4th 3] of this Agreement under “Renewal Costs”, which the Lessee must bear, the costs are not to be understood, which, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, are replaced by a necessary complete replacement a) of the gas, water, current, district heating and refrigeration systems within the meaning of point [4.3 c] or b) of the communal facilities within the meaning of point [4.3 d] of this Agreement or c) of systems and facilities within the meaning of point [4.3 e] of this Agreement; the costs of such a possible exchange shall thus be borne by the Lessor.

 

4.3.4. The operating and ancillary costs specified in point [4.3.] of this Agreement shall be borne as follows:

 

4.3.4.1. The operating and ancillary costs that can be clearly and exclusively assigned to a specific rental property are to be borne solely by the Lessee.

 

4.3.4.2. If there are deviations in a comparison between the main meter of the building and existing sub-meters, the calculations are made according to the consumption of the main meter in the ratio of all intermediate meter with respect to the total consumption of the building.

 

4.3.4.3. All other operating and ancillary costs are to be allocated to the usable areas of the building, insofar as this is objectively, organisationally and technically justified, and divided among the tenants of the area formed by this allocation in the ratio of the leased other usable areas used by the Lessor or not leased despite their rentability.

 

4.3.4.4. All operating and ancillary costs not attributable in accordance with point [4.3.4.1.] or point [4.3.4.2.] are to be borne by the Lessee in proportion to the usable area of the respective rental property to the total usable area of all rentable properties.

 

4.3.4.5. If the Lessee does not make use of the use of common systems, facilities and areas, this does not release it from the obligation to bear the proportionate operating and ancillary costs, unless the Lessor has expressly agreed in writing in advance.

 

4.4. Operating and ancillary cost account and settlement

 

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4.4.1. Together with the payment of the monthly rent, the Lessee shall also make appropriate monthly advance payments on the expected operating and ancillary costs, divided into the operating and ancillary costs of general parts and the consumption-dependent Lessee-specific energy operating and ancillary costs, plus the respective statutory VAT.

 

4.4.2. The current operating and ancillary cost discounts for the building are as follows:

 

EUR 9,127.00 net p.m. plus statutory VAT.

 

4.4.2.1. Operating and ancillary costs for general parts: in accordance with point [7.] of the cover sheet

 

4.4.2.2. Lessee-specific energy, operating and ancillary costs: according to point [7.] of the cover sheet

 

The tenant-specific energy, operating and ancillary costs include heating, cooling, ventilation and water of the rental property, the energy costs (electricity, heat/cold, water) of the associated building technology systems as well as the maintenance, repair, repair and maintenance as well as renovation of associated systems (insofar as these do not fall under the Lessor's maintenance obligation), insofar as direct purchase Agreements are not concluded by the Lessee for their purchase.

 

4.4.3. The actual operating and ancillary costs shall be billed annually by the Lessor or the company commissioned with the management of the building no later than 30/06 of the following year.

 

4.4.4. Even if the lease relationship is terminated, the invoicing is done until the end of the lease agreement exclusively at the time of the annual operating and ancillary costs statement.

 

4.4.5. If there is a surplus in favour of the Lessee from the annual statement, this surplus amount is to be offset by the Lessor against the next provision(s) or offset against any existing payment arrears of the Lessee; any additional payments are to be made by the Lessee within two weeks after the provision at the latest.

 

All invoices and account charges by the Lessor/in the name of the Lessor are deemed to be recognised by the Lessee if objections justified in writing have not been raised by the Lessee within three months after receipt. The Lessee is entitled to inspect the accounting documents within this period at the registered office of the company commissioned with the administration and to make copies at its own expense. Claims that are not asserted within a period of three months after receipt of the invoice expire with the expiry of the period.

 

4.5. Costs to be paid directly by the Lessee

 

All costs incurred in the rental property itself (such as in particular for cleaning, electricity, telephone, internet, radio) are to be paid by the Lessee directly to the respective supplier or service provider. The Lessee is required to conclude direct contracts with the individual suppliers or providers for such costs, if possible. If such costs are nevertheless prescribed to the Lessor, the Lessee undertakes to pay within 14 (fourteen) days after the specification including submission of copies of invoices.

 

It is noted that the connection with fibre optic lines up to the provider room in the basement of the rental property and further up to the LAN rooms in each rental unit is made and operated by Magenta. It is the Lessee's responsibility to make a direct agreement with Magenta for the internal design of LAN/WLAN and internet within the rental unit. In the event that the Lessee wishes to commission another provider to supply the rental unit, this provider must directly conclude an agreement with Magenta on the use of the lines from Magenta to the respective LAN room. In this case, Magenta is obligated to provide the transmission lines with a market-compliant fee.

 

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4.6. Security deposit

 

4.6.1. The Lessee shall provide a security deposit at the latest three months prior to the planned transfer date in the amount specified under point [10.] of the cover sheet in the form of an abstract, unconditional and irrevocable bank guarantee that is to be paid out on first call-off, subject to Austrian law (sample Appendix .[ 4.6.1]) of a bank acceptable to the Lessor to secure all claims of the Lessor arising from this tenancy.

 

4.6.2. The bank guarantee must have a term of at least seven years plus six months and must be adjusted accordingly within 14 (fourteen) days at the request of the Lessor in accordance with any increase in the main rent due to the indexation or the operating and ancillary cost account.

 

4.6.3. In the event of a shorter term of the guarantee, the Lessee must hand over an extension of this bank guarantee to the Lessor no later than six months before its expiry for a further three years or provide another equivalent bank guarantee, otherwise the Lessor is entitled to draw the bank guarantee and convert it into a cash deposit. If the Lessor makes use of the security deposit, the Lessee is obligated to replenish it at the request of the Lessor within a maximum of 14 (fourteen) days. The Lessor is entitled to clarify even before the end of the lease relationship, to cover due claims of any kind against the Lessee from or in connection with the lease relationship from the security deposit.

 

4.6.4. In the event of termination of the tenancy, with the contractual provision of the leased property, an amount of ten percent (“ensuring”) for gross, operating and ancillary costs not yet finally invoiced will be retained by partial drawing (cash deposit) or deposited by the Lessee in the form of a new, reduced bank guarantee and will be retained by the Lessee as security until the first of the termination of the tenancy. After submission of the annual operating costs statement and repayment of any additional claims within two weeks, any remaining amount from the guarantee must be paid out to the Lessee without interest. Any (partial) use of the security amount must be invoiced by the Lessor.

 

4.6.5. In the event of a change of ownership of the property, the Lessee shall ensure at the request of the Lessor that the bank guarantee is issued in a timely manner to the new owner, otherwise the Lessor is entitled to draw the bank guarantee and convert it into a cash deposit.

 

4.7. Value added tax

 

The Lessee acknowledges that, as a result of the new version of § 6 para. 2 UStG (VAT Act) by the 1st StabG (Economic Stability and Growth Law) 2012, the Lessee can only claim an input tax deduction for those investments and costs that it spends on the leased property, as long as the Lessee uses the leased property almost exclusively (more than 95 percent) to achieve revenue that does not exclude the input tax deduction. According to the aforementioned statutory provision, the Lessor must also prove these prerequisites. For this reason, the business activity to be carried out in the rental property was specifically defined under point [9.] of the cover sheet, which entitles the Lessee to deduct input tax. If the Lessee wishes to change the business activity carried out to achieve sales in the leased property in such a way that it wishes to achieve more than five percent of the total sales in the leased property with activities that exclude a deduction of input tax, it undertakes to bring this intention to the Lessor's attention in writing, but at least three months before the commencement of such activity.

 

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In the event of such a change in the previously agreed type of use of the rental property and the overall entrepreneurial activity carried out by the Lessee in the rental property, the last net amount of rent and operating and ancillary costs paid by the Lessee shall be increased by the previously shown amount of the previously indicated amount of the type of use, pro rata VAT in the respective statutory amount attributable to rent and operating and ancillary costs, so that a monthly, VAT-exempt total payment (gross = net), which corresponds to a monthly total payment including VAT.

 

The Lessee shall therefore pay an amount corresponding to the VAT with regard to the loss of the input tax deduction. The Lessee shall also compensate the Lessor for any pre-tax payments that may be made on its usable area on a pro rata basis from the reinvoices for acquisition or production costs, capitalised expenses or major repairs regulated in § 12 par. 10 UStG within the legally prescribed pre-tax adjustment period, each year at the due date.

 

It is mutually agreed that this notification obligation of the Lessee constitutes a very fundamental contractual obligation, since its omission or the change of the business activity carried out in the leased property in the above-mentioned sense would have very serious economic effects on the Lessor: In this case, the input tax deduction previously made in good faith on a pro rata basis from the Lessee could be withdrawn retroactively made in good faith until then, and it would only have to - without the appropriate calculation of the economic consideration of the Lessee - be based on a unilateral, change to its entrepreneurial type of use of the rental property made without approval, (activity excluding input tax deduction in the amount of more than five percent of the total activity), repay the input tax amounts deducted on the basis of the original agreement to the tax authority. Any violation of this notification obligation therefore entitles the Lessor to terminate the existing lease agreement with immediate effect. It is noted that the Lessor has calculated and agreed in the present form the rent settlement agreed in the present lease agreement on the basis of the exercise of an activity of the Lessee in the leased property, which almost exclusively entitles to deduct input tax.

 

4.8. Offsetting

 

Any offsetting of any claims of the Lessee against the Lessor's claims arising from or in connection with the lease relationship and its termination is expressly excluded - unless mandatory statutory provisions oppose this or the claims are acknowledged in writing by the Lessor or established by the courts.

 

4.9. Legal lien of the Lessor

 

The statutory right of lien of the Lessor pursuant to § 1101 ABGB to all items brought in is contractually extended to all claims of the Lessor arising from or in connection with this tenancy and its termination.

 

4.10. Due date

 

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4.10.1. The agreed rent and the operating and ancillary cost discounts prescribed by the Lessor are due in advance on the fifth day of each calendar month and must be paid to the account to be disclosed by the Lessor. The Lessee shall be liable to the Lessor for reasonable costs and expenses caused by the delayed payment of rent for the claim operated, in particular for the necessary costs of appropriate out-of-court debt collection or contribution measures pursuant to § 1333 para. 2 ABGB. In this context, the Lessee undertakes to pay an appropriate reminder fee. The date of receipt is decisive for the timeliness of the payment. In addition, the Lessee must pay default interest in the statutory amount in the event of default of payment.

  

4.10.2. Irrespective of other claims, the Lessor is entitled to suspend or interrupt the supplies and services to be paid within the scope of the operating and ancillary costs until payment after a written reminder and setting of a grace period is made, provided the Lessee is not merely slightly in default with the payment of the remuneration components in this regard.

 

5. Rental purpose

 

5.1. Use

 

5.1.1. The lease shall be made exclusively for the purposes specified in point [9.] of the cover sheet.

 

Any other use or change of the purpose or the type of use is prohibited and requires the express prior written consent of the Lessor, which may only be refused for good cause, for example, if the Lessor would violate competition clauses agreed with other tenants (which must be proven at the request of the Lessee), or if the Lessor has justified concerns about the changed business purpose, due to the character of the building as an office and business building or the tenant structure.

 

5.1.2. The Lessee undertakes to refrain for itself and all its co-users of the rental property in question, activities, omissions or tolerances that are associated with unreasonable harassment, impairment or endangerment of any kind whatsoever for the other tenants and users of the property.

 

It is noted that the loading of the freight elevator as well as the delivery and removal of goods must be done exclusively via the supplier access. Dangerous goods must be transported to and from outside normal office hours, if possible. The main entrance must not be used for this purpose. Supplier access and the load lift must be used with the greatest possible care and taking into account the interests of the other tenants.

 

5.2. Official approvals

 

The Lessor is only liable for the fact that the rental property can be used for the purposes indicated in the approved plans when handed over in accordance with the building permit. The Lessee shall be responsible for obtaining and fulfilling a corresponding commercial permit and any other official permits required in addition to the existing permits - without any claim for compensation against the Lessor - at its own risk and at its own expense and shall be liable to anybody for violations. The Lessee shall also be liable at all times for the fulfilment of all current and future statutory or official provisions or requirements that are related to the use of the leased property by the Lessee, even if they are not yet known at the time of the conclusion of the Agreement.

 

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5.3. Payload capacity of the storey ceilings

 

The Lessee guarantees that it does not exceed the maximum payload of the storey ceilings of the leased property of 5 kN/m², in the area of raised floors of 3 kN point load per m² at any time.

 

5.4. Liability

 

5.4.1. Insofar as there is no liability arising from intentional or grossly negligent action, any liability of the Lessor towards the Lessee and – insofar as such liability exists – towards persons who use the leased property is excluded. In this case, the Lessor is liable exclusively for the direct damage, but not for consequential damages and/or profit reductions. Insofar as the Lessor is also entitled to further liabilities towards the companies it uses for the construction of the building, the Lessee is entitled to these to the same extent vis-à-vis the Lessor.

 

5.4.2. The Lessee shall be liable for all damages culpably caused by the Lessee, its employees, customers, service providers, consultants or professionals, suppliers and other persons operating in its rental property.

 

5.5. Competition protection

 

A competition protection for the Lessee is excluded and the Lessee hereby acknowledges with approval that the other areas/leased properties on the property are leased or otherwise used by the Lessor, whereby the Lessor is completely free in this lease or other use of the other areas of the building.

 

5.6. Sublease/transfer, transfer of use, sale of company

 

5.6.1. The Lessee is permitted to sublet the leased property in its entirety. Each sublease must be approved by the Lessor in writing before the conclusion of the respective sublease agreement, whereby the Lessor may only grant its consent for good cause (in particular for reasons, which are in the person of the subtenant – for example, the representative of the subtenant, compliance concerns regarding the subtenant, VAT damage, increased risk of terrorism by the Sub-Lessee – or the business purpose planned or exercised by the Sub-Lessee – such as increased risks, noise or environmental pollution for neighbours). In the case of a sublease of up to 50% of the areas leased to the Lessee (point 1.2), the Lessee is not subject to any restrictions with the exception of the aforementioned permit. For the sublease of the areas exceeding this percentage (thus 50.1%-100% of the leased areas), the Lessee undertakes to pass on 50% of the net monthly rent (Section 4.1) to the Lessor.

 

Irrespective of the aforementioned provision, the Lessee is entitled to sublet the leased property in whole or in part to companies in which it itself has a direct or indirect majority interest and the intended use is not changed as a result. However, the Lessee is obligated to inform the Lessor immediately in writing of a transfer of possession in each individual case, submitting all documents required to prove the participation relationships.

 

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If the participation relationship between the Lessee and the respective company should be terminated at a later date, the right to use the leased property by this company also expires.

  

At the request of the Lessor, the Lessee is obligated to prove the continuation of the shareholding relationship in a suitable manner.

 

5.6.2. If the Lessee sells the company operated in the leased property, it is obligated to notify the Lessor of this sale immediately. The Lessee shall be liable for any loss of rent due to the failure to make this announcement. The Lessee knows that the purchaser of his company will have to pay the agreed rent including operating and ancillary costs and VAT.

 

5.6.3. Changes to the legal form of the Lessee and/or shareholdings in the Lessee must be notified to the Lessor immediately in writing; such changes require the written consent of the Lessor if a significant reduction in the Lessee's creditworthiness occurs as a result.

 

In the event of changes to the ownership structure on the part of the Lessee, in the event of transfer of rights and obligations from this Agreement – by way of universal succession or in the event of a sale of a company – the Lessor has the right to adjust the main rent to the level that is then in line with the market.

 

5.6.4. A change of tenant that is not permitted without the consent of the Lessor shall also be deemed to be the change or departure of a personally liable shareholder of the Lessee or another shareholder relevant for the creditworthiness of the Lessee. This means that the departing shareholder shall be liable until the consent of the Lessor - without prejudice to the liability according to the provisions of commercial law - to the same extent for the fulfilment of all current and future tenant obligations, which would exist in the Company if it remained unchanged. The Lessor is obliged to consent if the Lessee proves to it that the change/withdrawal of the shareholder does not lead to any deterioration of the Lessee's creditworthiness and there are no important reasons against the person of the entering shareholder. The statutory liability of the departing shareholder is not restricted by the consent of the Lessor. Irrespective of its legal form, the Lessee must inform the Lessor about any change in the company or company as well as about all changes in liability-relevant circumstances regarding its person, e.g. capital reduction, change of a relevant shareholder.

 

5.7. Work by the Lessor

 

5.7.1. The Lessor may perform work, for maintenance, repair, servicing changes, improvement or to avert imminent dangers or to remedy damages either to the property, of the office and commercial building and the associated areas and facilities or a rental property as a whole or in parts thereof, together with its respective equipment, attachments, facilities and installations or to maintain operations, make sense or are otherwise required by the authorities or by law, the following, however, against timely prior information of the Lessee while protecting the tenancy law and taking into account its business operations.

 

5.7.2. The Lessee must tolerate the temporary use and modification of its leased property if this is necessary for the execution of the work and may not hinder or delay the work, provided that it is not significantly hindered or endangered in the exercise of its lease right. Insofar as such measures are only expedient, the Lessee must tolerate them – irrespective of the inapplicability of this provision – within the framework of § 8 MRG. At the request of the Lessor, the Lessee is obliged to remove its equipment in the leased property that proves to be obstructive in the work for the duration of the work. The Lessee is not entitled to any claim for compensation against the Lessor due to such work.

 

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5.7.3. COVID-19 pandemic

 

The Lessee expressly waives the assertion of claims for rent exemption and rent reduction in accordance with §§ 1104, 1105 ABGB due to (i) unusability or limited usability of the leased property and/or (ii) statutory or official restrictions in connection with the current COVID-19 pandemic, such as in particular operating blocks, entry prohibitions or distance regulation.

 

6. Maintenance and provision of the leased property

 

6.1. Lessee’s maintenance obligations

 

6.1.1. The Lessee has taken over the leased property in proper condition. The Lessor's maintenance obligation pursuant to § 1096 para. 1 sentence 1 ABGB is excluded by mutual agreement. The Lessee undertakes to use or allow to be used the leased property in accordance with the Agreement and in a gentle manner and to use it together with the equipment intended and/or leased for the leased property, facilities, systems and installations (such as electricity, water, heating/cooling, ventilation, etc. if they serve to supply the leased property exclusively for the purpose of supplying the leased property) for the duration of the Agreement - with amicable amendment of § 1096 ABGB - at its own expense, and insofar as this does not involve serious damage to the building or the elimination of a significant health hazard, and to renew if necessary. The maintenance obligations of the Lessee are, as all payment obligations, the main services arbitrated by the parties according to this Agreement.

 

6.1.2. The Lessee shall be liable for damage to the leased property resulting from improper or otherwise contractual use of the leased property or from lack of maintenance, repair or installation. If the Lessee does not remedy such damages despite a written request within a set, reasonable period of time, the Lessor is entitled to have the absolutely necessary work carried out at the expense of the Lessee by way of a substitute performance. The Lessee undertakes to indemnify and hold the Lessor harmless with regard to the absolutely necessary costs incurred thereby.

 

The existing supply and disposal lines (such as electricity, gas, water, wastewater, etc.) may only be used to such an extent that no overload occurs, whereby the Lessor is responsible for ensuring that these lines are dimensioned according to the normally required requirements of a modern business operation. In the event of additional need, the Lessee may extend the supply line at its own expense after prior written consent of the Lessor, but the Lessor is only obliged to grant consent if no serious disruption of the other tenants is to be feared from this work.

 

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In the event of disruptions or damage, the Lessee must ensure the immediate shutdown and notification of the Lessor or its representatives.

 

6.1.3. Any serious damages to the building, whose repair is the responsibility of the Lessor, must be reported by the Lessee immediately from the time they become known.

 

6.1.4. The maintenance and repair obligations of the Lessee also include the items brought into the leased property and installed by it.

 

6.1.5. For the sake of clarity, it is stated that the Lessee is responsible for

 

the inside of the façade/glass front shell;

 

the complete window area (including parabet, window sill, lateral glass and frame surfaces as well as window cladding towards the glass facade as well as various ventilation slits and blinds in the facade);

 

fire doors and fire extinguishers in the leased property;

 

pipe blockages up to the main pipe;

 

the systems assigned to the rental property (such as fan coils or emergency power system)

 

Thorough cleaning of the floors.

 

6.2. The Lessee must have the maintenance, servicing and installation obligations incumbent on it carried out without exception by authorised traders and must prove this at the request of the Lessor and, if necessary, submit the proper maintenance and service documentation. Changes by the Lessee

 

6.2.1. The Lessee is only entitled with the consent of the Lessor to carry out structural (alterations) changes, unless the change is reasonable for the Lessor in consideration of the mutual interests, in particular because it is necessary or slightly or easily rectified for the contractual use of the leased property. However, any structural change, redesign, etc. of the leased property must be reported to the Lessor in writing before execution by submitting the plans. The Lessor will not unreasonably refuse its consent to the indicated construction measures.

 

6.2.2. Any permits/permits required beyond the building permits existing at the time of handover must be obtained by the Lessee at its own expense.

 

6.2.3. The Lessee undertakes to indemnify and hold harmless the Lessor against any claims of any kind raised by third parties in connection with the implementation of such (changes) and to remedy any damages caused by these without delay at its own expense.

 

6.2.4. The Lessee shall refrain from any disruption and impairment of other lessees or users of the property or the Lessor during the construction of the (changes). If these are unavoidable, they must be kept as low as possible, whereby other tenants or the Lessor must be compensated appropriately. The work may only be carried out at the times agreed with the Lessor. Contamination and damage to general parts must always be removed or repaired by the Lessee without delay at its own expense.

 

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6.2.5. The Lessee's maintenance, upkeep and repair obligation pursuant to point [6.1.] of this Agreement also includes the changes made by the Lessee to the leased property.

 

6.3. Accessibility of components, equipment, systems, equipment or installations in the rental property

 

Components, equipment, systems, facilities or installations in the rental property that must necessarily be accessible for the purpose of inspection, reading, cleaning, maintenance, maintenance or setting or similar (such as in particular access to shafts, water shut-off valves, electricity meters, consumption reading devices or supply and disposal lines) must be kept accessible by the Lessee or, if necessary, made accessible immediately at its own expense.

 

6.4. Provision of the leased property

 

6.4.1. At the end of the tenancy, the leased property must be returned to the Lessor in proper condition, cleared of all roads and swept clean, taking into account normal wear and tear through intended use, including all keys and code cards handed over or reproduced by the Lessee itself.

 

6.4.2. At the end of the tenancy, all changes to the leased property (e.g. installations, additions and conversions) made by the Lessee shall become the property of the Lessor without compensation, unless otherwise agreed in this regard in individual cases. The specific design will be determined by mutual agreement and separately for each conversion project within the framework of the approval discussions to be carried out in accordance with point 6.2.1. For the expansion of the areas as a laboratory, it applies in any case that they do not have to be dismantled. The Lessee may leave the laboratory furniture at its own discretion either in the respective leased property or remove it from the leased property upon return.

 

6.4.3. In the event of termination of the tenancy, the Lessee waives, for whatever reason, an investment replacement for any investments made, unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Lessee and Lessor in individual cases.

 

6.4.4. At the end of the tenancy, the Lessee undertakes to hand over the complete maintenance and service documentation regarding the rental property, including its equipment, systems, facilities and installations. In the event of non-fulfilment, the Lessor is entitled to carry out a general overhaul of the relevant equipment, systems, equipment and installations at the expense of the Lessee.

 

6.4.5. If the Lessee does not comply with the obligations or does not do so in a timely manner, the Lessor is entitled to clean the rooms at the expense of the Lessee and, if necessary, remove and dispose of installations, lines and cables.

 

6.5. Delayed provision of the rental property

 

Irrespective of any further claims of the Lessor, the parties to the Agreement agree to a contractual penalty in the amount of three current gross monthly rent if the leased property is not handed over by the Lessee at the agreed or legally determined (evacuation) date in the agreed condition. This does not affect the Lessor's claim to charge the Lessee a usage fee for a delayed provision. This usage fee for each month of exceedance or use without a title is a current gross monthly rent, for parts of one month in only aliquot amount.

 

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6.6. Lessor’s right of access

 

The Lessee undertakes the Lessor or its vicarious agents for the preparation and execution of necessary work (in particular within the meaning of point [5.7.]), which the Lessee must tolerate, to inspect the condition of the leased property, to show the prospective lessee the rental property during the last six months prior to the end of the lease relationship or to allow access to the rental property for other important reasons at normal times, namely after prior notice, in the event of imminent danger, even without notice and at any time, also outside normal business hours.

 

6.7. Technical systems of the Lessor

 

The Lessee acknowledges and agrees that technical systems, in particular from the area of telecommunications and energy generation, can be erected by the Lessor itself at its own discretion or by other lessees with the consent of the Lessor in and/or on parts of the building and/or on (partial) areas outside of the building. The Lessee may only derive legal consequences from this if significant impairments of the use occur due to such systems, which the Lessee must prove.

 

7. Insurance policies

 

7.1. The Lessee is obligated, from the time of handover of the leased property, to cover its operational risks by concluding suitable and appropriate insurance Agreements, to maintain these uninterruptedly for the duration of the lease and to prove their content and existence including proof of premium payment at the request of the Lessor at any time. In particular, the Lessee must take out a business bundle insurance for the furniture and accessories (including at least fire, mains water damage, burglary, theft and glass breakage insurance) as well as a corresponding business liability insurance for all business-related risks.

 

7.2. The Lessee may not do, refrain from or permit anything with regard to the leased property to give rise to the increase of the insurance premiums for the building and/or the property. The resulting premium increases of the insurance policies concluded by the Lessor for the building or the property, including its systems, equipment and installations, shall be made exclusively by the Lessee.

 

7.3. The Lessor is entitled to take out insurance against terrorism and sabotage in the event of a justified need and to offset the costs via the operating and ancillary costs.

 

8. Sale of the property

 

In the event of the sale of the property, it is agreed that the property purchaser will enter into the present lease agreement by taking over the entire lease agreement, i.e., also with regard to duration and notice period, (complete entry of the property purchaser).

 

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9. General Terms and Conditions of Agreement

 

9.1. Severability clause

 

Should one or more provision(s) of this Agreement be or become invalid or void, this shall not affect the validity and validity of the remaining contractual provisions. The contractual parties undertake to agree on a valid and effective provision as soon as possible, which most closely corresponds to the economic meaning and purpose of the invalid or invalid provision. The contractual parties undertake to provide services in good faith.

 

9.2. Agreement amendment/previous agreements

 

Any amendment or supplement to this Lease Agreement (including an amendment to the present form requirement itself) requires the written form to be legally valid; this also applies to a waiver of this form requirement. The present lease agreement reflects all agreements made. No oral ancillary agreements were made. This Agreement replaces all previous written and oral agreements in relation to the leased property.

 

9.3. Legal succession

 

All rights and obligations arising from this Lease Agreement are transferred to any legal successors by both parties. Both contractual parties irrevocably waive the right to assert (extraordinary) termination and/or termination rights based on this transfer in the event of the transfer of ownership to the leased property.

 

9.4. Communication, declaration of intent

 

Communications or declarations of intent based on this Agreement must be made in writing (also by fax), whereby the respective date of receipt is decisive.

 

The Lessee undertakes to notify the Lessor immediately of a change of address, otherwise deliveries to the last known address, in case of doubt to the address of the rental property, with the effect that they are deemed to have been received by the Lessee.

 

9.5. Energy certificate

 

The presentation or handover of the energy certificate for the building in which the leased property is located does not constitute an explicit or tacit declaration regarding the condition of the leased property. Therefore, no claims or renovation/renovation obligations can be derived from it.

 

9.6. Headings and references

 

Headings in this Agreement serve exclusively for a better overview and therefore have no normative meaning, do not restrict the respective contractual provisions and do not serve the interpretation. References to statutory provisions refer to the version applicable at the time of conclusion of the Agreement.

 

9.7. Fees, costs

 

The necessary costs for the charges of this Agreement shall be borne by the Lessee. The expected legal transaction fee must be paid by the Lessee to NHK lawyers before the conclusion of the lease agreement. It is agreed that the Lessor will have the amount of the legal transaction fee determined by the competent tax office by means of a decision by its legal representative. A self-assessment of the legal transaction fee will not take place.

 

The costs of consultants (such as lawyers, tax consultants, interior architects, etc.) in connection with the present Agreement creation shall be borne by each contractual party itself.

 

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9.8. Appendices

 

All appendices to this Agreement form an integral part of the Agreement.

 

9.9. Place of jurisdiction

 

For all disputes arising from or in connection with this Lease Agreement, including disputes concerning the valid conclusion of this Lease Agreement, the District Court of Innere Stadt Wien is agreed as the exclusive place of jurisdiction. This Lease Agreement is subject to substantive Austrian law to the exclusion of conflict of laws rules.

 

9.10. Declaration of the contractual parties

 

The contractual parties hereby expressly declare that that the entire Agreement, including all annexes, was discussed and understood, that agreement has been achieved with regard to each individual provision contained herein, that the reciprocal rights and obligations of the contractual parties under this Agreement are considered appropriate in consideration of all circumstances and do not lead to any undue disadvantage of a contractual party or any inappropriateness or improper disadvantage is expressly accepted by the contractual party concerned, and that the contractual parties have sufficiently informed themselves about the legal and economic consequences of each individual provision of this Agreement and have understood them. The contractual parties therefore waive the cancellation or adjustment of this Agreement due to error, change or elimination of the business basis as well as on another legal basis.

 

9.11. Copy

 

This Agreement is drawn up in three copies, of which each contractual party receives one and a copy is provided for the tax office.

 

Vienna, on [____]

 

 

 

__________________________________

 

[Lessor]

 

 

 

_________________________________

 

[Lessee]

 

 

  - 22 -  

Exhibit 10.16

 

LEASE AGREEMENT

 

1.          Lessor: HG 3 Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH & CoKG
FN 501241 w

Rotenturmstrasse 13/4th floor, 1010 Vienna

 

2.          Lessee: Alphaexscientia Beteiligungs GmbH

 

FN 561674 t

 

Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna

 

3.          Rental property: 2027.77 m² Usable space office and laboratory space on the 4th floor

 

4.          Start of the lease: the first day of the month following the takeover of the rental properties, at the earliest 01/10/2022, at the latest 01/01/2023. The regulations agreed under 3.1.2 apply in the event of delays beyond 01/10/2022.

 

5.          Term of lease: for a limited period of time at the end of the seventh year following the start of the lease, the tenancy ends without the need for termination, upon takeover on 01/10/2022 at the end of 30/09/2029.

 

6.          Rent: The rent is composed of the flat-rate rent in the amount of EUR 39,541.52 net per month plus operating and ancillary costs in accordance with point 7 and VAT in the (respective) statutory amount

 

7.          Current operating and ancillary cost discounts:

 

current account operating and ancillary costs general parts: EUR 6,083.31/month net plus VAT in the statutory amount.

 

8.          Indexation: Main rent index CPI 2020 = 100

 

Reference month: the month of the conclusion of the contract

 

 

 

 

9.          Use: exclusively for use as a laboratory and for office purposes in compliance with all statutory and official regulations that do not lead to the pre-tax exclusion

 

10.        Security deposit: 3 Gross monthly rent (consisting of flat-rate rent as well as operating and ancillary cost discounts plus VAT) in the form of an abstract bank guarantee, i.e. EUR 164,249.40

 

11.        Fee assessment basis:            EUR 4.598,982.86

 

12.        List of Appendices: Layout plan Appendix 1.2

 

Rental space laboratory floor Appendix 1.2.2

 

Company names Appendix 1.5

 

List of usable areas Appendix 0a

 

Construction and equipment description Appendix 1.6.1

 

Warranty provisions GU-TGA (General Contractor-Technical Building Installations) Appendix 1.7.1.a.

 

Warranty provisions GU-TGA (General Contractor-Building) Appendix 1.7.1.b.

 

Framework parameters for laboratory use dated 16/06/2021, Appendix 1.7.1.1.

 

Sample Bank Guarantee Appendix 4.6.1

 

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1. Rental property

 

1.1. The Lessor is the sole owner of the property EZ6702, land register01613, Floridsdorf District Court, with the properties no. 1572/3 and 1572/5 and address 1210 Vienna, Siemensstrasse 89 (“Property”), as well as the building to be newly built on it with a legally valid building permit notice dated 27/04/2020, in which the leased property is/will be located.

 

It is noted that a department of the newly created plot 1572/7 (construction site B) and the creation of a new deposit number based on the survey certificate of DI Meixner, GZ 19475c dated 29/03/2021, will take place for the garage even before the completion of the rental property.

 

1.2. The Lessor leases and the Lessee leases in this building to be newly constructed, the areas described in more detail in Appendix 1.2. on the third floor as well as a warehouse in the basement floor (“rental property”). The rental property is shown in red in the site plan Appendix [1.2.2].

 

1.3. The leased property is located in a building that is newly constructed on the basis of a building permit issued after 30 June 1953 without the aid of public funds (§ 1 para. 4 no. 1 MRG (Tenancy Law)). The leased property itself was constructed after 31 December 1967 without the aid of public funds. The present tenancy is therefore only subject to the termination restrictions of the MRG.

 

1.4. Only the interior space, but not outdoor areas, is leased for exclusive use by the Lessee.

 

1.5. The Lessee is entitled to affix company designations according to Appendix [1.5] to the areas to be designated by the Lessor. The business signs of the Lessee must be uniformly designed in accordance with the guidelines separately announced by the Lessor. The costs and risk for any official permits to be obtained shall be borne by the Lessee.

 

In the event of structural changes or maintenance and repair work, the Lessee undertakes to remove and store its business signs at its own expense and to reattach them after completion of the work, if reasonable. In any case, the Lessee must also remove these business signs at the end of the contract at its own expense, while at the same time remedying any damages incurred thereby.

 

Usable area of the leased property: the usable area of the leased property relevant to rent and operating and ancillary costs (leased area) is based on provisional figures at the time of conclusion of the contract on the basis of ÖNorm (Austrian set of standards) 1801 and is based on the site plan Appendix [0a] and the usable area list according to Appendix [0.2]. After completion of the building, the Lessor shall provide an expert report on the usable area at its own expense by a state-authorised civil engineer for surveying, which is to be prepared on the basis of ÖNorm 1801. On the basis of this report, the Lessor shall determine the usable areas of the building. In case of deviations of the actual measure from the aforementioned planned measure in the amount of more than +/- 5% (taking into account the agreed general area surcharge of 10% in the 4th floor) and thus the usable area, the rent as well as the operating and ancillary costs change accordingly; changes of up to +/- 5% are not to be taken into account.

 

1.6. Condition and equipment of the leased property

 

1.6.1. The equipment of the rental property is shown in the construction and equipment description Appendix [1.6.1] and the framework parameters for the laboratory use of 16/06/2021, Appendix 1.7.1.1. The condition corresponds to the conditions required by the building authorities for issuing the building permit. The Lessee must obtain any additional permits (in particular also those from the trade authorities) that result from the respective specific use by the Lessee in a timely manner and provide proof to the Lessor at its own expense. Any resulting costs and measures shall be borne by the Lessee at its own expense.

 

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The Lessor was granted warranties by the companies used for the construction of the building, which result from the extracts from the GU-TGA part and the GU-Bau part (Appendix 1.7.1.a and 1.7.1.b.). The Lessor grants the Lessee warranty claims to the same extent as described in Appendices 1.7.1.a and 1.7.1.b. Within this framework, the Lessor guarantees that the leased property has been constructed in accordance with the building and equipment description (Appendix 1.7.1.). In addition, however, the Lessor does not provide any guarantee for a specific condition, a specific condition or property (in particular sound insulation) or a specific possible use of the leased property.

 

1.6.2. If the authorities should impose new requirements that arise from the business activity of the Lessee after the handover of the leased property, the Lessee must fulfil these at its own expense. All other requirements of the authorities, insofar as they relate to other rental properties or the general parts of the property and are not exclusively caused by the business activity of the Lessee, must be fulfilled by the Lessor at its expense.

 

1.6.3. The building and equipment description according to Appendix [1.7.1] as well as the framework parameters for laboratory use of 16/06/2021, Appendix 1.7.1.1. were discussed in detail with the Lessee before the conclusion of this lease agreement and agreed in detail. The Lessee confirms that these two descriptions are suitable for its purposes and needs.

 

In the course of further planning and the execution of the office and business building, changes may arise to the plans and/or the building and equipment description, which are continuously brought to the Lessee's attention. The Lessee is entitled to reject planned changes in a justified manner, provided they are not due to legal or official requirements or if they are not insignificant changes or deviations. In this case, agreement must be reached between the contractual parties. The amended plans and/or construction and equipment description shall form an integral part of this Agreement. In any case, however, the Lessee must accept surface area deviations of up to (including) plus/minus five percent.

 

2. Duration of Agreement

 

2.1. The lease shall begin at the time specified in point [4.] of the cover sheet. The contractual payment obligations of the Lessee also begin at this time. The tenancy is concluded for a certain period and ends without requiring a termination at the end date stated in the cover sheet.

 

2.2. Extraordinary early termination of the contract

 

2.2.1. Each contractual party is entitled to premature termination of the Agreement if the other contractual party grossly or persistently violates the Agreement (despite registered reminder and setting of a grace period) or for other reasons provided for in this Agreement.

 

The Lessor is entitled to declare the early cancellation of the lease agreement for the reasons of § 1118 ABGB (Civil Code of Austria). In the case that the leased property is completely or partially destroyed by a circumstance covered by an existing insurance policy and the Lessor declares within one month, to rebuild the leased property, the Parties shall, to clarify the question, whether the reconstruction can take place within one year from (partial) destruction of the leased property, by mutual agreement appoint an independent civil engineer responsible for building construction or a generally sworn court expert for the construction industry. In the event that the civil technician/expert comes to the conclusion that the reconstruction cannot be completed within one year, the Lessee may immediately terminate the Lease Agreement prematurely. In the event that the reconstruction can take place within one year, the Lessee can terminate the lease agreement prematurely only if the reconstruction is not actually completed within one year from (partial) destruction. Irrespective of any possible early dissolution, the Lessee is entitled to a rent reduction claim without restriction in accordance with § 1096 ABGB.

 

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2.2.2. If the lease relationship is prematurely terminated by the Lessor for a reason for which the Lessee is responsible and the leased property is empty until the originally agreed end of the lease agreement or it can only be rented at a lower rent, then the Lessee must transfer the leased property as described under [6.4] “Provision” and to pay to the Lessor the existing difference to the Lessor up to the end of the term, if applicable, in accordance with point 4. monthly net rents to be paid and pro rata operating costs. The Lessor is obliged to reduce the damage.

 

2.2.3. The Lessee is entitled to terminate the lease relationship if the leased property becomes unsuitable for use for longer than two months due to the fault of the Lessor despite a written request to the Lessor to restore the contractually compliant condition within a reasonable period of time.

 

2.2.4. The declaration of termination submitted by registered letter from one of the contractual parties to the address of the other contractual party last communicated to it shall terminate the contractual relationship with immediate effect.

 

3. Handover of the rental property

 

3.1. Handover

 

3.1.1. The handover and acceptance of the rental property shall take place at the latest at the time specified in the cover sheet in the condition according to Appendix [1.6.11.6.1] The exact handover date shall be communicated by the Lessor in writing no later than six weeks before the planned handover.

 

3.1.2. The handover is only deemed to be on time if the rental property is handed over in its entirety. In the event of a delay in the handover date, the latest handover date shall be deemed to be 31/12/2022, whereby a penalty in the amount of one net monthly rent per commenced month is to be paid to the Lessee from the delay (01/10/2022). In the event of a delay beyond 01/01/2023, the Lessee shall be entitled to a right of withdrawal with a final grace period of four weeks. A premature handover before the planned date is permitted if the Lessee is informed in writing three months before the handover.

 

3.1.3. The Lessee is obligated to take over the leased property at the date announced by the Lessor, unless the use of the leased property is objectively impossible due to significant defects that prevent the intended use.

 

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3.2. Handover report/Transfer readiness/Arbitration expert

 

3.2.1. A written handover protocol must be prepared for the handover of the rental property on the day of handover and signed by the contractual parties. In this protocol, any defects of the designs or equipment to be provided by the Lessor must be recorded and the Lessor is then obligated to remedy any defects within a reasonable period at its own expense. If the remedy is not done in a timely and proper manner by the Lessor, the Lessee has the right to commission the replacement at the expense of the Lessor. In this case, the prohibition of offsetting pursuant to point [4.8.] of this Agreement does not apply. If minor deviations from the building and equipment description or minor defects that do not significantly impair use are found, the Lessee may not refuse to accept them, irrespective of its other rights.

 

By signing the handover report, the Lessee conclusively acknowledges the appropriateness of the agreed rent.

 

3.2.2. If the contractual parties are unable to agree on their existence or non-existence within four weeks after the Lessor has announced the transfer readiness, this must be determined by DI Heinz Kropiunik (aetas Ziviltechniker GmbH) as arbitrator for both contractual parties. If the arbitrator cited above is – for whatever reason – not available, the arbitrator must be selected and appointed by the respective President of the Vienna Bar Association from the list of the experts for the construction industry registered with the Vienna Higher Regional Court. The arbitrator is entitled to consult sub-experts.

 

It is agreed that the arbitrator must have a liability insurance with a coverage amount of at least EUR 5,000,000.00. The costs of the arbitrator, including the costs for covering a corresponding liability insurance, shall be borne by the party whose argumentation is rejected by the arbitrator, unless this party determines a different division for reasons of equity. The contractual parties are obligated to make advance payments at the request of the arbitrator.

 

This agreement is deemed to be an arbitrator Agreement.

 

If the arbitrator determines the existence of the transfer maturity, the Lessee is obligated to take over the rental property. If the arbitrator decides that the rental property is ready for handover within the meaning of this Agreement, the handover and takeover shall be deemed to have been completed on the day on which the Lessor requested the Lessee to take over (ex tunc).

 

3.2.3. The Lessee shall be entitled to claims for damages against the Lessor to the same extent as these were granted to the Lessor by the companies it used for the construction of the building. With regard to a delayed handover [Point 3.1.2], the Lessee is also entitled to claims for damages to the same extent, insofar as the delayed handover is the responsibility of the Lessor. Any further claims against the Lessor, in particular for lost profit, cannot be made. In the event of termination of the Agreement for the reasons specified under point 3.1.2, all services rendered mutually with regard to the validity of this Agreement must be reversed.

 

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3.3. Keys/code cards

 

3.3.1. The handover of keys and code cards as well as their number (at least 50 pieces) is noted in the handover protocol. Additional keys/code cards may be made by the Lessor at the request of the Lessee against reimbursement of the costs plus an appropriate processing fee. The transfer of keys/code cards of the Lessor may only be made to employees of the Lessee.

 

3.3.2. Keys/code cards handed over by the Lessor or that are also reproduced by the Lessee with the consent of the Lessor must be returned in full after the end of the Agreement without the Lessor being obligated to pay compensation. If a change to the locking system is necessary due to the loss or theft of a key/code card, the Lessee must bear all associated costs or reimburse the Lessor. The same applies at the end of the lease relationship if the Lessee cannot hand over all keys/code cards in full.

 

4. Rent, operating and ancillary costs

 

4.1. Rent

 

The rent specified in point [6.] of the cover sheet is agreed by the contractual parties and is described by both parties as appropriate.

 

4.2. Indexation

 

4.2.1. The indexation (value protection) of the sublease is expressly agreed as follows:

 

The consumer price index published by STATISTIK AUSTRIA 2020 = 100 or an index replacing it serves as the primary calculation measure. The reference figure is the index number announced for the month specified in point [8.] of the cover sheet.

 

The index adjustment is done once a year by comparing the index number of the consumer price index 2020 announced for September of the respective calendar year. The rent shall then be adjusted from the 1st January of each year. It is expressly agreed that a decrease in the rent is also taken into account in the adjustment, whereby a decrease under the rent agreed in accordance with point 4 (minor interest at the time of the signing of the Agreement) is excluded. The index number relevant for the index adjustment then forms the starting basis for the next index adjustment. The change is credited at 100%.

 

If the index of the consumer prices is no longer published, the (successor) index published by an official body shall be deemed to be the basis for the indexation that most closely corresponds to this index.

 

If no equivalent successor index is announced or a binding to an index is no longer possible or permissible for legal or factual reasons, the change in purchasing power must be determined by an expert to be appointed by mutual agreement between the contractual parties according to the principles that were last applied by STATISTIK AUSTRIA, so that the purchasing power of the originally agreed amount is maintained. If the contractual parties do not agree on the person of such an expert within four weeks, the respective president of the Vienna Bar Association appoints him at the request of each contractual party.

 

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The costs of the arbitrator shall be borne by the party whose argumentation is rejected by the arbitrator, unless this party sets a different division for reasons of equity.

 

This agreement is deemed to be an arbitrator agreement.

 

4.2.2. The right of the Lessor to request an increase in the rent for the past due to the change in the index numbers or the purchasing power shall only expire if this right is not asserted within three years from the relevant index change or the Lessor waives it in writing. However, a failure to assert the indexation does not mean a waiver of future indexation.

 

4.3. Operating and ancillary costs

 

4.3.1. The Lessee is obligated to pay the rent as well as the proportionate operating and ancillary costs of the property and the associated systems, facilities and areas, including VAT, from the time specified in point [4.] of the cover sheet.

 

4.3.2. Operating costs (in the sense of building operating/management and consumption operating costs of the property, the building and the associated systems, facilities and areas) include:

 

a. public levies, taxes and fees in the respective prescribed amount relating to the property and the building;

 

b. the costs of supply and disposal with water, gas, (remote) heat and cooling as well as electricity from public networks (including fees and costs incurred by the inspections of the lines required according to the delivery conditions) as well as the costs of calibration, maintenance and reading of measuring equipment;

 

c. the costs of the regular smoke trap sweeping due to the sweeping order, the costs of sewer removal, waste removal or waste disposal and pest control; with regard to waste disposal, each tenant must dispose of commercial or hazardous waste that is not normal general household or office waste separately and at his own expense; the same applies if a tenant causes continuously above-average waste quantities due to his business operations;

 

d. the costs of supplying the general parts with electricity, heat and cooling, air, water and gas;

 

e. the costs of the reasonable insurance of the building (based on the replacement value), against power damage, storm damage, glass breakage, burglary, business interruption, fire damage (fire insurance), the legal liability of the home owner (liability insurance), damage to tap water, including corrosion damage, against damage to parts of the equipment, such as certain machines and systems; the Lessee undertakes to join a global insurance agreement against comprehensive damages at the request of the Lessor;

 

f. the – like the main rent, value-secured – costs of administration and facility management as well as the proportionate costs of the superordinate district management, including the associated costs for district app, central booking and information systems, etc.;

 

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g. the reasonable expenses for building care, including (land and maintenance) cleaning, maintenance of the general parts, the exterior of the façade, the support of the pavements and traffic routes that fall under the care obligation of the property owner, including the winter service, as well as the supervision of the building and the property;

 

h. the costs of operating the communal systems (including the energy costs of the associated systems and consumption of them in general parts and rental properties, meter proving and energy management), i.e. in detail: passenger lift, the joint heating and cooling supply system, trash press heating systems, bell and intercom system, cooling unit, fire alarm and lightning protection/fire protection equipment, costs of the fire protection officer, of the smoke and heat extraction system, the safety lighting system, the fire extinguishing systems and fire extinguishers, of the water treatment systems, of the regulatory system, the safety technology and lighting system, of the smoke and heat extraction system, of the video surveillance system, of the time recording system, of the access control system, the (TUS) alarm systems, the property radio system, of the sprinkler system, the conveyor and lifting systems, of the escalators, of the RWA system (smoke and heat exhaust ventilation system), of the solar, Geothermal power plants and wind turbines, the communication systems, the emergency power system, the lighting, of the compensation system, of the doors, gates and fire doors, or the building control system;

 

i. the costs for the ongoing care and care of green and garden facilities, watering and drainage or replacement planting.

 

4.3.3. The proportionate ancillary costs include all expenses incurred by the Lessor for the maintenance, maintenance, repair, servicing and operation of the property, the office and business building and the associated areas and facilities (unless these are serious damages to the building to be borne by the Lessor). These include in particular:

 

a. the costs of the implementation of government orders issued in connection with the proper operation/proper use of the leased property and the building (this is exclusively insofar as the requirements arise from the business activity of the Lessee);

 

b. the costs of cleaning and maintaining all open spaces, access and entry routes, passageways, parking spaces, loading bays, fences, illuminated signs, collective signage systems or information and business signs inside and outside the building, including personnel costs in this regard;

 

c. the costs of maintenance, repair, and servicing as well as replacement of the gas, water, electricity as well as district heating and cooling lines (if they are not laid in the building substance and it is not serious damage to be borne by the Lessor);

 

d. the costs of maintenance, repair, repair and repair as well as renovation of the communal systems (including the energy costs of the associated systems and consumption of them in general parts and rental properties, meter proving and energy management), i.e. in detail: passenger lift, the joint heating and cooling supply system, trash press heating systems, bell and intercom system, cooling unit, fire alarm and lightning protection/fire protection equipment, costs of the fire protection officer, of the smoke and heat extraction system, the safety lighting system, the fire extinguishing systems and fire extinguishers, of the water treatment systems, of the regulatory system, the safety technology and lighting system, of the smoke and heat extraction system, of the video surveillance system, of the time recording system, of the access control system, the (TUS) alarm systems, the property radio system, of the sprinkler system, the conveyor and lifting systems, of the escalators, of the RWA system (smoke and heat exhaust ventilation system), of the solar, Geothermal power plants and wind turbines, the communication systems, the emergency power system, the lighting, of the compensation system, of the doors, gates and fire doors, or the building control system;

 

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e. the costs of operation and maintenance, repair and servicing as well as renovation (including the energy costs of the associated systems and consumption of these in general parts and rental properties, meter calibration and energy management) of the safety and monitoring systems, Access and access control systems, opening and closing systems, of the ventilation systems, air conditioning systems, toilet and wet groups, switchboard, speakers, music systems, Information statuses, other outdoor facilities, illuminated lettering systems, fences, collective signage systems, Information and business signs inside and outside the building, also in the public traffic area, flagpoles or flags and the like, which do not relate to individual tenants, but refer to the entire one;

 

In this context, the Lessor and the Lessee shall record that in the sense of this point [4.3] of this Agreement under “Renewal Costs”, which the Lessee must bear, the costs are not to be understood, which, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, are replaced by a necessary complete replacement a) of the gas, water, current, district heating and refrigeration systems within the meaning of point [4.3 c] or b) of the communal facilities within the meaning of point [4.3 d] of this Agreement or c) of systems and facilities within the meaning of point [4.3 e] of this Agreement; the costs of such a possible exchange shall thus be borne by the Lessor.

 

4.3.4. The operating and ancillary costs specified in point [4.3.] of this Agreement shall be borne as follows:

 

4.3.4.1. The operating and ancillary costs clearly and exclusively attributable to a specific rental property must be borne by the Lessee alone.

 

4.3.4.2. If there are deviations in a comparison between the main meter of the building and existing sub-meters, the calculations are made according to the consumption of the main meter in the ratio of all intermediate meter with respect to the total consumption of the building.

 

4.3.4.3. All other operating and ancillary costs are to be allocated to the usable areas of the building, insofar as this is objectively, organisationally and technically justified, and divided among the tenants of the area formed by this allocation in the ratio of the leased other usable areas used by the Lessor or not leased despite their rentability.

 

4.3.4.4. All operating and ancillary costs not attributable in accordance with point [4.3.4.1.] or point [4.3.4.2.] are to be borne by the Lessee in proportion to the usable area of the respective rental property to the total usable area of all rentable properties.

 

4.3.4.5. If the Lessee does not make use of the use of common systems, facilities and areas, this does not exempt him from the obligation to bear the proportionate operating and ancillary costs, unless the Lessor has expressly agreed in writing in advance.

 

4.4. Operating and ancillary cost account and settlement

 

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4.4.1. Together with the payment of the monthly rent, the Lessee shall also make appropriate monthly advance payments on the expected operating and ancillary costs, divided into the operating and ancillary costs of general parts and the consumption-dependent Lessee-specific energy operating and ancillary costs, plus the respective statutory VAT.

 

4.4.2. The current operating and ancillary cost discounts for the building are as follows:

 

EUR 6,083.31 net p.m. plus statutory VAT.

 

4.4.2.1. General parts operating and ancillary costs: in accordance with point [7.] of the cover sheet

 

4.4.2.2. Lessee-specific energy, operating and ancillary costs: according to point [7.] of the cover sheet

 

The tenant-specific energy, operating and ancillary costs include heating, cooling, ventilation and water of the rental property, the energy costs (electricity, heat/cold, water) of the associated building technology systems as well as the maintenance, repair, repair and maintenance as well as renovation of associated systems (insofar as these do not fall under the Lessor's maintenance obligation), insofar as direct purchase Agreements are not concluded by the Lessee for their purchase.

 

4.4.3. The actual operating and ancillary costs shall be billed annually by the Lessor or the company commissioned with the management of the building no later than 30/06 of the following year.

 

4.4.4. Even in the event of dissolution/termination of the tenancy, the invoicing shall take place until the end of the tenancy agreement exclusively at the time of the annual operating and ancillary costs statement.

 

4.4.5. If there is a surplus in favour of the Lessee from the annual statement, this surplus amount is to be offset by the Lessor against the next provision(s) or offset against any existing payment arrears against the Lessee; any additional payments are to be made by the Lessee within two weeks after the provision at the latest.

 

All invoices and account charges by the Lessor/in the name of the Lessor are deemed to be recognised by the Lessee if objections justified in writing have not been raised by the Lessee within three months after receipt. The Lessee is entitled to inspect the accounting documents within this period at the registered office of the company commissioned with the administration and to make copies at its own expense. Claims that are not asserted within a period of three months after receipt of the invoice expire with the expiry of the period.

 

4.5. Costs to be paid directly by the Lessee

 

All costs incurred in the rental property itself (such as in particular for cleaning, electricity, telephone, internet, radio) are to be paid by the Lessee directly to the respective supplier or service provider. The Lessee is required to conclude direct contracts with the individual suppliers or providers for such costs, if possible. If such costs are nevertheless prescribed to the Lessor, the Lessee undertakes to pay within 14 (fourteen) days after the specification including submission of copies of invoices.

 

It is noted that the connection with fibre optic lines up to the provider room in the basement of the rental property and further up to the LAN rooms in each rental unit is established and operated by Magenta. It is the Lessee's responsibility to make a direct agreement with Magenta for the internal design of LAN/WLAN and internet within the rental unit. In the event that the Lessee wishes to commission another provider to supply the rental unit, this provider must directly conclude an agreement with Magenta on the use of the lines from Magenta to the respective LAN room. In this case, Magenta is obligated to provide the transmission lines with a market-compliant fee.

 

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4.6. Security deposit

 

4.6.1. The Lessee shall provide a security deposit at the latest three months prior to the planned transfer date in the amount specified under point [10.] of the cover sheet in the form of an abstract, unconditional and irrevocable bank guarantee that is to be paid out on first call-off, subject to Austrian law (sample Appendix .[ 4.6.1]) of a bank acceptable to the Lessor to secure all claims of the Lessor arising from this tenancy.

 

4.6.2. The bank guarantee must have a term of at least seven years plus six months and must be adjusted accordingly within 14 (fourteen) days at the request of the Lessor in accordance with any increase in the main rent due to the indexation or the operating and ancillary cost account.

 

4.6.3. In the event of a shorter term of the guarantee, the Lessee must hand over an extension of this bank guarantee to the Lessor no later than six months before its expiry for a further three years or provide an equivalent other bank guarantee, otherwise the Lessor is entitled to draw the bank guarantee and convert it into a cash deposit. If the Lessor makes use of the security deposit, the Lessee is obligated to replenish it at the request of the Lessor within a maximum of 14 (fourteen) days. The Lessor is entitled to clarify even before the end of the lease relationship, to cover due claims of any kind against the Lessee from or in connection with the lease relationship from the security deposit.

 

4.6.4. In the event of termination of the tenancy, with the contractual provision of the leased property, an amount of ten percent (“ensuring”) for gross, operating and ancillary costs not yet finally invoiced will be retained by partial drawing (cash deposit) or deposited by the Lessee in the form of a new, reduced bank guarantee and will be retained by the Lessee as security until the first of the termination of the tenancy. After submission of the annual operating costs statement and repayment of any additional claims within two weeks, any remaining amount from the guarantee must be paid out to the Lessee without interest. Any (partial) use of the security amount must be invoiced by the Lessor.

 

4.6.5. In the event of a change of ownership of the property, the Lessee shall ensure at the request of the Lessor that the bank guarantee is issued in a timely manner to the new owner, otherwise the Lessor is entitled to draw the bank guarantee and convert it into a cash deposit.

 

4.7. Value added tax

 

The Lessee acknowledges that, as a result of the new version of § 6 para. 2 UStG (VAT Act) by the 1st StabG (Economic Stability and Growth Law) 2012, the Lessee can only claim an input tax deduction for those investments and costs that it spends on the leased property, as long as the Lessee uses the leased property almost exclusively (more than 95 percent) to achieve revenue that does not exclude the input tax deduction. According to the aforementioned statutory provision, the Lessor must also prove these prerequisites. For this reason, the business activity to be carried out in the leased property was specifically defined under point [9.] of the cover sheet, which entitles the Lessee to deduct input tax. If the Lessee wishes to change the business activity carried out to achieve sales in the leased property to the effect that it wishes to achieve more than five percent of the total sales in the leased property with activities that exclude an input tax deduction, it undertakes to bring this intention to the Lessor's attention in writing, but at least three months before the commencement of such activity.

 

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In the event of such a change in the previously agreed type of use of the leased property and the overall entrepreneurial activity carried out by the Lessee in the leased property, the last net amount of rent and operating and ancillary costs paid by the Lessee shall be increased by the previously indicated amount of the previously reported amount of the type of use, pro rata VAT incurred on rent and operating and ancillary costs in the respective statutory amount, so that a monthly, VAT-exempt total payment (gross = net), which corresponds to a monthly total payment including VAT.

 

The Lessee shall thus pay an amount corresponding to the VAT with regard to the loss of the input tax deduction. The Lessee shall also compensate the Lessor for any pre-tax payments that may be made on its usable area on a pro rata basis from the reinvoices for acquisition or production costs, capitalised expenses or major repairs regulated in § 12 par. 10 UStG within the legally prescribed pre-tax adjustment period, each year at the due date.

 

It is mutually agreed that this notification obligation of the Lessee constitutes a very fundamental contractual obligation, since its omission or the change of the business activity carried out in the leased property in the above-mentioned sense would have very serious economic effects on the Lessor: In this case, the input tax deduction previously made in good faith on a pro rata basis from the Lessee could be withdrawn retroactively made in good faith until then, and it would only have to - without the appropriate calculation of the economic consideration of the Lessee - be based on a unilateral, change to its entrepreneurial type of use of the rental property made without approval, (activity excluding input tax deduction in the amount of more than five percent of the total activity), repay the input tax amounts deducted on the basis of the original agreement to the tax authority. Any violation of this notification obligation therefore entitles the Lessor to terminate the lease agreement in question with immediate effect. It is noted that the Lessor has calculated and agreed in the present form the rent settlement agreed in the present lease agreement on the basis of the exercise of an activity of the Lessee in the leased property, which almost exclusively entitles to deduct input tax.

 

4.8. Offsetting

 

Any offsetting of any claims of the Lessee against the Lessor's claims arising from or in connection with the lease relationship and its termination is expressly excluded - unless mandatory statutory provisions oppose this or the claims are acknowledged in writing by the Lessor or established by the courts.

 

4.9. Legal lien of the Lessor

 

The statutory right of lien of the Lessor pursuant to § 1101 ABGB to all items brought in is contractually extended to all claims of the Lessor arising from or in connection with this tenancy and its termination.

 

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4.10. Due date

 

4.10.1. The agreed rent and the operating and ancillary cost discounts prescribed by the Lessor are due in advance on the fifth day of each calendar month and must be paid to the account to be disclosed by the Lessor. The Lessee shall be liable to the Lessor for reasonable costs and expenses caused by the delayed payment of rent for the claim operated, in particular for the necessary costs of appropriate out-of-court debt collection or contribution measures in accordance with § 1333 para. 2 ABGB. In this context, the Lessee undertakes to pay an appropriate reminder fee. The date of receipt is decisive for the timeliness of the payment. In addition, the Lessee must pay default interest in the statutory amount in the event of default of payment.

 

4.10.2. Irrespective of other claims, the Lessor is entitled to suspend or interrupt the supplies and services to be paid within the scope of the operating and ancillary costs until payment after a written reminder and setting of a grace period is made, provided that the Lessee is not merely slightly in default with the payment of the remuneration components in this regard.

 

5. Rental purpose

 

5.1. Use

 

5.1.1. The lease shall be made exclusively for the purposes specified in point [9.] of the cover sheet.

 

Any other use or change of the purpose or the type of use is prohibited and requires the express prior written consent of the Lessor, which may only be refused for good cause, for example, if the Lessor would violate competition clauses agreed with other tenants (which must be proven at the request of the Lessee), or if the Lessor has justified concerns about the changed business purpose, due to the character of the building as an office and business building or the tenant structure.

 

5.1.2. The Lessee undertakes to refrain for itself and all its co-users of the rental property in question, activities, omissions or tolerances that are associated with unreasonable harassment, impairment or endangerment of any kind whatsoever for the other tenants and users of the property.

 

It is noted that the loading of the freight elevator as well as the delivery and removal of goods must be done exclusively via the supplier access. Dangerous goods must be transported to and from outside normal office hours, if possible. The main entrance must not be used for this purpose. Supplier access and the load lift must be used with the greatest possible care and taking into account the interests of the other tenants.

 

5.2. Official approvals

 

The Lessor is only liable for the fact that the rental property can be used for the purposes indicated in the approved plans when handed over in accordance with the building permit. The Lessee shall be responsible for obtaining and fulfilling a corresponding commercial permit and any other official permits required in addition to the existing permits - without any claim for compensation against the Lessor - at its own risk and at its own expense and shall be liable to anybody for violations. The Lessee shall also be liable at all times for the fulfilment of all current and future statutory or official provisions or requirements that are related to the use of the leased property by the Lessee, even if they are not yet known at the time of the conclusion of the Agreement.

 

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5.3. Payload capacity of the storey ceilings

 

The Lessee guarantees that it does not exceed the maximum payload of the storey ceilings of the leased property of 5 kN/m², in the area of raised floors of 3 kN point load per m² at any time.

 

5.4. Liability

 

5.4.1. Insofar as there is no liability arising from intentional or grossly negligent action, any liability of the Lessor towards the Lessee and – insofar as such liability exists – towards persons who use the leased property is excluded. In this case, the Lessor is liable exclusively for the direct damage, but not for consequential damages and/or profit reductions. Insofar as the Lessor is also entitled to further liabilities towards the companies it uses for the construction of the building, the Lessee is entitled to these to the same extent vis-à-vis the Lessor.

 

5.4.2. The Lessee shall be liable for all damages culpably caused by the Lessee, its employees, customers, service providers, consultants or professionals, suppliers and other persons acting in its rental property.

 

5.5. Competition protection

 

A competition protection for the Lessee is excluded and the Lessee hereby acknowledges with approval that the other areas/leased properties on the property are leased or otherwise used by the Lessor, whereby the Lessor is completely free in this lease or other use of the other areas of the building.

 

5.6. Sublease/transfer, transfer of use, sale of company

 

5.6.1. The Lessee is permitted to sublet the leased property in its entirety. Each sublease must be approved by the Lessor in writing before the conclusion of the respective sublease agreement, whereby the Lessor may only grant its consent for good cause (in particular for reasons, which are in the person of the subtenant – for example, the representative of the subtenant, compliance concerns regarding the subtenant, VAT damage, increased risk of terrorism by the Sub-Lessee – or the business purpose planned or exercised by the Sub-Lessee – such as increased risks, noise or environmental pollution for neighbours). In the case of a sublease of up to 50% of the areas leased to the Lessee (point 1.2), the Lessee is not subject to any restrictions with the exception of the aforementioned permit. For the sublease of the areas exceeding this percentage (thus 50.1%-100% of the leased areas), the Lessee undertakes to pass on 50% of the net monthly sublease exceeding the agreed monthly rent (Section 4.1) to the Lessor.

 

Irrespective of the aforementioned provision, the Lessee is entitled to sublease the leased property in whole or in part to companies in which it itself has a direct or indirect majority shareholding and the intended use is not changed as a result. However, the Lessee is obligated to inform the Lessor immediately in writing of a transfer of possession in each individual case, submitting all documents required to prove the participation relationships.

 

If the participation relationship between the Lessee and the respective company should be terminated at a later date, the right to use the leased property by this company also expires.

 

At the request of the Lessor, the Lessee is obligated to prove the continuation of the shareholding relationship in a suitable manner.

 

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5.6.2. If the Lessee sells the company operated in the leased property, it is obligated to notify the Lessor of this sale immediately. The Lessee shall be liable for any loss of rent due to the failure to make this announcement. The Lessee knows that the purchaser of his company will have to pay the agreed rent including operating and ancillary costs and VAT.

 

5.6.3. Changes to the legal form of the Lessee and/or shareholdings in the Lessee must be notified to the Lessor immediately in writing; such changes require the written consent of the Lessor if a significant reduction in the Lessee's creditworthiness occurs as a result.

 

In the event of changes to the ownership structure on the part of the Lessee, in the event of transfer of rights and obligations from this Agreement – by way of universal succession or in the event of a sale of a company – the Lessor has the right to adjust the main rent to the level that is then in line with the market.

 

5.6.4. A change of tenant that is not permitted without the consent of the Lessor shall also be deemed to be the change or departure of a personally liable shareholder of the Lessee or another shareholder relevant for the creditworthiness of the Lessee. This means that the departing shareholder shall be liable until the consent of the Lessor - without prejudice to the liability according to the provisions of commercial law - to the same extent for the fulfilment of all current and future tenant obligations, which would exist in the Company if it remained unchanged. The Lessor is obliged to consent if the Lessee proves to it that the change/exit of the shareholder does not lead to any deterioration of the Lessee's creditworthiness and there are no important reasons against the person of the entering shareholder. The statutory liability of the departing shareholder is not restricted by the consent of the Lessor. Irrespective of its legal form, the Lessee must inform the Lessor about any change in the company or company as well as about all changes in liability-relevant circumstances regarding its person, e.g. capital reduction, change of a relevant shareholder.

 

5.7. Work by the Lessor

 

5.7.1. The Lessor may perform work, for maintenance, repair, servicing changes, improvement or to avert imminent dangers or to remedy damages either to the property, of the office and commercial building and the associated areas and facilities or a rental property as a whole or in parts thereof, together with its respective equipment, attachments, facilities and installations or to maintain operations, make sense or are otherwise required by the authorities or by law, the following, however, against timely prior information of the Lessee while protecting the tenancy law and taking into account its business operations.

 

5.7.2. The Lessee must tolerate the temporary use and modification of its leased property if this is necessary for the execution of the work and may not obstruct or delay the work, provided that it does not significantly impede or endanger the exercise of its lease right. If such measures are only appropriate, the Lessee must tolerate them – irrespective of the inapplicability of this provision – within the framework of § 8 MRG. At the request of the Lessor, the Lessee is obliged to remove its equipment in the leased property that proves to be obstructive in the work for the duration of the work. The Lessee is not entitled to any claim for compensation against the Lessor due to such work.

 

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5.7.3. Pandemic COVID-19

 

The Lessee expressly waives the assertion of claims for rent exemption and rent reduction in accordance with §§ 1104, 1105 ABGB due to (i) uselessness or restricted usability of the leased property and/or (ii) statutory or official restrictions in connection with the current COVID-19 pandemic, such as in particular operating blocks, access prohibitions or distance regulation.

 

6. Maintenance and provision of the leased property

 

6.1. Lessee’s maintenance obligations

 

6.1.1. The Lessee has taken over the leased property in proper condition. The Lessor's maintenance obligation pursuant to § 1096 para. 1 sentence 1 ABGB is excluded by mutual agreement. The Lessee undertakes to use or allow to be used the leased property in accordance with the Agreement and in a gentle manner and to use it together with the equipment intended and/or leased for the leased property, facilities, systems and installations (such as electricity, water, heating/cooling, ventilation, etc. if they serve to supply the leased property exclusively for the purpose of supplying the leased property) for the duration of the Agreement - with amicable amendment of § 1096 ABGB - at its own expense, and insofar as this does not involve serious damage to the building or the elimination of a significant health hazard, and to renew if necessary. The maintenance obligations of the Lessee are, as all payment obligations, the main services arbitrated by the parties according to this Agreement.

 

6.1.2. The Lessee shall be liable for damage to the leased property resulting from improper or otherwise contractual use of the leased property or from lack of maintenance, repair or installation. If the Lessee does not remedy such damages despite a written request within a set, reasonable period of time, the Lessor is entitled to have the absolutely necessary work carried out at the expense of the Lessee by way of a replacement. The Lessee undertakes to indemnify and hold the Lessor harmless with regard to the absolutely necessary costs incurred thereby.

 

The existing supply and disposal lines (such as electricity, gas, water, wastewater, etc.) may only be used to such an extent that no overload occurs, whereby the Lessor is responsible for ensuring that these lines are dimensioned according to the normally required requirements of a modern business operation. In the event of additional need, the Lessee may extend the supply line at its own expense after prior written consent of the Lessor, but the Lessor is only obliged to grant consent if no serious disruption of the other tenants is to be feared from this work.

 

In the event of disruptions or damage, the Lessee must ensure the immediate shutdown and notification of the Lessor or its representatives.

 

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6.1.3. Any serious damages to the building whose repair is the responsibility of the Lessor must be reported by the Lessee immediately from the time of becoming aware of them.

 

6.1.4. The maintenance and repair obligations of the Lessee also include the items brought into the leased property and installed by it.

 

6.1.5. For the sake of clarity, it is stated that the Lessee is responsible for

 

the inside of the façade/glass cover;

 

the complete window area (including parabet, window sill, lateral glass and frame surfaces as well as window cladding towards the glass facade as well as various ventilation slits and blinds in the facade);

 

fire doors and fire extinguishers in the leased property;

 

pipe blockages up to the main pipe;

 

the systems assigned to the rental property (such as fan coils or emergency power system)

 

Thorough cleaning of the floors.

 

6.2. The Lessee must have the maintenance, servicing and installation obligations incumbent on it carried out without exception by authorised traders and must prove this at the request of the Lessor and, if necessary, submit the proper maintenance and service documentation. Changes by the Lessee

 

6.2.1. The Lessee is only entitled with the consent of the Lessor to carry out structural (alterations) changes, unless the change is reasonable for the Lessor in consideration of the mutual interests, in particular because it is necessary or slightly or easily rectified for the contractual use of the leased property. However, any structural change, redesign, etc. of the leased property must be reported to the Lessor in writing before execution by submitting the plans. The Lessor will not unreasonably refuse its consent to the indicated construction measures.

 

6.2.2. Any permits/permits required beyond the building permits existing at the time of handover must be obtained by the Lessee at its own expense.

 

6.2.3. The Lessee undertakes to indemnify and hold the Lessor harmless against any claims of any kind raised by third parties in connection with the implementation of such (changes) and to remedy any damages caused by these without delay at its own expense.

 

6.2.4. The Lessee shall refrain from any disruption and impairment of other lessees or users of the property or the Lessor during the production of the (changes). If these are unavoidable, they must be kept as low as possible, whereby other tenants or the Lessor must be compensated appropriately. The work may only be carried out at the times agreed with the Lessor. Contamination and damage to general parts must always be removed or repaired by the Lessee without delay at its own expense.

 

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6.2.5. The Lessee's maintenance, upkeep and repair obligation pursuant to point [6.1.] of this Agreement also includes the changes made by the Lessee to the leased property.

 

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6.3. Accessibility of components, equipment, systems, equipment or installations in the rental property

 

Components, equipment, systems, facilities or installations in the rental property that must necessarily be accessible for the purpose of inspection, reading, cleaning, maintenance, maintenance or setting or similar (such as in particular access to shafts, water shut-off valves, electricity meters, consumption reading devices or supply and disposal lines) must be kept accessible by the Lessee or, if necessary, made accessible immediately at its own expense.

 

6.4. Provision of the leased property

 

6.4.1. At the end of the tenancy, the leased property must be returned to the Lessor in proper condition, cleared of all roads and swept clean, taking into account normal wear and tear through intended use, including all keys and code cards handed over or reproduced by the Lessee itself.

 

6.4.2. At the end of the tenancy, all changes to the leased property (e.g. installations, additions and conversions) made by the Lessee shall become the property of the Lessor without compensation, unless otherwise agreed in this regard in individual cases. The specific design will be determined by mutual agreement and separately for each conversion project within the framework of the approval discussions to be carried out in accordance with point 6.2.1. For the expansion of the areas as a laboratory, it applies in any case that they do not have to be dismantled. The Lessee may leave the laboratory furniture in the respective leased property at its own discretion or remove it from the leased property when the leased property is returned.

 

6.4.3. In the event of termination of the tenancy, the Lessee waives, for whatever reason, an investment replacement for any investments made, unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Lessee and Lessor in individual cases.

 

6.4.4. At the end of the tenancy, the Lessee undertakes to hand over the complete maintenance and service documentation regarding the rental property, including its equipment, systems, facilities and installations. In the event of non-fulfilment, the Lessor is entitled to carry out a general overhaul of the relevant equipment, systems, equipment and installations at the expense of the Lessee.

 

6.4.5. If the Lessee does not comply with the obligations or does not do so in a timely manner, the Lessor is entitled to clean the rooms at the expense of the Lessee and, if necessary, remove and dispose of installations, lines and cables.

 

6.5. Delayed provision of the rental property

 

Irrespective of any further claims of the Lessor, the parties to the Agreement agree to a contractual penalty in the amount of three current gross monthly rent if the leased property is not handed over by the Lessee at the agreed or legally determined (evacuation) date in the agreed condition. This does not affect the Lessor's claim to charge the Lessee a usage fee for a delayed provision. This usage fee for each month of exceedance or use without title is a current gross monthly rent, for parts of one month in only aliquot amount.

 

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6.6. Lessor’s right of access

 

The Lessee undertakes the Lessor or its vicarious agents for the preparation and execution of necessary work (in particular within the meaning of point [5.7.]), which the Lessee must tolerate, to inspect the condition of the leased property, to show the prospective lessee the rental property during the last six months prior to the end of the lease relationship or to allow access to the rental property for other important reasons at normal times, namely after prior notice, in the event of imminent danger, even without notice and at any time, also outside normal business hours.

 

6.7. Technical systems of the Lessor

 

The Lessee acknowledges and agrees that technical systems, in particular from the area of telecommunications and energy generation, can be erected by the Lessor itself at its own discretion or by other lessees with the consent of the Lessor in and/or on parts of the building and/or on (partial) areas outside of the building. The Lessee may only derive legal consequences from this if significant impairments of the use that the Lessee must prove occur due to such systems.

 

7. Insurance policies

 

7.1. The Lessee is obligated, from the time of handover of the leased property, to cover its operational risks by concluding suitable and appropriate insurance Agreements, to maintain these uninterruptedly for the duration of the lease and to prove their content and existence including proof of premium payment at the request of the Lessor at any time. In particular, the Lessee must take out a business bundle insurance for the furniture and accessories (including at least fire, mains water damage, burglary, theft and glass breakage insurance) as well as a corresponding business liability insurance for all business-related risks.

 

7.2. The Lessee may not do, refrain from or allow anything to be done with regard to the leased property, or allow the reason to increase the insurance premiums for the building and/or the property. The resulting premium increases of the insurance policies concluded by the Lessor for the building or the property, including its systems, equipment and installations, shall be made exclusively by the Lessee.

 

7.3. The Lessor is entitled to take out insurance against terrorism and sabotage in the event of a justified need and to offset the costs via the operating and ancillary costs.

 

8. Sale of the property

 

In the event of the sale of the property, it is agreed that the property purchaser will enter into the present lease agreement by taking over the entire lease agreement, i.e., also with regard to duration and notice period, (complete entry of the property purchaser).

 

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9. General Terms and Conditions of Agreement

 

9.1. Severability clause

 

Should one or more provision(s) of this Agreement be or become invalid or void, this shall not affect the validity and validity of the remaining contractual provisions. The contractual parties undertake to agree on a valid and effective provision as soon as possible, which most closely corresponds to the economic meaning and purpose of the invalid or invalid provision. The contractual parties undertake to provide services in good faith.

 

9.2. Agreement amendment/previous agreements

 

Any amendment or supplement to this Lease Agreement (including an amendment to the present form provision itself) must be made in writing in order to be legally valid; this also applies to a waiver of this form requirement. The present Lease Agreement reflects all agreements made. No oral ancillary agreements were made. This Agreement replaces all previous written and oral agreements in relation to the leased property.

 

9.3. Legal succession

 

All rights and obligations arising from this Lease Agreement are transferred to any legal successors by both parties. Both contractual parties irrevocably waive the right to assert (extraordinary) termination and/or termination rights based on this transfer in the event of the transfer of ownership to the leased property.

 

9.4. Communication, declaration of intent

 

Communications or declarations of intent based on this Agreement must be made in writing (also by fax), whereby the respective date of receipt is decisive.

 

The Lessee undertakes to notify the Lessor immediately of a change of address, otherwise deliveries to the last known address, in case of doubt to the address of the rental property, with the effect that they are deemed to have been received by the Lessee.

 

9.5. Energy certificate

 

The presentation or handover of the energy certificate for the building in which the leased property is located does not constitute an explicit or tacit declaration regarding the condition of the leased property. Therefore, no claims or renovation/renovation obligations can be derived from it.

 

9.6. Headings and references

 

Headings in this Agreement serve exclusively for a better overview and therefore have no normative meaning, do not restrict the respective contractual provisions and do not serve the interpretation. References to statutory provisions refer to the version applicable at the time of conclusion of the Agreement.

 

9.7. Fees, costs

 

The necessary costs for the charges of this Agreement shall be borne by the Lessee. The expected legal transaction fee must be paid by the Lessee to NHK lawyers before the conclusion of the lease agreement. It is agreed that the Lessor will have the amount of the legal transaction fee determined by the competent tax office by means of a decision by its legal representative. A self-assessment of the legal transaction fee will not take place.

 

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The costs of consultants (such as lawyers, tax consultants, interior architects, etc.) in connection with the present Agreement creation shall be borne by each contractual party itself.

 

9.8. Appendices

 

All appendices to this Agreement form an integral part of the Agreement.

 

9.9. Place of jurisdiction

 

For all disputes arising from or in connection with this Lease Agreement, including disputes concerning the valid conclusion of this Lease Agreement, the District Court of Innere Stadt Wien is agreed as the exclusive place of jurisdiction. This Lease Agreement is subject to substantive Austrian law to the exclusion of conflict of laws rules.

 

9.10. Declaration of the contractual parties

 

The contractual parties hereby expressly declare that that the entire Agreement, including all annexes, was discussed and understood, that agreement has been achieved with regard to each individual provision contained herein, that the reciprocal rights and obligations of the contractual parties under this Agreement are considered appropriate in consideration of all circumstances and do not lead to any undue disadvantage of a contractual party or any inappropriateness or improper disadvantage is expressly accepted by the contractual party concerned, and that the contractual parties have sufficiently informed themselves about the legal and economic consequences of each individual provision of this Agreement and have understood them. The contractual parties therefore waive the cancellation or adjustment of this Agreement due to error, change or elimination of the business basis as well as on another legal basis.

 

9.11. Copy

 

This Agreement is drawn up in three copies, of which each contractual party receives one and a copy is provided for the tax office.

 

Vienna, on [____]

 

 

     
[Lessor]   [Lessee]

 

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Exhibit 10.19

 

Exscientia Plc

 

2021 Equity Incentive Plan

 

With

 

Non-Employee Sub-Plan

 

and

 

CSOP Sub-Plan

 

Adopted by the Board of Directors: 11 August 2021

 

Amended and Restated by the Board of Directors: 23 August 2021

 

Share Reserve Approved by the Pricing Committee of the Board of Directors: [date]
2021

 

IPO Date: [Date] 2021

 

Approved by the Shareholders: [date] 2021

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Page

 

1. PURPOSE 1
2. ELIGIBILITY 1
3. ADMINISTRATION AND DELEGATION 1
4. SHARES AVAILABLE FOR AWARDS 1
5. OPTIONS AND SHARE APPRECIATION RIGHTS 3
6. RESTRICTED SHARES; RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS 5
7. OTHER SHARE BASED AWARDS 6
8. ADJUSTMENTS FOR CHANGES IN SHARES AND CERTAIN OTHER EVENTS 7
9. GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AWARDS 8
10. MISCELLANEOUS 10
11. Covenants of the Company 15
12. DEFINITIONS 15

 

 

 

 

1.            PURPOSE

 

The Plan’s purpose is to enhance the Company’s ability to attract, retain and motivate persons who make (or are expected to make) important contributions to the Company by providing these individuals with equity ownership opportunities. Capitalized terms used in the Plan are defined in Section 12.

 

2.            ELIGIBILITY

 

Service Providers are eligible to be granted Awards under the Plan, subject to the limitations described herein.

 

3.            ADMINISTRATION AND DELEGATION.

 

(a)            Administration. The Plan is administered by the Administrator. The Administrator has authority to (i) determine which Service Providers receive Awards, (ii) grant Awards, (iii) set Award terms and conditions, and (iv) designate whether such Awards will cover Ordinary Shares or ADSs, in each case subject to the conditions and limitations in the Plan. The Administrator also has the authority to take all actions and make all determinations under the Plan, to approve the forms of Award Agreements for use under the Plan, to interpret the Plan and the terms of Awards and to adopt, amend and repeal Plan administrative rules, guidelines and practices as it deems advisable. The Administrator may correct defects and ambiguities, supply omissions and reconcile inconsistencies in the Plan or any Award as it deems necessary or appropriate to administer the Plan and any Awards. The Administrator’s determinations under the Plan are in its sole discretion and will be final and binding on all persons having or claiming any interest in the Plan or any Award.

 

(b)            Appointment of Committees. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, the Board may delegate any or all of its powers under the Plan to one or more Committees or officers of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The Board may abolish any Committee or re-vest in itself any previously delegated authority at any time.

 

4.            SHARES AVAILABLE FOR AWARDS.

 

(a)            Number of Shares. Subject to adjustment under Section 8 and the terms of this Section 4, Awards may be made under the Plan (taking account of Awards granted under the Non-Employee Sub-Plan and the CSOP Sub-Plan) in an aggregate amount up to [·1] Ordinary Shares plus any Ordinary Shares that become available under the Plan pursuant to Section 4(c)(ii) below (in each case including as part of the process for the issue of new ADSs) (the “Share Reserve”). In addition, the Share Reserve will automatically increase on January 1st of each year commencing on January 1, 2022 and ending on (and including) January 1, 2031, in an amount equal to 5% of the total number of Ordinary Shares outstanding on December 31st of the preceding calendar year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may act prior to January 1st of a given year to provide that there will be no January 1st increase in the Share Reserve for such year or that the increase in the Share Reserve for such year will be a lesser (but not a greater) number of Ordinary Shares than would otherwise occur pursuant to the preceding sentence.

 

(b)            Limit Applies to Shares Issued Pursuant to Awards. For clarity, the Share Reserve is a limit on the number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to Awards that were granted under this Plan and does not limit the granting of Awards, except that the Company will keep available at all times the number of Shares reasonably required to satisfy its obligations to issue shares pursuant to such Awards. Shares may be issued in connection with a merger or acquisition as permitted by, as applicable, Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c), NYSE Listed Company Manual Section 303A.08, NYSE American Company Guide Section 711 or other applicable rule, and such issuance will not reduce the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan, as further described under Section 4(e).

 

 

1 [28,482 + 5,761]

 

1

 

 

(c)            Share Recycling.

 

(i)            If all or any part of an Award or Awards granted under the Plan (including the Non-Employee Sub-Plan and the CSOP Sub-Plan) expires, lapses or is terminated, exchanged for cash, surrendered, repurchased or cancelled without having been fully exercised, or is withheld to satisfy a tax withholding obligation in connection with an Award or to satisfy a purchase or exercise price of an Award, the unused Shares covered by the Award or Awards granted under the Plan (including the Non-Employee Sub-Plan and the CSOP Sub-Plan) will, as applicable, become or again be available for Awards granted under the Plan (including the Non-Employee Sub-Plan and the CSOP Sub-Plan).

 

(ii)            If all or any part of an option or options to acquire unissued Shares that was granted under the Prior Plans and which is subsisting as of the Effective Date expires, lapses or is terminated, exchanged for cash, surrendered, repurchased or cancelled without having been fully exercised, or is withheld to satisfy a tax withholding obligation in connection with an option or to satisfy a purchase or exercise price of an option, in each case on or after the Effective Date, the unused Shares covered by such option or options under the Prior Plans shall increase the Share Reserve and shall become available for Awards granted under the Plan (including the Non-Employee Sub-Plan and the CSOP Sub-Plan) subject to a maximum of [31,278] Ordinary Shares (including as part of the process for the issue of new ADSs).

 

(d)            ISO Limitations. Subject to adjustment under Section 8 and to the overall Share Reserve, no more than [·2] Ordinary Shares (including as part of the process for the issue of new ADSs) may be issued pursuant to the exercise of ISOs.

 

(e)            Substitute Awards. In connection with an entity’s merger or consolidation with the Company or the Company’s acquisition of an entity’s property or stock, the Administrator may grant Awards in substitution for any options or other equity or equity-based awards granted before such merger or consolidation by such entity or its affiliate. Substitute Awards may be granted on such terms as the Administrator deems appropriate, notwithstanding limitations on Awards in the Plan. Subject to Applicable Laws, Substitute Awards will not count against the Share Reserve (nor shall Shares subject to a Substitute Award be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided above), except that Shares acquired by exercise of substitute ISOs will count against the maximum number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of ISOs under the Plan. Additionally, in the event that a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines has shares available under a pre-existing plan not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, then, subject to Applicable Laws, shares available for grant pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of ordinary shares or common stock (as applicable) of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan (and Shares subject to such Awards shall not be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided above); provided that Awards using such available shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to individuals who were not Employees or Directors prior to such acquisition or combination.

 

(f)            Date of Grant. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, the date of grant of an Award shall be the date of the Administrator’s approval of that Award.

 

 

2 [28,482 + 5,761 + 31,278]

 

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(g)            Deed Poll. The Administrator may grant Awards by entering into a deed poll and, as soon as practicable after the Company has executed the deed poll, the Administrator shall enter into an Award Agreement.

 

(h)            Type of Shares. The Shares issuable under the Plan will be new shares, treasury shares or market purchase shares.

 

(i)             Prior Plans. Upon the Effective Date, no further new awards may be granted over Shares under the Prior Plans.

 

5.            OPTIONS AND SHARE APPRECIATION RIGHTS.

 

(a)            General. The Administrator may grant Options or Share Appreciation Rights to Service Providers subject to the limitations in the Plan, including any limitations in the Plan that apply to ISOs. The Administrator will determine the number of Shares covered by each Option and Share Appreciation Right, the exercise price of each Option and Share Appreciation Right and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of each Option and Share Appreciation Right. Each Option will be designated in writing as an ISO or Non-Qualified Option at the time of grant; provided, however, that if an Option is not so designated, then such Option will be a Non-Qualified Option, and the Shares purchased upon exercise of each type of Option will be separately accounted for. A Share Appreciation Right will entitle the Participant (or other person entitled to exercise the Share Appreciation Right) to receive from the Company upon exercise of the exercisable portion of the Share Appreciation Right an amount determined by multiplying the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise over the exercise price per Share of the Share Appreciation Right by the number of Shares with respect to which the Share Appreciation Right is exercised, subject to any limitations of the Plan or that the Administrator may impose and payable in cash, Shares valued at Fair Market Value or a combination of the two as the Administrator may determine or provide in the Award Agreement. A Participant will have no rights of a shareholder with respect to Shares subject to any Option or Share Appreciation Right unless and until any Shares are delivered in settlement of the Option or Share Appreciation Right.

 

(b)            Exercise Price. The Administrator will establish each Option’s and Share Appreciation Right’s exercise price and specify the exercise price in the Award Agreement. Subject to Section 10(g), the exercise price will not be less than the nominal value of a Share and for Participants who are subject to tax in the United States not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the grant date of the Option or Share Appreciation Right. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option or Share Appreciation Right may be granted with an exercise price lower than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant of such Award if such Award is granted pursuant to an assumption of or substitution for another option or share appreciation right pursuant to Section 4(e) and, in respect of Participants who are subject to tax in the United States, in a manner consistent with the provisions of Sections 409A and, if applicable, 424(a) of the Code.

 

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(c)            Duration. Each Option or Share Appreciation Right will vest and be exercisable at such times and as specified in the Award Agreement, provided that the term of an Option or Share Appreciation Right will not exceed ten years, subject to Section 10(g). Notwithstanding the foregoing and unless determined otherwise by the Company, in the event that on the last business day of the term of an Option or Share Appreciation Right (other than an ISO) (i) the exercise of the Option or Share Appreciation Right is prohibited by Applicable Laws, as determined by the Company, or (ii) Shares may not be purchased or sold by the applicable Participant due to any Company insider trading, window period and/or dealing policy (including blackout periods), the term of the Option or Share Appreciation Right shall be extended until the date that is thirty (30) days after the end of the legal prohibition, black-out period, as determined by the Company; provided, however, in no event shall the extension last beyond the original term of the applicable Option or Share Appreciation Right. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Participant, prior to the end of the term of an Option or Share Appreciation Right, violates the non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality or other similar restrictive covenant provisions of any employment contract, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, the right of the Participant and the Participant’s transferees to exercise any Option or Share Appreciation Right issued to the Participant shall terminate immediately upon such violation, unless the Company otherwise determines. In addition, if, prior to the end of the term of an Option or Share Appreciation Right, the Participant is given notice by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of the Participant’s Termination of Service by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for Cause, and the effective date of such Termination of Service is subsequent to the date of the delivery of such notice, the right of the Participant and the Participant’s transferees to exercise any Option or Share Appreciation Right issued to the Participant shall be suspended from the time of the delivery of such notice until the earlier of (i) such time as it is determined or otherwise agreed that the Participant’s service as a Service Provider will not be terminated for Cause as provided in such notice or (ii) the effective date of the Participant’s Termination of Service by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for Cause (in which case the right of the Participant and the Participant’s transferees to exercise any Option or Share Appreciation Right issued to the Participant will terminate immediately upon the effective date of such Termination of Service, provided, however, in no event shall the suspension cause the original term of the applicable Option or Share Appreciation Right to be extended).

 

(d)            Exercise. Options and Share Appreciation Rights may be exercised by delivering to the Company a written notice of exercise, in a form the Administrator approves (which may be electronic), signed by the person authorized to exercise the Option or Share Appreciation Right, together with, as applicable, payment in full (i) as specified in Section 5(e) for the number of Shares for which the Award is exercised and (ii) as specified in Section 9(e) for any applicable taxes. Unless the Administrator otherwise determines, an Option or Share Appreciation Right may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share.

 

(e)            Payment Upon Exercise. Subject to any Company insider trading, window period and/or dealing policy (including blackout periods) and Applicable Laws, the exercise price of an Option must be paid by:

 

(i)            cash, wire transfer of immediately available funds or by check payable to the order of the Company, provided that the Company may limit the use of one of the foregoing payment forms if one or more of the payment forms below is permitted;

 

(ii)             if there is a public market for Shares at the time of exercise, unless the Administrator otherwise determines, (A) delivery (including telephonically to the extent permitted by the Company) of an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking by a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to pay the exercise price, or (B) the Participant’s delivery to the Company of a copy of irrevocable and unconditional instructions to a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to pay the exercise price; provided that such amount is paid to the Company at such time as may be required by the Administrator;

 

(iii)           to the extent permitted by the Administrator at the time of exercise, delivery (either by actual delivery or attestation) of Shares owned by the Participant free and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security interests, which, when valued at their Fair Market Value on the exercise date, have a value sufficient to pay the exercise price, provided that (1) at the time of exercise the Shares are publicly traded, (2) any remaining balance of the exercise price not satisfied by such delivery is paid by the Participant in cash or other permitted form of payment, (3) such delivery would not violate any Applicable Laws or agreement restricting the redemption of the Shares, (4) if required by the Administrator, any certificated Shares are endorsed or accompanied by an executed assignment separate from certificate, and (5) such Shares have been held by the Participant for any minimum period necessary to avoid adverse accounting treatment as a result of such delivery;

 

4

 

 

(iv)           to the extent permitted by the Administrator at the time of exercise, except with respect to ISOs, surrendering the largest whole number of Shares then issuable upon the Option’s exercise which, when valued at their Fair Market Value on the exercise date, have a value sufficient to pay the exercise price, provided that (1) such Shares used to pay the exercise price will not be exercisable thereafter and (2) any remaining balance of the exercise price not satisfied by such net exercise is paid by the Participant in cash or other permitted form of payment;

 

(v)           to the extent permitted by the Administrator at the time of exercise and permitted by Applicable Law, delivery of any other property that the Administrator determines is good and valuable consideration; or

 

(vi)            to the extent permitted by the Company, any combination of the above payment forms approved by the Administrator.

 

(f)            Non-Exempt U.S. Employees. No Option or Share Appreciation Right, whether or not vested, granted to an Employee who is a non-exempt employee for purposes of the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, will be first exercisable for any Shares until at least six months following the date of grant of such Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in accordance with the provisions of the U.S. Worker Economic Opportunity Act, any vested portion of such Award may be exercised earlier than six months following the date of grant of such Award in the event of (i) such Participant’s death or Disability, (ii) a Corporate Event in which such Award is not assumed, continued or substituted, (iii) a Change in Control, or (iv) such Participant’s retirement (as such term may be defined in the Award Agreement or another applicable agreement or, in the absence of any such definition, in accordance with the Company’s then current employment policies and guidelines). This Section 5(f) is intended to operate so that any income derived by a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise or vesting of an Option or Share Appreciation Right will be exempt from his or her regular rate of pay.

 

6.            RESTRICTED SHARES; RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS

 

(a)            General. The Administrator may grant Restricted Shares, or the right to purchase Restricted Shares, to any Service Provider, subject to the Company’s right to repurchase all or part of such shares at their issue price or other stated or formula price from the Participant (or to require forfeiture or compulsory transfer of such shares in such manner as the Administrator may determine) if conditions the Administrator specifies in the Award Agreement are not satisfied before the end of the applicable restriction period or periods that the Administrator establishes for such Award. In addition, the Administrator may grant to Service Providers Restricted Share Units, which may be subject to vesting, issuance and forfeiture conditions during the applicable restriction period or periods, as set forth in an Award Agreement. The Administrator will determine and set forth in the Award Agreement the terms and conditions for each Restricted Share and Restricted Share Unit Award, subject to the conditions and limitations contained in the Plan.

 

(b)            Duration. Each Restricted Share or Restricted Share Unit will vest at such times and as specified in the Award Agreement, provided that the vesting schedule of a Restricted Share or Restricted Share Unit will not exceed ten years. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Participant, prior to the vesting date of a Restricted Share or Restricted Share Unit, violates the non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality or other similar restrictive covenant provisions of any employment contract, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, the right of the Participant and the Participant’s transferees to receive Shares on the vesting of the Restricted Share or Restricted Share Unit issued to the Participant shall terminate immediately upon such violation, unless the Company otherwise determines. In addition, if, prior to the vesting date of a Restricted Share or Restricted Share Unit, the Participant is given notice by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of the Participant’s Termination of Service by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for Cause, and the effective date of such Termination of Service is subsequent to the date of the delivery of such notice, the right of the Participant and the Participant’s transferees to receive Shares as a result of the vesting of the Restricted Share or Restricted Share Unit issued to the Participant shall be suspended from the time of the delivery of such notice until the earlier of (i) such time as it is determined or otherwise agreed that the Participant’s service as a Service Provider will not be terminated for Cause as provided in such notice or (ii) the effective date of the Participant’s Termination of Service by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for Cause (in which case the right of the Participant and the Participant’s transferees to receive Shares on the vesting of the Restricted Share or Restricted Share Unit issued to the Participant will terminate immediately upon the effective date of such Termination of Service).

 

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(c)           Dividends and Dividend Equivalents. Dividends or dividend equivalents may be paid or credited, as applicable, with respect to any Restricted Shares or Shares subject to Restricted Share Units, as determined (and on such terms as may be determined) by the Administrator and specified in the Award Agreement.

 

(d)            Restricted Shares.

 

(i)           Form of Award. The Company may require that the Participant deposit in escrow with the Company (or its designee) any certificates issued in respect of Restricted Shares, together with a stock transfer form endorsed in blank. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, a Participant will have voting and other rights as a shareholder of the Company with respect to any Restricted Shares.

 

(ii)            Consideration. Restricted Shares may be granted in consideration for (A) cash or check, bank draft or money order payable to the Company, (B) past services to the Company or a Subsidiary, or (C) any other form of consideration (including future services) as the Administrator may determine to be acceptable and which is permissible under Applicable Laws.

 

(e)            Restricted Share Units.

 

(i)           Settlement. The Administrator may provide that settlement of Restricted Share Units will occur upon or as soon as reasonably practicable after the Restricted Share Units vest or will instead be deferred, on a mandatory basis or at the Participant’s election.

 

(ii)            Shareholder Rights. A Participant will have no rights of a shareholder with respect to Shares subject to any Restricted Share Unit unless and until the Shares are delivered in settlement of the Restricted Share Unit.

 

(iii)           Consideration. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator at the time of grant, Restricted Share Units will be granted in consideration for the Participant’s services to the Company or a Subsidiary, such that the Participant will not be required to make any payment to the Company (other than such services) with respect to the grant or vesting of the Award, or the issuance of any Shares pursuant to the Award. If, at the time of grant, the Administrator determines that any consideration must be paid by the Participant (in a form other than the Participant’s services to the Company or a Subsidiary) upon the issuance of any Shares in settlement of the Award, such consideration may be paid in any form of consideration as the Administrator may determine to be acceptable and which is permissible under Applicable Laws.

 

7.            OTHER SHARE BASED AWARDS

 

Other Share Based Awards may be granted to Participants, including Awards entitling Participants to receive Shares to be delivered in the future (whether based on specified performance criteria, performance goals or otherwise), in each case subject to any conditions and limitations in the Plan. Such Other Share Based Awards will also be available as a payment form in the settlement of other Awards, as standalone payments and as payment in lieu of compensation to which a Participant is otherwise entitled. Other Share Based Awards may be paid in Shares or other property, as the Administrator determines. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Administrator will determine the terms and conditions of each Other Share Based Award, including any purchase price, performance condition, performance goal, transfer restrictions, and vesting conditions, which will be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

6

 

 

8.            ADJUSTMENTS FOR CHANGES IN SHARES AND CERTAIN OTHER EVENTS

 

(a)          Equity Restructuring. In connection with any Equity Restructuring, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 8, the Administrator will equitably adjust (i) class(es) and maximum number of Shares subject to the Plan, (ii) the class(es) and maximum number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of ISOs under Section 4(d) above and (iii) each outstanding Award as it deems appropriate to reflect the Equity Restructuring, which may include adjusting the number and type of securities subject to each outstanding Award and/or the Award’s exercise price or grant price (if applicable), granting new Awards to Participants, and making a cash payment to Participants. The adjustments provided under this Section 8(a) will be nondiscretionary and final and binding on the affected Participant and the Company; provided that the Administrator will determine whether an adjustment is equitable.

 

(b)          Corporate Events. In the event of any reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, amalgamation, repurchase, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, or sale, transfer, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or sale or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company or a Change in Control (any “Corporate Event”), the Administrator, on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, is hereby authorized to take any one or more of the following actions whenever the Administrator determines that such action is appropriate:

 

(i)             To provide for the cancellation of any such Award in exchange for either an amount of cash or other property with a value equal to the amount that could have been obtained upon the exercise or settlement of the vested portion of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights under the vested portion of such Award, as applicable; provided that, if the amount that could have been obtained upon the exercise or settlement of the vested portion of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights, in any case, is equal to or less than zero (as determined by the Administrator in its discretion), then the Award may be terminated without payment. In addition, such payments under this provision may, in the Administrator’s discretion, be delayed to the same extent that payment of consideration to the holders of Shares in connection with the Corporate Event is delayed as a result of escrows, earn outs, holdbacks or any other contingencies;

 

(ii)            To provide that such Award shall vest and, to the extent applicable, be exercisable as to all Shares covered thereby, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or the provisions of such Award as of a date prior to the effective time of such Corporate Event as the Administrator determines (or, if the Administrator does not determine such a date, as of the date that is five (5) days prior to the effective date of the Corporate Event), with such Award terminating if not exercised (if applicable) at or prior to the effective time of the Corporate Event; provided, however, that the Administrator may require Participants to complete and deliver to the Company a notice of exercise before the effective date of a Corporate Event, which exercise is contingent upon the effectiveness of such Corporate Event.

 

(iii)          To provide that such Award be assumed by the successor or survivor entity, or a parent or Subsidiary thereof, or shall be substituted for by awards covering the equity securities of the successor or survivor entity, or a parent or Subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and/or applicable exercise or purchase price, in all cases, as determined by the Administrator;

 

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(iv)            To arrange for the assignment of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company in respect of Shares issued pursuant to the Award to the surviving entity or acquiring entity (or the surviving or acquiring entity’s parent company);

 

(v)           To arrange for the lapse, in whole or in part, of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company with respect to the Award;

 

(vi)            To replace such Award with other rights or property selected by the Administrator; and/or

 

(vii)          To provide that the Award will terminate and cannot vest, be exercised or become payable after the applicable transaction or event.

 

The Administrator need not take the same action or actions with respect to all Awards or portions thereof or with respect to all Participants. The Administrator may take different actions with respect to the vested and unvested portions of an Award.

 

(c)            Administrative Stand Still. In the event of any pending Corporate Event or other similar transaction, for administrative convenience, the Administrator may refuse to permit the exercise of any Award for up to thirty days before or after such Corporate Event or other similar transaction.

 

(d)            General. Except as expressly provided in the Plan or the Administrator’s action under the Plan, no Participant will have any rights due to any subdivision or consolidation of Shares of any class, dividend payment, increase or decrease in the number of Shares of any class, issue, rights issue, offer or dissolution, liquidation, merger, or consolidation of the Company or other corporation. Except as expressly provided with respect to an Equity Restructuring under Section 8(a) above or the Administrator’s action under the Plan, no issuance by the Company of Shares of any class, or securities convertible into Shares of any class, will affect, and no adjustment will be made regarding, the number of Shares subject to an Award or the Award’s grant or exercise price. The existence of the Plan, any Award Agreements and the Awards granted hereunder will not affect or restrict in any way the Company’s right or power to make or authorize (i) any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, (ii) any Corporate Event or (iii) sale or issuance of securities, including securities with rights superior to those of the Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares. The Administrator may treat Participants and Awards (or portions thereof) differently under this Section 8.

 

9.            GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AWARDS

 

(a)            Transferability. Except as the Administrator may determine or provide in an Award Agreement or otherwise for Awards, Awards may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered, either voluntarily or by operation of law, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and, during the life of the Participant, will be exercisable only by the Participant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may, in its sole discretion, permit transfer of an Award pursuant to a domestic relations order or in such other manner that is not prohibited by applicable tax and securities laws upon the Participant’s request and provided that the Participant and the transferee enter into a transfer agreement and other agreements as required by the Company. If an Option is an ISO, such Option may be deemed to be a Non-Qualified Option as a result of a transfer pursuant to this Section. References to a Participant, to the extent relevant in this context, will include references to a Participant’s authorized transferee that the Administrator specifically approves.

 

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(b)          Documentation. Each Award will be evidenced in an Award Agreement, which may be written or electronic, as the Administrator determines. By accepting any Award the Participant consents to receive documents by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through any on-line electronic system established and maintained by the Company or another third party selected by the Company. Each Award may contain terms and conditions in addition to (or a variation of or effecting a disapplication of) those set forth in the Plan. Any reference herein or in an Award Agreement to a “written” agreement or document will include any agreement or document delivered electronically, filed publicly at www.sec.gov (or any successor website thereto) or posted on the Company’s intranet (or other shared electronic medium controlled by the Company to which the Participant has access). As a condition to accepting an Award under the Plan, the Participant agrees to execute any additional documents or instruments necessary or desirable, as determined in the Administrator’s sole discretion, to carry out the purposes or intent of the Award, or facilitate compliance with securities and/or other regulatory requirements, in each case at the Administrator’s request.

 

(c)           Discretion. Except as the Plan otherwise provides, each Award may be made alone or in addition or in relation to any other Award. The terms of each Award to a Participant need not be identical, and the Administrator need not treat Participants or Awards (or portions thereof) uniformly.

 

(d)           Termination of Status. The Administrator will determine how the disability, death, retirement, authorized leave of absence or any other change or purported change in a Participant’s Service Provider status (including a change which would result in a Termination of Service under the Plan but not under the Non-Employee Sub-Plan or vice versa) affects an Award and the extent to which, and the period during which, the Participant, the Participant’s legal representative, conservator, guardian or Designated Beneficiary may exercise rights under the Award, if applicable.

 

(e)            Withholding. Each Participant must pay the Company, or make provision satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of, any taxes (which includes any social security contributions or the like including but not limited to, if applicable, all liability to primary (employee) and, if provided in the applicable Award Agreement, secondary (employer) national insurance contributions) required by law to be withheld or paid by the Company or by any Subsidiary that is the employing entity of the Participant or which Participant has agreed to pay in connection with such Participant’s Awards by the date of the event creating the tax liability. A Participant may not be able to exercise an Award even though the Award is vested, and the Company shall have no obligation to issue Shares subject to an Award, unless and until such obligations are satisfied. The Company may deduct an amount sufficient to satisfy such tax obligations based on the maximum statutory withholding rates (or such other rate as may be determined by the Company after considering any accounting consequences or costs and Applicable Law) from any payment of any kind otherwise due to a Participant. To the extent permitted by the terms of an Award Agreement and subject to any Company insider trading, window period and/or dealing policy (including blackout periods), Participants may satisfy such tax obligations (i) in cash, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, by check made payable to the order of the Company, provided that the Company may limit the use of the foregoing payment forms if one or more of the payment forms below is permitted, (ii) to the extent permitted by the Administrator, in whole or in part by delivery of Shares, including Shares retained from the Award creating the tax obligation, valued at their Fair Market Value, (iii) if there is a public market for Shares at the time the tax obligations are satisfied, unless the Administrator otherwise determines, (A) delivery (including telephonically to the extent permitted by the Company) of an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking by a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to satisfy the tax obligations, or (B) delivery by the Participant to the Company of a copy of irrevocable and unconditional instructions to a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to satisfy the tax and/or social security withholding, provided that such amount is paid to the Company at such time as may be required by the Administrator, (iv) withholding cash from an Award settled in cash, (v) withholding payment from any amounts otherwise payable to the Participant or (vi) to the extent permitted by the Company, any combination of the foregoing payment forms approved by the Administrator.

 

(f)            Withholding Indemnification. As a condition to accepting an Award under the Plan, in the event that the amount of the Company’s and/or any Subsidiary’s withholding obligation in connection with such Award was greater than the amount actually withheld by the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, each Participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Company and/or its Subsidiaries harmless from any failure by the Company and/or its Subsidiaries to withhold the proper amount.

 

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(g)            Amendment of Award; Repricing. The Administrator may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award, including by cancelling and substituting another Award of the same or a different type, reducing the exercise price, changing the exercise or settlement date, converting an ISO to a Non-Qualified Option, taking any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles or by amending, waiving or relaxing any applicable performance criteria or goal(s). The Participant’s consent to such action will be required unless (i) the action, taking into account any related action, does not Materially Impair the Participant’s rights under the Award, or (ii) the change is permitted under Section 8 or pursuant to Section 10(f).

 

(h)            Conditions on Delivery of Shares. The Company will not be obligated to deliver any Shares under the Plan or remove restrictions from Shares previously delivered under the Plan until (i) all Award conditions have been met or removed to the Company’s satisfaction, (ii) as determined by the Company, all other legal matters regarding the issuance and delivery of such Shares (including payment of nominal value) have been satisfied, including any applicable securities laws and stock exchange or stock market rules and regulations, and (iii) the Participant has executed and delivered to the Company such representations or agreements as the Administrator deems necessary or appropriate to satisfy any Applicable Laws. The Company’s inability to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which the Administrator determines is necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any securities, will relieve the Company of any liability for failing to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority has not been obtained.

 

(i)             Acceleration. The Administrator may at any time provide that any Award will become immediately vested and fully or partially exercisable, free of some or all restrictions or conditions, or otherwise fully or partially realizable.

 

10.            MISCELLANEOUS

 

(a)            No Right to Employment or Other Status. No person will have any claim or right to be granted an Award, and the grant of an Award will not be construed as giving a Participant the right to continued employment or any other relationship with the Company. The Company expressly reserves the right at any time to dismiss or otherwise terminate its relationship with a Participant free from any liability or claim under the Plan or any Award, except as expressly provided in an Award Agreement. Further, nothing in the Plan, any Award Agreement or any other instrument executed thereunder or in connection with any Award will constitute any promise or commitment by the Company or a Subsidiary regarding the fact or nature of future positions, future work assignments, future compensation or any other term or condition of employment or service or confer any right or benefit under the Award or the Plan unless such right or benefit has specifically accrued under the terms of the Award Agreement and/or Plan.

 

(b)            No Rights as Shareholder; Certificates. Subject to the Award Agreement, no Participant or Designated Beneficiary will have any rights as a shareholder with respect to any Shares to be distributed under an Award until becoming the record holder of such Shares. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, unless the Administrator otherwise determines or Applicable Laws require, the Company will not be required to deliver to any Participant certificates evidencing Shares issued in connection with any Award and instead such Shares may be recorded in the books of the Company (or, as applicable, its transfer agent or stock plan administrator). The Company may place legends on certificates issued under the Plan that the Administrator deems necessary or appropriate to comply with Applicable Laws.

 

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(c)            Effective Date and Term of Plan. The Plan first became effective on 11 August 2021. The Plan in its amended and restated form shall become effective immediately prior to the IPO Date, provided this Plan is approved by the Company’s shareholders prior to the IPO Date. Unless earlier terminated by the Board, the Plan will remain in effect until the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, but Awards previously granted may extend beyond that date in accordance with the Plan. No ISOs may be granted after the tenth anniversary of the earlier of (i) the date the Plan is adopted by the Board, or (ii) the date the Plan is approved by the Company’s shareholders. If the Plan is not approved by the Company’s shareholders within 12 months of the date of Board approval of the Plan, all ISOs will be treated as Non-Qualified Options.

 

(d)           Amendment and Termination of Plan. The Administrator may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan at any time; provided that no amendment, suspension or termination may Materially Impair any Award outstanding at the time of such amendment without the affected Participant’s written consent. No Awards may be granted under the Plan during any suspension period or after Plan termination. Awards outstanding at the time of any Plan suspension or termination will continue to be governed by the Plan and the Award Agreement, as in effect before such suspension or termination. The Board will obtain shareholder approval of any Plan amendment to the extent necessary to comply with Applicable Laws.

 

(e)            Provisions for Foreign Participants. The Administrator may modify Awards granted to Participants who are nationals of, or employed in, a jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom and the United States or establish subplans or procedures under the Plan to address differences in laws, rules, regulations or customs of such international jurisdictions with respect to tax, securities, currency, employee benefit or other matters, including as may be necessary or appropriate in the Administrator’s discretion to grant Awards under any tax-favourable regime that may be available in any jurisdiction (provided that Administrator approval will not be necessary for immaterial modifications to the Plan or any Award Agreement to ensure or facilitate compliance with the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction).

 

(f)            Section 409A. The following provisions only apply to Participants subject to tax in the United States:

 

(i)            General. The Company intends that all Awards be structured to comply with, or be exempt from, Section 409A, such that no adverse tax consequences, interest, or penalties under Section 409A apply. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary, the Administrator may, without a Participant’s consent, amend this Plan or Awards, adopt policies and procedures, or take any other actions (including amendments, policies, procedures and retroactive actions) as are necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of Awards, including any such actions intended to (A) exempt this Plan or any Award from Section 409A, or (B) comply with Section 409A, including regulations, guidance, compliance programs and other interpretative authority that may be issued after an Award’s grant date. The Company makes no representations or warranties as to an Award’s tax treatment under Section 409A or otherwise. The Company will have no obligation under this Section 10(f) or otherwise to avoid the taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A with respect to any Award and will have no liability to any Participant or any other person if any Award, compensation or other benefits under the Plan are determined to constitute noncompliant “nonqualified deferred compensation” subject to taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A.

 

(ii)            Separation from Service. If an Award constitutes “nonqualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A, any payment or settlement of such Award upon a termination of a Participant’s Service Provider relationship will, to the extent necessary to avoid taxes under Section 409A, be made only upon the Participant’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A), whether such “separation from service” occurs upon or after the termination of the Participant’s Service Provider relationship. For purposes of this Plan or any Award Agreement relating to any such payments or benefits, references to a “termination,” “termination of service”, “termination of employment” or like terms means a “separation from service.”

 

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(iii)         Payments to Specified Employees. Notwithstanding any contrary provision in the Plan or any Award Agreement, any payment(s) of “nonqualified deferred compensation” required to be made under an Award to a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A and as the Administrator determines) due to his or her “separation from service” will, to the extent necessary to avoid taxes under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, be delayed for the six-month period immediately following such “separation from service” (or, if earlier, until the specified employee’s death) and will instead be paid (as set forth in the Award Agreement) on the day immediately following such six-month period or as soon as administratively practicable thereafter (without interest). Any payments of “nonqualified deferred compensation” under such Award payable more than six months following the Participant’s “separation from service” will be paid at the time or times the payments are otherwise scheduled to be made.

 

(g)           10% Shareholders. The Administrator may grant ISOs only to employees of the Company, any of its present or future parent or subsidiary corporations, as defined in Sections 424(e) or (f) of the Code, respectively, and any other entities the employees of which are eligible to receive ISOs under the Code. If an ISO is granted to a Greater Than 10% Shareholder, the exercise price will not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value on the Option’s grant date, and the term of the Option will not exceed five years. All ISOs will be subject to and construed consistently with Section 422 of the Code. By accepting an ISO, the Participant agrees to give prompt notice to the Company of dispositions or other transfers (other than in connection with a Change in Control) of Shares acquired under the Option made within (i) two years from the grant date of the Option or (ii) one year after the transfer of such Shares to the Participant, specifying the date of the disposition or other transfer and the amount the Participant realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, in such disposition or other transfer. Neither the Company nor the Administrator will be liable to a Participant, or any other party, if an ISO fails or ceases to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code. Any ISO or portion thereof that fails to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code for any reason, including becoming exercisable with respect to Shares having a fair market value exceeding the $100,000 limitation under Treasury Regulation Section 1.422-4, will be a Non-Qualified Option.

 

(h)          Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan, no individual acting as a director, officer, other employee or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary will be liable to any Participant, former Participant, spouse, beneficiary, or any other person for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan or any Award, and such individual will not be personally liable with respect to the Plan because of any contract or other instrument executed in his or her capacity as an Administrator, director, officer, other employee or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary. As a condition to accepting an Award under the Plan, each Participant (i) agrees to not make any claim against the Company, the Group or any of its officers, Directors, Employees or Subsidiaries related to tax or social security liabilities arising from such Award or other Company or Group compensation and (ii) acknowledges that such Participant was advised to consult with his or her own personal tax, financial and other legal advisors regarding the tax and social security consequences of the Award and has either done so or knowingly and voluntarily declined to do so. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each director, officer, other employee and agent of the Company or any Subsidiary that has been or will be granted or delegated any duty or power relating to the Plan’s administration or interpretation, against any cost or expense (including attorneys’ fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim with the Administrator’s approval) arising from any act or omission concerning this Plan unless arising from such person’s own fraud or bad faith.

 

(i)         No Obligation to Notify or Minimize Taxes. Except as required by Applicable Laws the Company has no duty or obligation to any Participant to advise such Participant as to the time or manner of exercising such Award. Furthermore, the Company has no duty or obligation to warn or otherwise advise such Participant of a pending termination or expiration of an Award or a possible period in which the Award may not be exercised. The Company has no duty or obligation to minimize the tax or social security consequences of an Award to the holder of such Award and will not be liable to any holder of an Award for any adverse tax or social security consequences to such holder in connection with an Award.

 

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(j)           Data Privacy.

 

(i)           As a condition for receiving any Award, each Participant acknowledges that the Company and any Subsidiary may collect, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, personal data as described in this section by and among the Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates exclusively for implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan. The Company (as above) may hold certain personal information about a Participant, including the Participant’s name, address and telephone number; birthdate; social security, insurance number or other identification number; salary; nationality; job title(s); any Shares held in the Company (as above); and Award details, to implement, manage and administer the Plan and Awards (the “Data”). The Company (as above) may transfer the Data amongst themselves as necessary to implement, administer and manage a Participant’s participation in the Plan, and the Company (as above) may transfer the Data to third parties assisting the Company with Plan implementation, administration and management. These recipients may be located in the Participant’s country, or elsewhere, and the Participant’s country may have different data privacy laws and protections than the recipients’ country. By accepting an Award, each Participant acknowledges that such recipients may receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, to implement, administer and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan, including any required Data transfer to a broker or other third party with whom the Company or the Participant may elect to deposit any Shares. The Data related to a Participant will be held only as long as necessary to implement, administer, and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan. A Participant may, at any time, view the Data that the Company holds regarding such Participant, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data regarding such Participant and recommend any necessary corrections to the Data regarding the Participant in writing, without cost, by contacting the local human resources representative.

 

(ii)           For the purpose of operating the Plan in the European Union, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, the Company will collect and process information relating to Participants in accordance with the privacy notice which is provided to each Participant.

 

(k)           Severability. If any portion of the Plan or any Award Agreement or any action taken thereunder is held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity will not affect the remaining parts of the Plan or such Award Agreement, and the Plan and such Award Agreement will be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provisions had been excluded, and the illegal or invalid action will be null and void.

 

(l)          Governing Documents. If any contradiction occurs between the Plan and any Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company (or any Subsidiary) that the Administrator has approved, the Plan will govern, unless it is expressly specified in such Award Agreement or other written document that a specific provision of the Plan will not apply.

 

All Awards will be subject to Applicable Laws on insider trading and dealing and any specific insider trading, window period and/or dealing policy adopted by the Company.

 

(m)          Governing Law and Jurisdiction. The Plan and all Awards, including any non-contractual obligations arising in connection therewith, will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, disregarding any jurisdiction’s choice-of-law principles requiring the application of a jurisdiction’s laws other than that of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear any dispute.

 

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(n)           Claw-back Provisions. All Awards (including any proceeds, gains or other economic benefit the Participant actually or constructively receives upon receipt or exercise of any Award or the receipt or resale of any Shares underlying the Award) will be subject to any Company claw-back policy that may be adopted from time to time to the extent such policy applies to the relevant Participant, including any claw-back policy adopted to comply with Applicable Laws (including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder) as set forth in such claw-back policy or the Award Agreement , to the extent applicable and permissible under Applicable Laws. No recovery of compensation under such a claw-back policy will be an event giving rise to a Participant’s right to voluntary terminate employment upon a “resignation for good reason,” or for a “constructive termination” or any similar term under any plan of or agreement with the Company.

 

(o)          Other Group Company policies. All Awards (including any proceeds, gains or other economic benefit the Participant actually or constructively receives upon receipt or exercise of any Award or the receipt or resale of any Shares underlying the Award) will be subject to any relevant Company or Group Company policy to the extent such policy applies to the relevant Participant, including but not limited to any remuneration policy and/or share retention, ownership, or holding policy that may be adopted from time to time.

 

(p)            Titles and Headings. The titles and headings in the Plan are for convenience of reference only and, if any conflict, the Plan’s text, rather than such titles or headings, will control.

 

(q)           Conformity to Applicable Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan is intended to conform to the extent necessary with Applicable Laws. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Plan and all Awards will be administered only in conformance with Applicable Laws. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, the Plan and all Award Agreements will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws and may be unilaterally cancelled by the Company (with the effect that all Participant’s rights thereunder lapse with immediate effect) if the Administrator determines in its reasonable discretion that such conformity is not possible or practicable.

 

(r)           Relationship to Other Benefits. No payment under the Plan will be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare or other benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary except as expressly provided in writing in such other plan or an agreement thereunder.

 

(s)            Broker-Assisted Sales. In the event of a broker-assisted sale of Shares in connection with the payment of amounts owed by a Participant under or with respect to the Plan or Awards: (a) any Shares to be sold through the broker-assisted sale will be sold (subject in all cases to the Administrator having regard to the orderly marketing and disposal of such Shares, and having the discretion to delay broker-assisted sales for such reasons) on the day the payment first becomes due, or as soon thereafter as practicable; (b) such Shares may be sold as part of a block trade with other Participants in the Plan in which all Participants receive an average price; (c) the applicable Participant will be responsible for all broker’s fees and other costs of sale, and by accepting an Award, each Participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Company harmless from any losses, costs, damages, or expenses relating to any such sale; (d) to the extent the Company or its designee receives proceeds of such sale that exceed the amount owed, the Company will pay such excess in cash to the applicable Participant as soon as reasonably practicable; (e) the Company and its designees are under no obligation to arrange for such sale at any particular price; and (f) in the event the proceeds of such sale are insufficient to satisfy the Participant’s applicable obligation, the Participant may be required to pay immediately upon demand to the Company or its designee, or the Company or any Subsidiary may withhold from any payment to be made to the Participant (including but not limited to that Participant’s salary), an amount in cash sufficient to satisfy any remaining portion of the Participant’s obligation.

 

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(t)            Change in Time Commitment. In the event a Participant’s regular level of time commitment in the performance of his or her services for the Company and any Subsidiary is reduced (for example, and without limitation, if the Participant is an Employee of the Company and the Employee has a change in status from a full-time Employee to a part-time Employee or takes an extended leave of absence) after the date of grant of any Award to the Participant, the Administrator may determine, to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, to (i) make a corresponding reduction in the number of shares or cash amount subject to any portion of such Award that is scheduled to vest or become payable after the date of such change in time commitment, and (ii) in lieu of or in combination with such a reduction, subject to compliance with Applicable Laws, including, without limitation, Section 409A, extend the vesting or payment schedule applicable to such Award. In the event of any such reduction, the Participant will have no right with respect to any portion of the Award that is so reduced or extended.

 

(u)            Deferrals. To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may determine that the delivery of Shares or the payment of cash, upon the exercise, vesting or settlement of all or a portion of any Award may be deferred and may also establish programs and procedures for deferral elections to be made by Participants.

 

11.           VALID ISSUANCE.

 

If the Company is unable to obtain the authority that counsel for the Company deems necessary or advisable for the lawful issuance and sale of Shares under the Plan, the Company will be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell Shares upon exercise or vesting of such Awards unless and until such authority is obtained. A Participant is not eligible for the grant of an Award or the subsequent issuance of Shares pursuant to the Award if such grant or issuance would be in violation of any Applicable Laws.

 

12.           DEFINITIONS.

 

As used in the Plan, the following words and phrases will have the following meanings:

 

(a)           ADSs” means American Depositary Shares, representing Ordinary Shares on deposit with a U.S. banking institution selected by the Company and which are registered pursuant to a Form F-6.

 

(b)            Administrator” means the Board or a Committee to the extent that the Board’s powers or authority under the Plan have been delegated to such Committee.

 

(c)            Applicable Laws” means any applicable laws, statutes, constitutions, principles of common law, resolutions, ordinances, codes, edicts, decrees, rules, listing rules, regulations, judicial decisions, rulings or requirements issued, enacted, adopted, promulgated, implemented or otherwise put into effect by or under the authority of any Governmental Body (including under the authority of any applicable self-regulating organization such as the Nasdaq Stock Market, New York Stock Exchange, or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), including without limitation: (a) the requirements relating to the administration of equity incentive plans under English, U.S. federal and state securities, tax and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, the applicable rules of any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Shares are listed or quoted and the applicable laws and rules of any other country or jurisdiction where Awards are granted; and (b) corporate, securities, tax or other laws, statutes, rules, requirements or regulations, whether U.S. federal, state, local or foreign, applicable in the United Kingdom, United States or any other relevant jurisdiction.

 

(d)           Award” means, individually or collectively, a grant under the Plan of Options, Share Appreciation Rights, Restricted Shares, Restricted Share Units, or Other Share Based Awards.

 

(e)           Award Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a Participant evidencing an Award, which may be electronic. The Award Agreement generally consists of the grant notice and the agreement that contains such terms and conditions as the Administrator determines, consistent with and subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

(f)            Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company (or its designee).

 

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(g)           Cause” means (i) if a Participant is a party to a written employment or consulting agreement with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or an Award Agreement in which the term “cause” is defined (a “Relevant Agreement”), “Cause” as defined in the Relevant Agreement, and (ii) if no Relevant Agreement exists, (A) the Administrator’s determination that the Participant failed to substantially perform the Participant’s duties (other than a failure resulting from the Participant’s Disability); (B) the Administrator’s determination that the Participant failed to carry out, or comply with any lawful directive of the Board or the Participant’s immediate supervisor; (C) the occurrence of any act or omission by the Participant that could reasonably be expected to result in (or has resulted in) the Participant’s conviction, plea of no contest, plea of nolo contendere, or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or indictable offence or crime involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude (or equivalent in any jurisdiction); (D) the Participant’s unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on the premises of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or while performing the Participant’s duties and responsibilities for the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (E) the Participant’s commission of (or attempted commission of) an act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, misconduct, or breach of fiduciary duty against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (F) the Participant’s unauthorized use or disclosure of the confidential information or trade secrets of the Company or any Subsidiary; or (G) the Participant’s material violation of any contract or agreement between the Participant and the Company (or Subsidiary) or of any statutory duty owed to the Company (or Subsidiary) or such Participant’s material failure to comply with the written policies or rules of the Company (or Subsidiary).

 

(h)          Change in Control” means and includes each of the following:

 

(i)            a Sale; or

 

(ii)           a Takeover.

 

The Administrator shall have full and final authority, which shall be exercised in its sole discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change in Control has occurred pursuant to the above definition, the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control and any incidental matters relating thereto; provided that any exercise of authority in conjunction with a determination of whether a Change in Control is a “change in control event” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) shall be consistent with such regulation.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Plan, the term Change in Control shall not include a sale of assets, merger or other transaction effected exclusively for the purpose of changing the domicile of the Company.

 

(i)            Code” means the US Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations issued thereunder.

 

(j)          Committee” means one or more committees or subcommittees of the Board, which may include one or more Company directors or executive officers, to the extent Applicable Laws permit. To the extent required to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3, it is intended that each member of the Committee will be, at the time the Committee takes any action with respect to an Award that is subject to Rule 16b-3, a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3; however, a Committee member’s failure to qualify as a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 will not invalidate any Award granted by the Committee that is otherwise validly granted under the Plan.

 

(k)           Company” means Exscientia Plc, registered in England and Wales with company number 13483814, or any successor.

 

(l)           Control” has the meaning given in section 995(2) of the UK Income Tax Act 2007, unless otherwise specified.

 

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(m)            Corporate Event” has the meaning given to it in Section 8(b).

 

(n)            CSOP Sub-Plan” means the CSOP Sub-Plan to the Plan adopted by the Board.

 

(o)           Designated Beneficiary” means: (i) a Participant’s personal representative appointed on Participant’s death; or (ii) if the Administrator permits from time to time in its discretion, the beneficiary or beneficiaries a Participant designates, in a manner the Administrator determines, to receive amounts due or exercise the Participant’s rights if the Participant dies or becomes incapacitated.

 

(p)            Director” means a Board member.

 

(q)           Disability” means a permanent and total disability under Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, as amended, and will be determined by the Administrator on the basis of such medical evidence as the Administrator deems warranted under the circumstances.

 

(r)            Effective Datemeans the date of adoption of the Plan by the Board.

 

(s)           Employee” means any employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

(t)           Equity Restructuring” means any return of capital (including a share dividend), bonus issue of shares or other Company securities by way of capitalization of profits, share split, reverse share split, spin-off, rights offering, re-designation, redenomination, consolidation recapitalization through a large, nonrecurring cash dividend, or any similar equity restructuring transaction, that affects the number or class of Shares (or other Company securities) or the nominal value of Shares (or other Company securities) and causes a change in the per share value of the Shares underlying outstanding Awards. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the conversion of any convertible securities of the Company will not be treated as an Equity Restructuring.

 

(u)            Exchange Act” means the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(v)            Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, the value of the Shares (as determined on a per share or aggregate basis, as applicable) determined as follows:

 

(i)            If the Shares are listed on any established stock exchange or traded on any established market, the Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for such Shares as quoted on such exchange or market (or the exchange or market with the greatest volume of trading in the Shares) on the date of determination, as reported in a source the Administrator deems reliable.

 

(ii)            If there is no closing sales price for the Shares on the date of determination, then the Fair Market Value will be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

 

(iii)          In the absence of such markets for the Shares, or if otherwise determined by the Administrator, the Fair Market Value will be determined by the Administrator in good faith.

 

(w)           Governmental Body” means any: (a) nation, state, commonwealth, province, territory, county, municipality, district or other jurisdiction of any nature; (b) United Kingdom, U.S. federal, state, local, municipal, foreign or other government; (c) governmental or regulatory body, or quasi-governmental body of any nature (including any governmental division, department, administrative agency or bureau, commission, authority, instrumentality, official, ministry, fund, foundation, center, organization, unit, body or entity and any court or other tribunal, and for the avoidance of doubt, any tax authority) or other body exercising similar powers or authority; or (d) self-regulatory organization (including the Nasdaq Stock Market, New York Stock Exchange, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority).

 

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(x)            Greater Than 10% Shareholder” means an individual then owning (within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of equity securities of the Company or its parent or subsidiary corporation, as defined in Section 424(e) and (f) of the Code, respectively.

 

(y)            Group” means the Company and its Subsidiaries (references to “Group Company” shall be construed accordingly).

 

(z)            IPO Date” means the date of the underwriting agreement between the Company and the underwriter(s) managing the initial public offering of the Company’s ADSs, pursuant to which the ADSs are priced for the initial public offering.

 

(aa)      ISO” means an Option intended to be, and that qualifies as, an “incentive stock option” as defined in Section 422 of the Code.

 

(bb)     Materially Impair” means any amendment to the terms of the Award that materially adversely affects the Participant’s rights under the Award. A Participant's rights under an Award will not be deemed to have been Materially Impaired by any such amendment if the Administrator, in its sole discretion, determines that the amendment, taken as a whole, does not materially impair the Participant's rights. For example, the following types of amendments to the terms of an Award do not Materially Impair the Participant’s rights under the Award: (i) imposition of reasonable restrictions on the minimum number of shares subject to an Option that may be exercised; (ii) to maintain the qualified status of the Award as an ISO under Section 422 of the Code; (iii) to change the terms of an ISO in a manner that disqualifies, impairs or otherwise affects the qualified status of the Award as an ISO under Section 422 of the Code; (iv) to clarify the manner of exemption from, or to bring the Award into compliance with or qualify it for an exemption from, Section 409A; or (v) to comply with other Applicable Laws.

 

(cc)      Non-Employee Sub-Plan” means the Non-Employee Sub-Plan to the Plan adopted by the Board.

 

(dd)      Non-Qualified Option” means an Option not intended or not qualifying as an ISO.

 

(ee)      Option” means an option to purchase Shares.

 

(ff)      Ordinary Share” means an ordinary share of GBP[Ÿ] each in the capital of the Company.

 

(gg)      Other Share Based Awards” means awards of Shares, and other awards valued wholly or partially by referring to, or are otherwise based on, Shares or other property, including the appreciation in value thereof (e.g., options or share rights with an exercise price or strike price less than 100% of the Fair Market Value at the time of grant), that may be granted either alone or in addition to Awards provided for under Section 5 and Section 6.

 

(hh)      Participant” means a Service Provider who has been granted an Award.

 

(ii)         Plan” means this 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.

 

(jj)      Prior Plans” means (i) the Exscientia Company Share Option Plan originally adopted by the Scottish Company on 27 November 2019; (ii) the Exscientia Unapproved Share Option Plan originally adopted by the Scottish Company on 13 February 2018 and the RSU Sub-Plan thereto; (iii) The Exscientia Enterprise Management Incentive Plan originally adopted by the Scottish Company on 29 February 2016 (each as subsequently amended from time to time and as assumed or adopted by the Company prior to the Effective Date).

 

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(kk)      Quarter Date” means each of [1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October], or such other date as may be specified in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(ll)       Restricted Shares” means Shares awarded to a Participant under Section 6 subject to certain vesting conditions and other restrictions.

 

(mm)      Restricted Share Unit” means an unfunded, unsecured right to receive, on the applicable settlement date, one Share (or, if specified in the Award Agreement, other consideration determined by the Administrator to be of equal value as of such settlement date), subject to certain vesting conditions and other restrictions provided that nothing contained in the Plan or any Award Agreement, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, will create or be construed to create a trust of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between a Participant and the Company or a Subsidiary or any other person.

 

(nn)      Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act or any successor to Rule 16b-3, as in effect from time to time.

 

(oo)        Sale” means the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (in one transaction or a series of transactions).

 

(pp)      Scottish Company” means Exscientia Limited registered in Scotland with company number SC428761.

 

(qq)     Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and all regulations, guidance, compliance programs and other interpretative authority thereunder.

 

(rr)      Securities Act” means the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(ss)      Service Provider” means an Employee, Director or Consultant, provided that Consultants and Directors who are not Employees are only considered “Service Providers” eligible to be granted Awards under the Non-Employee Sub-Plan.

 

(tt)      Share” means an Ordinary Share, or the equivalent number of ADSs equal to an Ordinary Share.

 

(uu)      Share Appreciation Right” means a Share Appreciation right granted under Section 5.

 

(vv)      Share Reserve” has the meaning given to it in Section 4(a).

 

(ww)      Subsidiary” has the meaning as set out in section 1159 of the UK Companies Act 2006.

 

(xx)         Substitute Awards” means Awards granted or Shares issued by the Company in assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, awards previously granted, or the right or obligation to make future awards, in each case by a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines.

 

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(yy)       Takeover” means if any person (or a group of persons acting in concert) (the “Acquiring Person”):

 

(i)          obtains Control of the Company as the result of making a general offer to:

 

(1)          acquire all of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company, which is made on a condition that, if it is satisfied, the Acquiring Person will have Control of the Company; or

 

(2)            acquire all of the shares in the Company which are of the same class as the Shares; or

 

(ii)          obtains Control of the Company as a result of a compromise or arrangement sanctioned by a court under Section 899 of the UK Companies Act 2006, or sanctioned under any other similar law of another jurisdiction; or

 

(iii)          becomes bound or entitled under Sections 979 to 985 of the UK Companies Act 2006 (or similar law of another jurisdiction) to acquire shares of the same class as the Shares; or

 

(iv)           obtains Control of the Company in any other way.

 

(zz)       Termination of Service” means the date the Participant ceases to be a Service Provider as defined in the Plan.

 

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APPENDIX 1
NON-EMPLOYEE SUB-PLAN

 

TO THE EXSCIENTIA Plc 2021 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

This sub-plan (the “Non-Employee Sub-Plan”) to the Exscientia Plc 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) governs the grant of Awards to Consultants (defined below) and Directors who are not Employees. The Non-Employee Sub-Plan incorporates all the provisions of the Plan except as modified in accordance with the provisions of this Non-Employee Sub-Plan.

 

Awards granted pursuant to the Non-Employee Sub-Plan are not granted pursuant to an “employees’ share scheme” for the purposes of UK legislation.

 

For the purposes of the Non-Employee Sub-Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall operate subject to the following modifications:

 

1.            Interpretation

 

In the Non-Employee Sub-Plan, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and expressions have the following meanings:

 

Consultant” means any person, including any adviser, engaged by the Company or any Group Company to render services to such entity if the consultant or adviser: (i) renders bona fide services to the Company or any Group Company; (ii) renders services not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction and does not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities; and (iii) is a natural person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person is treated as a Consultant only if a Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act is available to register either the offer or the sale of the Company’s securities to such person.

 

Service Provider” means a Consultant or Director who is not an Employee.

 

Termination of Service” means, subject to Section 3 below, the date the Participant ceases to be a Service Provider as defined in this Non-Employee Sub-Plan.

 

2.           Eligibility

 

Service Providers are eligible to be granted Awards under the Non-Employee Sub-Plan.

 

3.            Service Provider status and Termination of Service

 

If the Administrator so determines, a Participant who ceases to be a Service Provider for the purposes of this Non-Employee Sub-Plan and who becomes a Service Provider as defined in the Plan immediately thereafter (provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant’s service with the Company or a Subsidiary) may be considered to remain continuously a Service Provider for the purposes of the Non-Employee Sub-Plan.

 

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APPENDIX 2
CSOP SUB-PLAN

 

TO THE EXSCIENTIA Plc 2021 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

This sub-plan (the “CSOP Sub-Plan”) to the Exscientia Plc 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is intended to take effect as a Schedule 4 Company Share Option Plan. The CSOP Sub-Plan incorporates all the provisions of the Plan except as modified in accordance with the provisions of this CSOP Sub-Plan.

 

For the purposes of the CSOP Sub-Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall operate subject to the following modifications:

 

1. Interpretation

 

In the CSOP Sub-Plan, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and expressions have the following meanings:

 

(a) Acquiring Company” is a company which obtains Control of the Company in the circumstances referred to in rule 20 hereof;

 

(b) Adoption Date” is the date on which the CSOP Sub-Plan is adopted by the Board (being the Effective Date);

 

(c) Associate” has the meaning given to that expression by paragraph 12 of Schedule 4;

 

(d) Constituent Company” means any of the following:

 

(i). the Company;

 

(ii). the Scottish Company; and

 

(iii). any Eligible Company nominated by the Administrator to be a Constituent Company at the relevant time.

 

(e) Control” the meaning given to that word by Section 719 of ITEPA 2003 and “Controlled” shall be construed accordingly;

 

(f) Date of Grant” is the date on which an Option is granted under the CSOP Sub-Plan;

 

(g) Eligible Company” means any company of which the Company has Control, including any jointly owned company (as defined in paragraph 34 of Schedule 4):

 

(i). which is treated as being under the Company’s Control under paragraph 34 of Schedule 4; and

 

(ii). which is not excluded from being a Constituent Company under paragraph 34(4) of Schedule 4;

 

(h) Eligible Employee” means any Employee who:

 

(i). does not have a Material Interest (either on his own or together with one or more of his Associates), and has not had such an interest in the last 12 months; and

 

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(ii). has no Associate or Associates which has or (taken together) have a Material Interest, or had such an interest in the last 12 months; and

 

(iii). is either:

 

(A) not a director of any Constituent Company; or

 

(B) a director of a Constituent Company who is required to devote at least 25 hours per week (excluding meal breaks) to his duties;

 

(i) Employee” means an employee of a Constituent Company;

 

(j) Exercise Price” means the price at which each Share subject to an Option may be acquired on the exercise of that Option, which (subject to rule 23 hereof):

 

(i). if the Shares are to be newly issued to satisfy the exercise of the Option, may not be less than the nominal value of a Share; and

 

(ii). may not be less than the Market Value of a Share on the Date of Grant.

 

(k) Existing EMI Options” means all qualifying options (as defined in section 527 of ITEPA 2003) that have been granted as a result of employment with the Company (or any other member of a group of companies to which the Company belongs) that can still be exercised;

 

(l) Group Company” means any of the following:

 

(i). the Company;

 

(ii). a company of which the Company has Control; and

 

(iii). a jointly owned company (as defined in paragraph 34 of Schedule 4) that is:

 

(A) treated as being under the Company's Control under paragraph 34 of Schedule 4; and

 

(B) that is not excluded from being a Constituent Company under paragraph 34(4) of Schedule 4.

 

(m) HMRC” means HM Revenue and Customs;

 

(n) ITEPA 2003” means the UK Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003;

 

(o) Key Feature” means any provision of the CSOP Sub-Plan which is necessary to meet the requirements of Schedule 4;

 

(p) Market Value” means the market value of a Share as determined in accordance with the applicable provisions of Part VIII of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, and any relevant published HMRC guidance, on the relevant date. If Shares are subject to a Relevant Restriction, Market Value shall be determined as if they were not subject to a Relevant Restriction;

 

(q) Material Interest” has the meaning given to that expression by paragraph 9 of Schedule 4;

 

(r) Option” means a right to acquire Shares granted under the CSOP Sub-Plan;

 

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(s) Option Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and Participant evidencing the terms of an individual Option grant, subject to the terms and conditions of the CSOP Sub-Plan;

 

(t) Participant” means an individual who holds an Option or, where the context permits, his personal representatives;

 

(u) Redundancy” has the meaning given by the UK Employment Rights Act 1996;

 

(v) Relevant CSOP Options” means all Options granted under the Plan (and any other Schedule 4 CSOP) as a result of employment with the Company (or any other member of a group of companies to which the Company belongs) that can still be exercised;

 

(w) Relevant Restriction” means any provision included in any contract, agreement, arrangement or condition to which sections 423(2), 423(3) and 423(4) of ITEPA 2003 would apply if references in those sections to employment-related securities were references to Shares;

 

(x) Restrictions” has the meaning given to it in paragraph 36(3) of Schedule 4 to ITEPA;

 

(y) rule” means a rule of this CSOP Sub-Plan;

 

(z) Schedule 4” means Schedule 4 to ITEPA 2003;

 

(aa) Schedule 4 CSOP” means a share plan that meets the requirements of Schedule 4 to ITEPA 2003;

 

(bb) Sufficient Shares” means the smallest number of Shares that, when sold, will produce an amount at least equal to the relevant Tax Liability (after deduction of brokerage and any other charges or taxes on the sale);

 

(cc) Tax Liability” means the pounds sterling total of any PAYE income tax and primary class 1 (employee) and, to the extent specified in the applicable Option Agreement, secondary class 1 (employer) national insurance contributions that the Company or any employer (or former employer) of a Participant is liable to account for as a result of the exercise of an Option.

 

2. Companies participating in CSOP Sub-Plan

 

The companies participating in the CSOP Sub-Plan shall be each a Constituent Company.

 

3. Shares used in CSOP Sub-Plan

 

Options shall be granted over Shares which form part of the ordinary share capital of the Company which satisfy the conditions specified in paragraphs 16-18 (inclusive) and 20 of Schedule 4.

 

4. Grant of Options

 

An Option granted under the CSOP Sub-Plan shall be granted under and subject to the rules of the Plan as modified by this CSOP Sub-Plan.

 

5. Identification of Options

 

An Option Agreement issued in respect of an Option shall expressly state that it is issued in respect of an Option. An option which is not so identified shall not constitute an Option.

 

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6. Contents of Option Agreement

 

An Option Agreement issued in respect of an Option shall specify:

 

(a) the Date of Grant of the Option;

 

(b) the number of Shares subject to the Option;

 

(c) the Restrictions to which the Shares under Option are subject (if any);

 

(d) the Exercise Price;

 

(e) the vesting schedule or performance criteria imposed on the exercise of the Option (if any);

 

(f) the date(s) on which the Option will ordinarily become exercisable;

 

(g) the date(s) on which the Option will lapse; and

 

(h) a statement that:

 

(i) the Option is subject to these rules, Schedule 4 and any other legislation applying to Schedule 4 CSOPs; and

 

(ii) the provisions listed in rule 6(h)(i) shall prevail over any conflicting statement relating to the Option’s terms.

 

7. Earliest date for grant of Options

 

An Option may not be granted earlier than the Adoption Date.

 

8. Persons to whom Options may be granted

 

An Option may not be granted to an individual who is not an Eligible Employee at the Date of Grant.

 

If an Eligible Employee’s status changes to that of a Director or other Service Provider who is not an Employee, this shall be regarded as a termination of employment for the purposes of the CSOP Sub-Plan.

 

Sections 1, 2 and 5(a) of the Plan shall be construed accordingly.

 

9. Options non transferable

 

An Option shall be personal to the Eligible Employee to whom it is granted and, subject to rule 19 hereof, shall not be capable of being transferred, charged or otherwise alienated and shall lapse immediately if the Participant purports to transfer, charge or otherwise alienate the Option.

 

The Plan shall be construed accordingly.

 

10. Limit on number of Shares placed under Option under CSOP Sub-Plan

 

For the avoidance of doubt, Shares placed under Option under the CSOP Sub-Plan shall be taken into account for the purposes of Section 4 of the Plan.

 

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11. HMRC limit (£30,000)

 

11.1. An Option may not be granted to an Eligible Employee if the result of granting the Option would be that the aggregate Market Value of the Shares subject to all outstanding options granted to him under the CSOP Sub-Plan or any other Schedule 4 CSOP would exceed sterling £30,000 or such other limit as may from time to time be specified in paragraph 6 of Schedule 4. For this purpose, the United Kingdom sterling equivalent of the Market Value of a share on any day shall be determined by taking the sterling/dollar exchange rate for that day as shown in the Wall Street Journal.

 

11.2. If the grant of an Option would otherwise cause the limit in rule 11.1 above to be exceeded, it shall take effect as the grant of an Option under the CSOP Sub-Plan over the highest number of Shares which does not cause the limit to be exceeded.

 

11.3. If the grant of any share option intended to be an Option (referred to in this rule 11.3 as the “Excess Option”) would cause the total Market Value of Shares subject to:

 

(a) the Excess Option; and

 

(b) all Relevant CSOP Options held by the relevant Eligible Employee; and

 

(c) all Existing EMI Options held by the relevant Eligible Employee,

 

to exceed £250,000 (or any other amount specified in section 536(1)(e) of ITEPA 2003 at the relevant time), the whole of that Excess Option shall take effect as a share option granted outside the CSOP Sub-Plan (but under the Plan and subject to the same terms and conditions as if it were an Option) and without the tax advantages available for Options.

 

12. Exercise of Options.

 

12.1. Notwithstanding Section 5(b) of the Plan, the amount payable per Share on the exercise of an Option shall not be less than the Market Value (as defined in the CSOP Sub-Plan) of a Share on the Date of Grant and shall be stated on the Date of Grant.

 

12.2. Shares issued upon exercise of an Option will be issued only in the name of the Participant or, following his death, his personal representative.

 

12.3. A Participant may not exercise an Option at any time when the Participant:

 

(a) has a Material Interest (any interests of the Participant’s Associates being treated as belonging to the Participant for this purpose); or

 

(b) had a Material Interest in the 12 months before that time (any interests of the Participant’s Associates being treated as having belonged to the Participant for this purpose).

 

13. Performance criteria imposed on exercise of Option

 

13.1. Any performance criteria imposed on the exercise of an Option shall be:

 

(a) objective;

 

(b) such that, once satisfied, the exercise of the Option is not subject to the discretion of any person; and

 

(c) stated on the Date of Grant.

 

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13.2. If an event occurs as a result of which the Administrator considers that any performance criteria imposed on the exercise of an Option is no longer appropriate and amends or modifies the performance criteria, such amendment or modification shall:

 

(a) be fair and reasonable in the circumstances; and

 

(b) produce a measure of performance that is no more difficult to satisfy than the original.

 

14. Exercise of Options by Leavers

 

14.1. The period during which an Option shall remain exercisable following termination of employment, shall be stated at grant in the Option Agreement, which period may not thereafter be altered.

 

14.2. A Participant who ceases to be an Employee due to:

 

(a) injury;

 

(b) ill health;

 

(c) disability;

 

(d) retirement;

 

(e) Redundancy;

 

(f) the Participant’s employer ceasing to be a Group Company; or

 

(g) a relevant transfer within the meaning of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006,

 

will be a “Good Leaver” and may exercise their Option as provided in the Option Agreement during the period of six months following the date the Participant ceases to be an Employee and the Option shall lapse at the end of such exercise period to the extent it is not exercised.

 

15. Latest date for exercise of Options

 

The period during which an Option shall remain exercisable shall be stated in the Option Agreement and any Option not exercised by that time shall lapse immediately.

 

16. Tax Liabilities

 

16.1. Each Option shall include a requirement that the Participant irrevocably agrees to:

 

(a) pay to the Company, his employer or former employer (as appropriate) the amount of Tax Liability; or

 

(b) enter into arrangements to the satisfaction of the Company, his employer or former employer (as appropriate) for payment of any Tax Liability.

 

16.2. If a Participant does not fulfil his obligations under rule 16.1 in respect of any Tax Liability arising from the exercise of an Option within seven days after the date of exercise and Shares are readily saleable at that time, the Company shall withhold Sufficient Shares from the Shares which would otherwise be delivered to the Participant. From the net proceeds of sale of those withheld Shares, the Company shall pay to the employer or former employer an amount equal to the Tax Liability and shall pay any balance to the Participant.

 

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16.3. Section 9(e) of the Plan shall be construed accordingly.

 

16.4. Participants shall have no rights to compensation or damages on account of any loss in respect of Options or the CSOP Sub-Plan where such loss arises (or is claimed to arise), in whole or in part, from the CSOP Sub-Plan ceasing to be, or not qualifying as, a Schedule 4 CSOP.

 

17. Manner of payment for Shares on exercise of Options

 

The amount due on the exercise of an Option shall be paid:

 

(a) in cash or by cheque or banker’s draft and may be paid out of funds provided to the Participant on loan by a bank, broker or other person; or

 

(b) if there is a public market for Shares at the time of exercise, unless the Company otherwise determines, (A) delivery (including telephonically to the extent permitted by the Company) of an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking by a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to pay the exercise price, or (B) the Participant’s delivery to the Company of a copy of irrevocable and unconditional instructions to a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to pay the exercise price; provided that such amount is paid to the Company at such time as may be required by the Administrator.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, the amount may not be paid by the transfer to the Company of Shares or by a “net exercise”.

 

Section 5(e) of the Plan shall be construed accordingly.

 

18. Issue or transfer of Shares on exercise of Options

 

Subject only to compliance by the Participant with the rules of the CSOP Sub-Plan and to any delay necessary to complete or obtain:

 

(a) the listing of the Shares on any stock exchange on which Shares are then listed;

 

(b) such registration or other qualification of the Shares under any applicable law, rule or regulation as the Company determines is necessary or desirable;

 

the Company shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of exercise of an Option, issue or transfer to the Participant, or procure the issue or transfer to the Participant of, the number of Shares specified in the notice of exercise and shall deliver to the Participant, or procure the delivery to the Participant of, a share certificate in respect of such Shares (unless the Shares are held in uncertificated book entry form) together with, in the case of the partial exercise of an Option, an Option Agreement in respect of, or the original Option Agreement endorsed to show, the unexercised part of the Option.

 

19. Death of Participant

 

If a Participant dies, his personal representatives shall be entitled to exercise his Options for the twelve-month period following his death. If not so exercised, the Options shall lapse immediately.

 

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20. Change in Control

 

20.1. Exchange of Options

 

If a person (the “Acquiring Company”)

 

(a) a person (the “Controller”) obtains Control of the Company as a result of:

 

(i) making a general offer to acquire the whole of the issued share capital of the Company (except for any capital already held by the Controller or any person connected with the Controller) that is made on a condition such that, if it is satisfied, the person making the offer will have Control of the Company; or

 

(ii) making a general offer to acquire all the shares in the Company (except for any shares already held by the Controller or any person connected with the Controller) that are of the same class as the Shares; or

 

(b) a court sanctions a compromise or arrangement under section 899 of the Companies Act 2006 that is applicable to or affects:

 

(i) all the ordinary share capital of the Company or all the Shares of the same class as the Shares to which the Option relates; or

 

(ii) all the Shares, or all the Shares of that same class, which are held by a class of shareholders identified otherwise than by reference to their employment or directorships or their participation in a Schedule 4 CSOP; or

 

(c) shareholders become bound by a non-UK reorganisation (as defined by paragraph 35ZA of Schedule 4) that is applicable to or affects:

 

(i) all the ordinary share capital of the Company or all the Shares of the same class as the Shares to which the Option relates; or

 

(ii) all the Shares, or all the Shares of that same class, which are held by a class of shareholders identified otherwise than by reference to their employment or directorships or their participation in a Schedule 4 CSOP; or

 

(d) a person becomes bound or entitled to acquire Shares under sections 979 to 985 of the Companies Act 2006,

 

a Participant may, at any time during the period set out in rule 20.2 hereof by agreement with the Acquiring Company, release his Option in whole or in part in consideration of the grant to him of a new option (“New Option”) which is equivalent to the Option but which relates to shares in the Acquiring Company (or some other company falling within paragraph 27(2)(b) of Schedule 4) (“New Shares”).

 

20.2. Period allowed for exchange of Options

 

The period referred to in rule 20.1 is the applicable period defined in paragraph 26(3) of Schedule 4.

 

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20.3. Meaning of “equivalent”

 

The New Option shall not be regarded for the purpose of this rule 20 as equivalent to the Option unless:

 

(a) the New Shares satisfy the conditions specified in paragraphs 16 to 18 and 20 inclusive of Schedule 4; and

 

(b) save for any performance criteria imposed on the exercise of the Option, the New Option will be exercisable in the same manner as the Option and subject to the provisions of the CSOP Sub-Plan as it had effect immediately before the release of the Option; and

 

(c) the total Market Value, immediately before the release of the Option, of the Shares which were subject to the Option is equal to the total Market Value, immediately after the grant of the New Option, of the New Shares determined using a methodology agreed by HMRC; and

 

(d) the total amount payable by the Participant for the acquisition of the New Shares under the New Option is equal to the total amount that would have been payable by the Participant for the acquisition of the Shares under the Option.

 

20.4. Date of grant of New Option

 

The date of grant of the New Option shall be deemed to be the same as the Date of Grant of the Option.

 

20.5. Application of CSOP Sub-Plan to New Option

 

In the application of the CSOP Sub-Plan to the New Option, where appropriate, references to “Company” and “Shares” shall be read as if they were references to the company to whose shares the New Option relates and the New Shares, respectively.

 

20.6. Interaction with Section 8(b) of the Plan

 

(a) Reference in Section 8(b) of the Plan to cancellation, assumption or substitution, adjustment to the kind of shares, replacement or termination of Options, shall be disapplied for the purposes of the CSOP Sub-Plan.

 

(b) In the event that a “Corporate Event” does not fall within rule 20.1 above, or where it does, but an Acquiring Company does not agree to grant a New Option, or if a New Option would not be regarded as ‘equivalent’ in accordance with rule 20.3 above, the Administrator shall give written notice to the Participants and all Options shall be exercisable to the extent vested (or in full if the Administrator so determines) up to 20 days before a Corporate Event save that any Option exercised in anticipation of a transaction that does not take place will be treated as not having been exercised.

 

21. Rights attaching to Shares issued on exercise of Options

 

All Shares issued on the exercise of an Option shall, as to any voting, dividend, transfer and other rights, including those arising on a liquidation of the Company, rank equally in all respects and as one class with the Shares in issue at the date of such exercise save as regards any rights attaching to such Shares by reference to a record date prior to the date of such exercise.

 

22. Amendment of CSOP Sub-Plan

 

Notwithstanding Sections 2(a) and 10(d) of the Plan, no amendment to a Key Feature of the CSOP Sub-Plan shall take effect if, as a result of the amendment, the CSOP Sub-Plan would no longer be a Schedule 4 CSOP.

 

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23. Adjustment of Options

 

23.1. Notwithstanding Sections 2(a), 8(a) and 8(b) of the Plan, no adjustment may be made to an Option (i) other than in accordance with paragraph 22 of Schedule 4 and (ii) in the event of a demerger or payment of a capital dividend or similar event.

 

23.2. Where an adjustment to an Option is made, the total Market Value of the Shares subject to the Option and the total amount payable on the exercise of the Option before and after the adjustment must be the same.

 

24. Exercise of discretion by the Administrator

 

In exercising any discretion which it may have under the CSOP Sub-Plan, the Administrator shall act fairly and reasonably and in good faith.

 

25. No Employment or Other Service Rights.

 

The following additional wording shall be included at the end of Section 10(a) of the Plan:

 

“A Participant waives all and any rights to compensation or damages under the Plan in consequence of the termination of his office or employment with the Company or an Affiliate for any reason (including, without limitation, any breach of contract by his employer).”

 

26. Disapplication of certain provisions of Plan

 

The provisions of the Plan dealing with:

 

(a) Share Appreciation Rights (contained in Section 4(h));

 

(b) Non-Exempt U.S. Employee (contained in Section 5(f));

 

(c) Restricted Shares; Restricted Share Units (contained in Section 6)

 

(d) Other Share Based Awards (contained in Section 7);

 

(e) ISOs;

 

(f) The ability to adjust the kind of securities under Award and make cash payments (set out in Sections 8(a) and 8(b));

 

(g) Termination of Status (Section 9(e));

 

(h) The powers to amend and reprice (Section 9(g));

 

(i) Section 409A (Section 10(f));

 

(j) Change in Time Commitment (Section 10(t)); and

 

(k) The Non-Employee Sub-Plan,

 

shall not form part of, and shall be disregarded for the purposes of the CSOP Sub-Plan.

 

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APPENDIX 3
CSOP OPTION
GRANT NOTICE

 

EXSCIENTIA PLC
2021 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN: CSOP
SUB-PLAN

 

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Option Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan: CSOP Sub-Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Exscientia Plc (the “Company”).

 

The Company has granted to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the option described in this Grant Notice (the “Option”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Option Agreement attached as Exhibit A (the “Agreement”), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:  
   
Grant Date:  
   
Exercise Price per Share:  
   
Shares Subject to the Option:  
   
Restrictions to which the Shares are subject (if any): See appendix
   
Final Expiration Date: The day before the 10th anniversary of the Grant Date
   
Vesting Commencement Date:  
   
Vesting Schedule:

 

 

Please note that the tax treatment of a CSOP Option may change if the CSOP Option is exercised prior to the third anniversary of the Grant Date.

   
Type of Option CSOP Option subject to the provisions of the CSOP Sub-Plan, to Schedule 4 to the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, and any other legislation applying to Schedule 4 CSOPs. This statement shall take precedent over any conflicting statement about the terms of the Option.

 

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan, the Agreement and any Group Company policy that may be applicable to the Participant and the Option from time to time (the “Policies”) [including but not limited to the [Company’s claw-back policy / share retention policy / remuneration policy]]3. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Policies in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Policies. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

 

3 Delete as applicable

 

12

 

 

This document has been executed as a Deed and is delivered on

 

Executed as a DEED by EXSCIENTIA PLC (acting by [two directors])    
    Name:
     
    Name:
     
Executed as a Deed by PARTICIPANT in the presence of :    
    Name:

 

     

Witness Signature 

   
     

Witness Name 

   
     
     
     

Witness Address 

   
     
Witness Occupation    

 

13

 

 

Exhibit A

 

CSOP OPTION AGREEMENT

 

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

 

2. GENERAL

 

2.1. Grant of Option

 

The Company has granted to Participant the Option effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Grant Date”).

 

2.2. Incorporation of Terms of Plan

 

The Option is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

 

3. PERIOD OF EXERCISABILITY

 

3.1. Commencement of Exercisability

 

The Option will vest and become exercisable according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice (the “Vesting Schedule”) except that any fraction of a Share as to which the Option would be vested or exercisable will be accumulated and will vest and become exercisable only when a whole Share has accumulated. Notwithstanding anything in the Grant Notice, the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, unless the Administrator determines that an unvested Option shall be treated as vested in whole or in part, then the Option will immediately expire and be forfeited as to any portion that is not vested and exercisable as of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason.

 

3.2. Duration of Exercisability

 

The Vesting Schedule is cumulative. Any portion of the Option which vests and becomes exercisable will remain vested and exercisable until the Option expires. The Option will be forfeited immediately upon its expiration.

 

3.3. Expiration of Option

 

The Option may not be exercised to any extent by anyone after, and will expire on, the first of the following to occur:

 

(a) The final expiration date in the Grant Notice;

 

(b) Subject to (d) below, and except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of three (3) months from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service, unless Participant’s Termination of Service is for Cause or by reason of Participant’s death or as a Good Leaver;

 

(c) Subject to (d) below, the expiration of six (6) months from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service as a Good Leaver;

 

(d) The expiration of twelve (12) months from the date of Participant’s death, and for the avoidance of doubt, this provision shall override any prior expiry under (b) or (c) above if Participant’s death occurs before the expiry of the Option under (b) or (c) above as applicable; and

 

14

 

 

(e) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, Participant’s Termination of Service for Cause,

 

4. EXERCISE OF OPTION

 

4.1. Person Eligible to Exercise

 

During Participant’s lifetime, only Participant may exercise the Option. After Participant’s death, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time the Option expires, be exercised by Participant’s personal representative.

 

4.2. Partial Exercise Any exercisable portion of the Option or the entire Option, if then wholly exercisable, may be exercised, in whole or in part, according to the procedures in the Plan at any time prior to the time the Option or portion thereof expires, except that the Option may only be exercised for whole Shares.

 

4.3. Tax Withholding

 

(a) If Participant does not fulfil his obligations under the Plan in respect of any Tax Liability arising from the exercise of an Option within seven days after the date of exercise and Shares are readily saleable at that time, the Company shall withhold Sufficient Shares from the Shares which would otherwise be delivered to Participant. From the net proceeds of sale of those withheld Shares, the Company shall pay to Participant’s employer or former employer an amount equal to the Tax Liability and shall pay any balance to the Participant.

 

(a) Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the Option, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax and/or social security withholding obligations that arise in connection with the Option. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax and/or social security withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the Option to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax and/or social security liability.

 

(b) Depending on the circumstances, on exercise of the Option Participant may have an income tax liability under PAYE and may be required to pay National Insurance Contributions (“NICs”). If so, then:

 

(i) the Company or the company which employs Participant may require Participant to pay amounts in respect of PAYE and primary (employee) [and secondary (employer)] NICs liability in cash arising from exercise of the Option; and

 

(ii) in some circumstances the Company may withhold the number of Shares required to meet the liabilities in respect of PAYE and primary (employee) [and secondary (employer)] class 1 NICs.

 

(c) Participant’s Option may only be exercised if Participant confirms (in writing) Participant’s agreement to the requirements of the CSOP Sub-Plan relating to PAYE and NICs (rule 16). This may be done at the time of exercise.

 

15

 

 

4.4. Lock-up (Restriction)

 

By accepting the Option, Participant agrees that Participant will not sell, dispose of, transfer, make any short sale of, grant any option for the purchase of, or enter into any hedging or similar transaction with the same economic effect as a sale with respect to any Shares or other securities of the Company held by Participant, for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the effective date of a registration statement of the Company filed under the Securities Act or such longer period as the underwriters or the Company will request to facilitate compliance with FINRA Rule 2241 or any successor or similar rules or regulation (the “Lock-Up Period”); provided, however, that nothing contained in this section will prevent the exercise of a repurchase option, if any, in favor of the Company during the Lock-Up Period. Participant further agrees to execute and deliver such other agreements as may be reasonably requested by the Company or the underwriters that are consistent with the foregoing or that are necessary to give further effect thereto. In order to enforce the foregoing covenant, the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to Participant’s Shares (or other securities of the Company) until the end of such period. Participant also agrees that any transferee of any Shares (or other securities of the Company) held by Participant will be bound by this Section. The underwriters of the Company’s Shares are intended third party beneficiaries of this Section and will have the right, power and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto.

 

5. OTHER PROVISIONS

 

5.1. Option Not a Service Contract.

 

By accepting the Option, Participant acknowledges, understands and agrees that:

 

(a) the Option is not an employment or service contract, and nothing in the Option will be deemed to create in any way whatsoever any obligation on Participant’s part to continue in the employ of the Company or any Group Company, or of the Company or any Group Company to continue Participant’s employment. In addition, nothing in Participant’s Option will obligate the Company or any Group Company, their respective shareholders, boards of directors, officers or employees to continue any relationship that Participant might have as a Director or Consultant for the Company or any Group Company;

 

(b) the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature, and may be amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted under the Plan;

 

(c) the grant of the Option is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options (whether on the same or different terms), or benefits in lieu of options, even if options have been granted in the past;

 

(d) Participant’s options and any Shares acquired under the Plan on exercise of Participant’s options, and the income and value of same, are not part of normal or expected compensation for any purpose, including, without limitation, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, holiday pay, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments;

 

16

 

 

(e) the future value of the Shares underlying the Option is unknown, indeterminable, and cannot be predicted with certainty;

 

(f) neither the Company nor any Group Company shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between Participant’s local currency and the United States Dollar (or such other currency in which the Exercise Price may be denominated) that may affect the value of Participant’s options or of any amounts due to Participant pursuant to the exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of any Shares received;

 

(g) for the purposes of the Option, Participant’s status as a Service Provider will be considered terminated as of the date Participant is no longer actively providing services to the Company or one of its Group Companies (regardless of the reason for such termination and whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of Participant’s employment agreement, if any), and unless otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or determined by the Company, (i) Participant’s right to vest in the Option under the Plan, if any, and (ii) the period (if any) during which Participant may exercise the Option after such termination as a Service Provider will terminate as of such date and in each instance will not be extended by any notice period or any period of “garden leave” or similar period mandated under employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of Participant’s employment agreement, if any; and the Board shall have the exclusive discretion to determine when Participant is no longer actively providing services for purposes of the Option (including whether Participant may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence); and

 

(h) no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from forfeiture of this Option resulting from the termination of Participant’s status as a Service Provider (for any reason whatsoever, whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of his or herz employment or service agreement, if any), and in consideration of the grant of this Option to which Participant is otherwise not entitled, Participant irrevocably agrees never to institute any claim against the Company or any Group Company, waives his or her ability, if any, to bring any such claim, and release the Company and any Group Company from any such claim; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is allowed by a court of competent jurisdiction, then, by participating in the Plan, Participant shall be deemed irrevocably to have agreed not to pursue such claim and agree to execute any and all documents necessary to request dismissal or withdrawal of such claim.

 

5.2. No Advice Regarding Grant; No Liability for Taxes

 

The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding Participant’s participation in the Plan, or his or her acquisition or sale of the underlying Shares. Participant should consult with his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding his or her participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.

 

17

 

 

5.3. Adjustments

 

Participant acknowledges that the Option is subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan (with the specific provisions set out in the CSOP Sub-Plan).

 

5.4. Notices

 

Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant (or, if Participant is then deceased, to the person entitled to exercise the Option) at Participant’s last known mailing address, email address or facsimile number in the Company’s personnel files. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given when actually received, when sent by email, when sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the Royal Mail, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company.

 

5.5. Titles

 

Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

 

5.6. Conformity to Applicable Laws

 

Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

 

5.7. Successors and Assigns

 

The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

5.8. Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement and the Option will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

 

5.9. Entire Agreement The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof, with the exception of other equity awards previously granted to Participant and any written employment agreement, offer letter, severance agreement, written severance plan or policy, or other written agreement between the Company and Participant in each case that specifies the terms that should govern this Option.

 

18

 

 

5.10. Agreement Severable

 

In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

 

5.11. Limitation on Participant’s Rights

 

Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the Option, and rights no greater than the right to receive the Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the Option, as and when exercised pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

5.12. Counterparts

 

The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Laws, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

 

5.13. CSOP OptionsThis CSOP Option is subject to the provisions of the CSOP Sub-Plan and to Schedule 4 to the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003. This statement shall take precedent over any conflicting statement about the terms of the Option.

 

5.14. Choice of Law

 

The Agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales disregarding any jurisdiction’s choice-of-law principles requiring the application of a jurisdiction’s laws other than that of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear any dispute.

 

5.15. Other Documents

 

Participant hereby acknowledges receipt of or the right to receive a document providing the information required by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes the prospectus document containing the Plan information specified in Section 10(a) of the Securities Act. In addition, Participant acknowledges receipt of the Company’s Insider Trading and Window Period Policy.

 

5.16. Corporate Events.

 

The Option is subject to the terms of any agreement governing a Corporate Event involving the Company, including, without limitation, a provision for the appointment of a shareholder representative that is authorized to act on Participant’s behalf with respect to any escrow, indemnities and any contingent consideration.

 

19

 

 

Appendix

 

CSOP Options

 

Summary of Restrictions

 

The Shares are subject to the following restrictions:

 

   1  

 

 

APPENDIX 4
OPTION
GRANT NOTICE (US / UK)

 

EXSCIENTIA PLC
2021 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN [:
NON-EMPLOYEE SUB-PLAN]5

 

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Option Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan [:Non-Employee Sub-Plan]6 (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Exscientia Plc (the “Company”).

 

The Company has granted to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the option described in this Grant Notice (the “Option”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Option Agreement attached as Exhibit A (the “Agreement”), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:  
Grant Date:  
Exercise Price per Share:  
Shares Subject to the Option:  
Final Expiration Date: The day before the [10th] anniversary of the Grant Date
Vesting Commencement Date:  
Vesting Schedule7: [1/4 of the total number of Shares under Option shall vest and become exercisable on the first anniversary of the Vesting Commencement Date, and 1/12th of the remaining number of Shares under Option shall vest and become exercisable on each Quarter Date thereafter, subject to Participant remaining continuously a Service Provider as of each such date].
Type of Option8 [ISO]9[Non-Qualified Option10]

 

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan, the Agreement and any Group Company policy that may be applicable to the Participant and the Option from time to time (the “Policies”) [including but not limited to the [Company’s claw-back policy / share retention policy / remuneration policy]]11. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Policies in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Policies. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

 

5 Note to draft: For Consultants and Directors who are not Employees

6 Note to draft: For Consultants and Directors who are not Employees

7 Note to draft: Selection of applicable vesting schedule, or determination that a different vesting schedule shall apply, subject to discretion of Administrator.

8 If this is an ISO, it (plus other outstanding ISOs) cannot be first exercisable for more than $100,000 in value (measured by exercise price) in any calendar year. Any excess over $100,000 is a Non-Qualified Option.

9 Note to draft: Available only for US taxpayer employees.

10 Note to draft: For all other Service Providers.

11 Note to draft: Delete as applicable

 

   1  

 

 

By accepting this Option, Participant consents to receive this Grant Notice, the Agreement, the Plan, the Policies and any other Plan-related documents by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or another third party designated by the Company. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the US federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or other Applicable Law) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered will be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

EXSCIENTIA PLC PARTICIPANT
   
By:      
       
   
  Name   [Participant Name]
   
  Title:    

 

   2  

 

 

Exhibit A

 

OPTION AGREEMENT

 

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

 

1. GENERAL

 

1.1. Grant of Option

 

The Company has granted to Participant the Option effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Grant Date”).

 

1.2. Incorporation of Terms of Plan

 

The Option is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

 

2. PERIOD OF EXERCISABILITY

 

2.1. Commencement of Exercisability

 

The Option will vest and become exercisable according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice (the “Vesting Schedule”) except that any fraction of a Share as to which the Option would be vested or exercisable will be accumulated and will vest and become exercisable only when a whole Share has accumulated. Notwithstanding anything in the Grant Notice, the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator or provided in a binding written agreement between Participant and the Company, the Option will immediately expire and be forfeited as to any portion that is not vested and exercisable as of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason.

 

2.2. Duration of Exercisability

 

The Vesting Schedule is cumulative. Any portion of the Option which vests and becomes exercisable will remain vested and exercisable until the Option expires. The Option will be forfeited immediately upon its expiration.

 

2.3. Expiration of Option

 

The Option may not be exercised to any extent by anyone after, and will expire on, the first of the following to occur:

 

(a) The final expiration date in the Grant Notice;

 

(b) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of three (3) months from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service, unless Participant’s Termination of Service is for Cause or by reason of Participant’s death or Disability;

 

(c) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of one (1) year from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service by reason of Participant’s Disability;

 

   3  

 

 

(d) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of eighteen (18) months from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service by reason of Participant’s death;

  

(e) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, Participant’s Termination of Service for Cause;

 

(f) Immediately upon a Corporate Event if the Administrator has determined that the Option will terminate in connection with a Corporate Event;

 

(g) The day before the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Participant dies during the period provided in Section 2.3(b) or 2.3(c) above, the term of the Option shall not expire until the earlier of (i) eighteen (18) months after Participant’s death, (ii) upon any termination of the Option in connection with a Corporate Event, (iii) the Final Expiration Date indicated in the Grant Notice, or (iv) the day before the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date. Additionally, the post-termination exercise period of the Option may be extended as provided in the Plan.

 

3. EXERCISE OF OPTION

 

3.1. Person Eligible to Exercise

 

During Participant’s lifetime, only Participant may exercise the Option. After Participant’s death, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time the Option expires, be exercised by Participant’s Designated Beneficiary as provided in the Plan.

 

3.2. Partial Exercise

 

Any exercisable portion of the Option or the entire Option, if then wholly exercisable, may be exercised, in whole or in part, according to the procedures in the Plan at any time prior to the time the Option or portion thereof expires, except that the Option may only be exercised for whole Shares.

 

3.3. Tax Withholding.

 

(a) The Company has the right and option, but not the obligation, to treat Participant’s failure to provide timely payment in accordance with the Plan of any tax and/or social security withholding obligations arising in connection with the Option as Participant’s election to satisfy all or any portion of the withholding tax by requesting the Company retain Shares otherwise issuable under the Option.

 

(b) Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the Option, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax and/or social security withholding obligations that arise in connection with the Option. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax and/or social security withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the Option to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax and/or social security liability.

 

   4  

 

 

3.4. Lock-up.

 

By accepting the Option, Participant agrees that Participant will not sell, dispose of, transfer, make any short sale of, grant any option for the purchase of, or enter into any hedging or similar transaction with the same economic effect as a sale with respect to any Shares or other securities of the Company held by Participant, for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the effective date of a registration statement of the Company filed under the Securities Act or such longer period as the underwriters or the Company will request to facilitate compliance with FINRA Rule 2241 or any successor or similar rules or regulation (the “Lock-Up Period”); provided, however, that nothing contained in this section will prevent the exercise of a repurchase option, if any, in favor of the Company during the Lock-Up Period. Participant further agrees to execute and deliver such other agreements as may be reasonably requested by the Company or the underwriters that are consistent with the foregoing or that are necessary to give further effect thereto. In order to enforce the foregoing covenant, the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to Participant’s Shares (or other securities of the Company) until the end of such period. Participant also agrees that any transferee of any Shares (or other securities of the Company) held by Participant will be bound by this Section. The underwriters of the Company’s Shares are intended third party beneficiaries of this Section and will have the right, power and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto.

 

4. OTHER PROVISIONS

 

4.1. Option Not a Service Contract.

 

By accepting the Option, Participant acknowledges, understands and agrees that:

 

(a) the Option is not an employment or service contract, and nothing in the Option will be deemed to create in any way whatsoever any obligation on Participant’s part to continue in the employ of the Company or any Group Company, or of the Company or any Group Company to continue Participant’s employment. In addition, nothing in Participant’s Option will obligate the Company or any Group Company, their respective shareholders, boards of directors, officers or employees to continue any relationship that Participant might have as a Director or Consultant for the Company or any Group Company;

 

(b) the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature, and may be amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted under the Plan;

 

(c) the grant of the Option is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options (whether on the same or different terms), or benefits in lieu of options, even if options have been granted in the past;

 

(d) Participant’s options and any Shares acquired under the Plan on exercise of Participant’s options, and the income and value of same, are not part of normal or expected compensation for any purpose, including, without limitation, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, holiday pay, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments;

 

   5  

 

 

(e) the future value of the Shares underlying the Option is unknown, indeterminable, and cannot be predicted with certainty;

  

(f) neither the Company nor any Group Company shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between Participant’s local currency and the United States Dollar (or such other currency in which the Exercise Price may be denominated) that may affect the value of Participant’s options or of any amounts due to Participant pursuant to the exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of any Shares received;

 

(g) for the purposes of the Option, Participant’s status as a Service Provider will be considered terminated as of the date Participant is no longer actively providing services to the Company or one of its Group Companies (regardless of the reason for such termination and whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of Participant’s employment agreement, if any), and unless otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or determined by the Company, (i) Participant’s right to vest in the Option under the Plan, if any, and (ii) the period (if any) during which Participant may exercise the Option after such termination as a Service Provider will terminate as of such date and in each instance will not be extended by any notice period or any period of “garden leave” or similar period mandated under employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of Participant’s employment agreement, if any; and the Board shall have the exclusive discretion to determine when Participant is no longer actively providing services for purposes of the Option (including whether Participant may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence); and

 

(h) no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from forfeiture of this Option resulting from the termination of Participant’s status as a Service Provider (for any reason whatsoever, whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of his or her employment or service agreement, if any), and in consideration of the grant of this Option to which Participant is otherwise not entitled, Participant irrevocably agrees never to institute any claim against the Company or any Group Company, waives his or her ability, if any, to bring any such claim, and release the Company and any Group Company from any such claim; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is allowed by a court of competent jurisdiction, then, by participating in the Plan, Participant shall be deemed irrevocably to have agreed not to pursue such claim and agree to execute any and all documents necessary to request dismissal or withdrawal of such claim.

 

4.2. No Advice Regarding Grant; No Liability for Taxes

 

The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding Participant’s participation in the Plan, or his or her acquisition or sale of the underlying Shares. Participant should consult with his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding his or her participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.

 

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As a condition to accepting the Option, Participant hereby (a) agrees to not make any claim against the Company, Group, or any of its officers, Directors, Employees related to tax or social security liabilities arising from the Option or other Company or Group compensation and (b) acknowledges that Participant was advised to consult with Participant’s own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding the tax and social security consequences of the Option and has either done so or knowingly and voluntarily declined to do so. Additionally, if Participant is subject to tax in the United States, Participant acknowledges that the Option is exempt from Section 409A only if the exercise price per share is at least equal to the “fair market value” of a Share on the date of grant as determined by the US Internal Revenue Service and there is no other impermissible deferral of compensation associated with the Option. Additionally, as a condition to accepting the Option, Participant agrees not make any claim against the Company, Group, or any of its Officers, Directors, Employees in the event that the US Internal Revenue Service asserts that such exercise price per share is less than the “fair market value” of a Share on the date of grant as subsequently determined by the US Internal Revenue Service.

 

4.3. Adjustments

 

Participant acknowledges that the Option is subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.

 

4.4. Notices

 

Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant (or, if Participant is then deceased, to the person entitled to exercise the Option) at Participant’s last known mailing address or email address in the Company’s personnel files. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given: (i) if sent by email, when actually received; and (ii) if sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in the applicable national mail, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company.

 

4.5. Titles

 

Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

 

4.6. Conformity to Applicable Laws

 

Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws, and this Option may be unilaterally cancelled by the Company (with the effect that all Participant’s rights hereunder lapse with immediate effect) if the Administrator determines in its reasonable discretion that such conformity is not possible or practicable.

 

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4.7. Successors and Assigns

 

The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

4.8. Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement and the Option will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

 

4.9. Entire Agreement

 

The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof, with the exception of other equity awards previously granted to Participant and any written employment agreement, offer letter, severance agreement, written severance plan or policy, or other written agreement between the Company and Participant in each case that specifies the terms that should govern this Option.

 

4.10. Agreement Severable

 

In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

 

4.11. Limitation on Participant’s Rights

 

Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the Option, and rights no greater than the right to receive the Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the Option, as and when exercised pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

4.12. Counterparts

 

The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Laws, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

 

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4.13. ISO

 

If the Option is designated as an ISO:

 

(a) Participant acknowledges that to the extent the aggregate fair market value of shares (determined as of the time the option with respect to the shares is granted) with respect to which options intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, including the Option, are exercisable for the first time by Participant during any calendar year exceeds $100,000 or if for any other reason such options do not qualify or cease to qualify for treatment as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, such options (including the Option) will be treated as non-qualified options. Participant further acknowledges that the rule set forth in the preceding sentence will be applied by taking the Option and other options into account in the order in which they were granted, as determined under Section 422(d) of the Code.

 

(b) Participant also acknowledges that if the Option is exercised more than three (3) months after Participant’s Termination of Service, other than by reason of death or Disability, the Option will be taxed as a Non-Qualified Option. If the Company provides for the extended exercisability of the Option under certain circumstances for Participant’s benefit, the Option will not necessarily be treated as an ISO if Participant exercise the Option more than three (3) months after the date of Participant’s Termination of Service.

 

(c) Participant will notify the Company in writing within fifteen (15) days after the date of any disposition or other transfer of any Shares acquired under this Agreement if such disposition or other transfer is made (a) within two (2) years from the Grant Date or (b) within one (1) year after the transfer of such Shares to Participant. Such notice will specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by Participant in such disposition or other transfer.

 

4.14. Choice of Law

 

The Agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales disregarding any jurisdiction’s choice-of-law principles requiring the application of a jurisdiction’s laws other than that of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear any dispute.

 

4.15. Other Documents

 

Participant hereby acknowledges receipt of or the right to receive a document providing the information required by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes the prospectus document containing the Plan information specified in Section 10(a) of the Securities Act. In addition, Participant acknowledges receipt of the Company’s Insider Trading and Window Period Policy.

 

4.16. Corporate Events.

 

The Option is subject to the terms of any agreement governing a Corporate Event involving the Company, including, without limitation, a provision for the appointment of a shareholder representative that is authorized to act on Participant’s behalf with respect to any escrow, indemnities and any contingent consideration.

 

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4.17 Non-Exempt U.S. Employees.

 

The Option, whether or not vested, if granted to an Employee who is a non-exempt employee for purposes of the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, will not be first exercisable for any Shares until at least six months following the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in accordance with the provisions of the U.S. Worker Economic Opportunity Act, any vested portion of the Option may be exercised earlier than six months following the Grant Date in the event of (i) the Participant’s death or Disability, (ii) a Corporate Event in which the Option is not assumed, continued or substituted, (iii) a Change in Control, or (iv) the Participant’s retirement (as such term may be defined in the Agreement or another applicable agreement or, in the absence of any such definition, in accordance with the Company’s then current employment policies and guidelines). This Section 4.17 is intended to operate so that any income derived by a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise or vesting of the Option will be exempt from Participant’s regular rate of pay.

 

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APPENDIX 5
OPTION
GRANT NOTICE (INTERNATIONAL)

 

EXSCIENTIA PLC
2021 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN [:
NON-EMPLOYEE SUB-PLAN]12

 

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Option Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan [:Non-Employee Sub-Plan]13 (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Exscientia Plc (the “Company”).

 

The Company has granted to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the option described in this Grant Notice (the “Option”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Option Agreement attached as Exhibit A (including any special terms and conditions for the Participant’s country set forth in the attached appendix (the “Appendix” and together, the “Agreement”)), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:  
   
Grant Date:  
   
Exercise Price per Share:  
   
Shares Subject to the Option:  
   
Final Expiration Date: The day before the [10th] anniversary of the Grant Date
   
Vesting Commencement Date:  
   
Vesting Schedule14: [1/4 of the total number of Shares under Option shall vest and become exercisable on the first anniversary of the Vesting Commencement Date, and 1/12th of the remaining number of Shares under Option shall vest and become exercisable on each Quarter Date thereafter, subject to Participant remaining continuously a Service Provider as of each such date].
   
Type of Option Non-Qualified Option

 

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan, the Agreement and any Group Company policy that may be applicable to the Participant and the Option from time to time (the “Policies”) [including but not limited to the [Company’s claw-back policy / share retention policy / remuneration policy]]15. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Policies in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Policies. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

 

 

12 Note to draft: For Consultants and Directors who are not Employees

13 Note to draft: For Consultants and Directors who are not Employees

14 Note to draft: Selection of applicable vesting schedule, or determination that a different vesting schedule shall apply, subject to discretion of Administrator.

15 Note to draft: Delete as applicable

 

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By accepting this Option, Participant consents to receive this Grant Notice, the Agreement, the Plan, the Policies and any other Plan-related documents by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or another third party designated by the Company. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the US federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or other Applicable Law) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered will be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

EXSCIENTIA PLC   PARTICIPANT
     
By:      
       
       
  Name   [Participant Name]
       
  Title:    

 

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Exhibit A

 

OPTION AGREEMENT

 

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement (the definition of which includes any special terms and conditions for the Participant’s country set forth in the Appendix) have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

 

1. GENERAL

 

1.1. Grant of Option

 

The Company has granted to Participant the Option effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Grant Date”).

 

1.2. Incorporation of Terms of Plan

 

The Option is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

 

2. PERIOD OF EXERCISABILITY

 

2.1. Commencement of Exercisability

 

The Option will vest and become exercisable according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice (the “Vesting Schedule”) except that any fraction of a Share as to which the Option would be vested or exercisable will be accumulated and will vest and become exercisable only when a whole Share has accumulated. Notwithstanding anything in the Grant Notice, the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator or provided in a binding written agreement between Participant and the Company, the Option will immediately expire and be forfeited as to any portion that is not vested and exercisable as of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason.

 

2.2. Duration of Exercisability

 

The Vesting Schedule is cumulative. Any portion of the Option which vests and becomes exercisable will remain vested and exercisable until the Option expires. The Option will be forfeited immediately upon its expiration.

 

2.3. Expiration of Option

 

The Option may not be exercised to any extent by anyone after, and will expire on, the first of the following to occur:

 

(a) The final expiration date in the Grant Notice;

 

(b) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of three (3) months from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service, unless Participant’s Termination of Service is for Cause or by reason of Participant’s death or Disability;

 

(c) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of one (1) year from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service by reason of Participant’s Disability;

 

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(d) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of eighteen (18) months from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service by reason of Participant’s death;

 

(e) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, Participant’s Termination of Service for Cause;

 

(f) Immediately upon a Corporate Event if the Administrator has determined that the Option will terminate in connection with a Corporate Event;

 

(g) The day before the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Participant dies during the period provided in Section 2.3(b) or 2.3(c) above, the term of the Option shall not expire until the earlier of (i) eighteen (18) months after Participant’s death, (ii) upon any termination of the Option in connection with a Corporate Event, (iii) the Final Expiration Date indicated in the Grant Notice, or (iv) the day before the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date. Additionally, the post-termination exercise period of the Option may be extended as provided in the Plan.

 

3. EXERCISE OF OPTION

 

3.1. Person Eligible to Exercise

 

During Participant’s lifetime, only Participant may exercise the Option. After Participant’s death, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time the Option expires, be exercised by Participant’s Designated Beneficiary as provided in the Plan.

 

3.2. Partial Exercise

 

Any exercisable portion of the Option or the entire Option, if then wholly exercisable, may be exercised, in whole or in part, according to the procedures in the Plan at any time prior to the time the Option or portion thereof expires, except that the Option may only be exercised for whole Shares.

 

3.3. Tax Withholding.

 

(a) The Company has the right and option, but not the obligation, to treat Participant’s failure to provide timely payment in accordance with the Plan of any tax and/or social security withholding obligations arising in connection with the Option as Participant’s election to satisfy all or any portion of the withholding tax by requesting the Company retain Shares otherwise issuable under the Option.

 

(b) Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the Option, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax and/or social security withholding obligations that arise in connection with the Option. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax and/or social security withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the Option to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax and/or social security liability.

 

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3.4. Lock-up.

 

By accepting the Option, Participant agrees that Participant will not sell, dispose of, transfer, make any short sale of, grant any option for the purchase of, or enter into any hedging or similar transaction with the same economic effect as a sale with respect to any Shares or other securities of the Company held by Participant, for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the effective date of a registration statement of the Company filed under the Securities Act or such longer period as the underwriters or the Company will request to facilitate compliance with FINRA Rule 2241 or any successor or similar rules or regulation (the “Lock-Up Period”); provided, however, that nothing contained in this section will prevent the exercise of a repurchase option, if any, in favor of the Company during the Lock-Up Period. Participant further agrees to execute and deliver such other agreements as may be reasonably requested by the Company or the underwriters that are consistent with the foregoing or that are necessary to give further effect thereto. In order to enforce the foregoing covenant, the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to Participant’s Shares (or other securities of the Company) until the end of such period. Participant also agrees that any transferee of any Shares (or other securities of the Company) held by Participant will be bound by this Section. The underwriters of the Company’s Shares are intended third party beneficiaries of this Section and will have the right, power and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto.

 

4. OTHER PROVISIONS

 

4.1. Option Not a Service Contract.

 

By accepting the Option, Participant acknowledges, understands and agrees that:

 

(a) the Option is not an employment or service contract, and nothing in the Option will be deemed to create in any way whatsoever any obligation on Participant’s part to continue in the employ of the Company or any Group Company, or of the Company or any Group Company to continue Participant’s employment. In addition, nothing in Participant’s Option will obligate the Company or any Group Company, their respective shareholders, boards of directors, officers or employees to continue any relationship that Participant might have as a Director or Consultant for the Company or any Group Company;

 

(b) the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature, and may be amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted under the Plan;

 

(c) the grant of the Option is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options (whether on the same or different terms), or benefits in lieu of options, even if options have been granted in the past;

 

(d) Participant’s options and any Shares acquired under the Plan on exercise of Participant’s options, and the income and value of same, are not part of normal or expected compensation for any purpose, including, without limitation, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, holiday pay, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments;

 

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(e) the future value of the Shares underlying the Option is unknown, indeterminable, and cannot be predicted with certainty;

 

(f) neither the Company nor any Group Company shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between Participant’s local currency and the United States Dollar (or such other currency in which the Exercise Price may be denominated) that may affect the value of Participant’s options or of any amounts due to Participant pursuant to the exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of any Shares received;

 

(g) for the purposes of the Option, Participant’s status as a Service Provider will be considered terminated as of the date Participant is no longer actively providing services to the Company or one of its Group Companies (regardless of the reason for such termination and whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of Participant’s employment agreement, if any), and unless otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or determined by the Company, (i) Participant’s right to vest in the Option under the Plan, if any, and (ii) the period (if any) during which Participant may exercise the Option after such termination as a Service Provider will terminate as of such date and in each instance will not be extended by any notice period or any period of “garden leave” or similar period mandated under employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of Participant’s employment agreement, if any; and the Board shall have the exclusive discretion to determine when Participant is no longer actively providing services for purposes of the Option (including whether Participant may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence); and

 

(h) no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from forfeiture of this Option resulting from the termination of Participant’s status as a Service Provider (for any reason whatsoever, whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of his or her employment or service agreement, if any), and in consideration of the grant of this Option to which Participant is otherwise not entitled, Participant irrevocably agrees never to institute any claim against the Company or any Group Company, waives his or her ability, if any, to bring any such claim, and release the Company and any Group Company from any such claim; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is allowed by a court of competent jurisdiction, then, by participating in the Plan, Participant shall be deemed irrevocably to have agreed not to pursue such claim and agree to execute any and all documents necessary to request dismissal or withdrawal of such claim.

 

4.2. No Advice Regarding Grant; No Liability for Taxes

 

The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding Participant’s participation in the Plan, or his or her acquisition or sale of the underlying Shares. Participant should consult with his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding his or her participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.

 

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As a condition to accepting the Option, Participant hereby (a) agrees to not make any claim against the Company, Group, or any of its officers, Directors, Employees related to tax or social security liabilities arising from the Option or other Company or Group compensation and (b) acknowledges that Participant was advised to consult with Participant’s own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding the tax and social security consequences of the Option and has either done so or knowingly and voluntarily declined to do so. Additionally, if Participant is subject to tax in the United States, Participant acknowledges that the Option is exempt from Section 409A only if the exercise price per share is at least equal to the “fair market value” of a Share on the date of grant as determined by the US Internal Revenue Service and there is no other impermissible deferral of compensation associated with the Option. Additionally, as a condition to accepting the Option, Participant agrees not make any claim against the Company, Group, or any of its Officers, Directors, Employees in the event that the US Internal Revenue Service asserts that such exercise price per share is less than the “fair market value” of a Share on the date of grant as subsequently determined by the US Internal Revenue Service.

 

4.3. Adjustments

 

Participant acknowledges that the Option is subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.

 

4.4. Language

 

Participant acknowledges that he or she is sufficiently proficient in the English language, or has consulted with an advisor who is sufficiently proficient in English, so as to allow him or her to understand the terms and conditions of this Agreement. If Participant has received this Agreement, or any other document related to the Option and/or the Plan translated into a language other than English and if the meaning of the translated version is different than the English version, the English version will control.

 

4.5. Foreign Assets/Account, Exchange Control and Tax Reporting

 

Participant may be subject to foreign asset/account, exchange control and/or tax reporting requirements as a result of the acquisition, holding and/or transfer of Shares or cash (including dividends and the proceeds arising from the sale of Shares) derived from Participant’s participation in the Plan in, to and/or from a brokerage/bank account or legal entity located outside Participant’s country. The applicable laws in Participant’s country may require that he or she report such accounts, assets and balances therein, the value thereof and/or the transactions related thereto to the applicable authorities in such country. Participant may also be required to repatriate sale proceeds or other funds received as a result of his or her participation in the Plan to his or her country through a designated bank or broker within a certain time after receipt. Participant acknowledges that it is his or her responsibility to be compliant with such regulations and he or she is encouraged to consult with his or her personal legal advisor for any details.

 

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4.6. Appendix

 

Notwithstanding any provisions in this Agreement, the Option shall be subject to the special terms and conditions for Participant’s country set forth in the Appendix attached to this Agreement. Moreover, if Participant relocates to one of the countries included therein, the terms and conditions for such country will apply to Participant to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons. The Appendix constitutes part of this Agreement.

 

4.7. Notices

 

Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant (or, if Participant is then deceased, to the person entitled to exercise the Option) at Participant’s last known mailing address or email address in the Company’s personnel files. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given: (i) if sent by email, when actually received; and (ii) if sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in the applicable national mail, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company.

 

4.8. Titles

 

Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

 

4.9. Conformity to Applicable Laws

 

Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws, and this Option may be unilaterally cancelled by the Company (with the effect that all Participant’s rights hereunder lapse with immediate effect) if the Administrator determines in its reasonable discretion that such conformity is not possible or practicable.

 

4.10. Successors and Assigns

 

The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

4.11. Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement and the Option will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

 

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4.12. Entire Agreement

 

The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof, with the exception of other equity awards previously granted to Participant and any written employment agreement, offer letter, severance agreement, written severance plan or policy, or other written agreement between the Company and Participant in each case that specifies the terms that should govern this Option.

 

4.13. Agreement Severable

 

In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

 

4.14. Limitation on Participant’s Rights

 

Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the Option, and rights no greater than the right to receive the Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the Option, as and when exercised pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

4.15. Counterparts

 

The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Laws, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

 

4.16. Choice of Law

 

The Agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales disregarding any jurisdiction’s choice-of-law principles requiring the application of a jurisdiction’s laws other than that of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear any dispute.

 

4.17. Other Documents

 

Participant hereby acknowledges receipt of or the right to receive a document providing the information required by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes the prospectus document containing the Plan information specified in Section 10(a) of the Securities Act. In addition, Participant acknowledges receipt of the Company’s Insider Trading and Window Period Policy.

 

4.18. Corporate Events.

 

The Option is subject to the terms of any agreement governing a Corporate Event involving the Company, including, without limitation, a provision for the appointment of a shareholder representative that is authorized to act on Participant’s behalf with respect to any escrow, indemnities and any contingent consideration.

 

9

 

 

APPENDIX TO OPTION AGREEMENT

 

This Appendix includes special terms and conditions that govern the Option granted to Participant under the Plan if Participant resides and/or works in one of the countries listed below.

 

The information contained herein is general in nature and may not apply to Participant’s particular situation, and Participant is advised to seek appropriate professional advice as to how the relevant laws in Participant’s country may apply to his or her situation. If Participant is a citizen or resident of a country other than the one in which he or she is currently working and/or residing, transfers employment and/or residency to another country after the Grant Date, is a Consultant, changes employment status to a consultant position, or is considered a resident of another country for local law purposes, the Company shall, in its discretion, determine the extent to which the special terms and conditions contained herein shall be applicable to Participant. References to an employer (if any) shall include any entity that engages Participant’s services.

 

10

 

 

APPENDIX 6
RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT GRANT NOTICE (US / UK)

 

EXSCIENTIA PLC
2021 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN [:
NON-EMPLOYEE SUB-PLAN]17

 

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Restricted Share Unit Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan [: Non-Employee Sub-Plan]18 (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Exscientia Plc (the “Company”).

 

The Company has granted to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the Restricted Share Units (the “RSUs”) described in this Grant Notice (the “Award”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Restricted Share Unit Agreement attached as Exhibit A (the “Agreement”), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:    
   
Grant Date:    
   
Number of RSUs:    
   
Vesting Commencement Date:    
   
Vesting Schedule19:   1/4 of the RSUs shall vest on the first anniversary of the Vesting Commencement Date, and 1/12th of the remaining RSUs shall vest on each Quarter Date thereafter, subject to Participant remaining continuously a Service Provider as of each such date.]
   
Vesting Commencement Date:    
   
Vesting Schedule20:   [TBD] .  

 

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan, the Agreement and any Group Company policy that may be applicable to the Participant and the Option from time to time (the “Policies”) [including but not limited to the [Company’s claw-back policy / share retention policy / remuneration policy]]21. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Policies in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Policies. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

 

17 Note to draft: For Consultants and Directors who are not Employees

18 For Consultants and Directors who are not Employees

19 Note to draft: Selection of applicable vesting schedule, or determination that a different vesting schedule shall apply, subject to discretion of Administrator.

20 Selection of applicable vesting schedule, or determination that a different vesting schedule shall apply, subject to discretion of Administrator.

21 Note to draft: Delete as applicable

 

11

 

 

By accepting this Award, Participant consents to receive this Grant Notice, the Agreement, the Plan, the Policies and any other Plan-related documents by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or another third party designated by the Company. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the US federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or other Applicable Law) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered will be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

EXSCIENTIA PLC   PARTICIPANT
By:      
       
  Name:   [Participant Name]
       
  Title:    

 

12

 

 

Exhibit A

 

RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT AGREEMENT

 

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

 

1. GENERAL

 

1.1 Award of RSUs.

 

The Company has granted the RSUs to Participant effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Grant Date”). Each RSU represents the right to receive one Share [or, at the option of the Company, an amount of cash, in either case,] as set forth in this Agreement. Participant will have no right to the distribution of any Shares or payment of any cash until the time (if ever) the RSUs have vested.

 

1.2 Incorporation of Terms of Plan.

 

The RSUs are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

 

1.3 Unsecured Promise.

 

The RSUs will at all times prior to settlement represent an unsecured Company obligation payable only from the Company’s general assets.

 

2. VESTING; FORFEITURE AND SETTLEMENT

 

2.1 Vesting; Forfeiture.

 

The RSUs will vest according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice except that any fraction of an RSU that would otherwise be vested will be accumulated and will vest only when a whole RSU has accumulated. In the event of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason, all unvested RSUs will immediately and automatically be cancelled and forfeited, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator or provided in a binding written agreement between Participant and the Company.

 

2.2 Settlement.

 

(a) RSUs will be paid in Shares or cash at the Company’s option as soon as administratively practicable after the vesting of the applicable RSU, but in no event more than sixty (60) days after the RSU’s vesting date (except as otherwise provided in Section 2.2(d) below). Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent permitted under Applicable Laws, the Company may delay any payment under this Agreement that the Company reasonably determines would violate Applicable Laws until the earliest date the Company reasonably determines the making of the payment will not cause such a violation.

 

13

 

 

(b) If an RSU is paid in cash, the amount of cash paid with respect to the RSU will equal the Fair Market Value of a Share on the day on which the applicable RSU vests.

 

(c) If an RSU is paid in Shares, Participant may be required to pay the nominal value thereof in the same manner as provided for Withholding Taxes below.

 

(d) If the date Shares would otherwise be distributed pursuant to Section 2.2(a) (the “Original Issuance Date”) falls on a date that is not a business day, delivery of Shares will instead occur on the next following business day. In addition, if:

 

(i) the Original Issuance Date does not occur (1) during an “open window period” applicable to Participant, as determined by the Company in accordance with the Company’s then-effective policy on trading in Company securities, or (2) on a date when Participant is otherwise permitted to sell Shares on an established stock exchange or stock market (including but not limited to under a previously established written trading plan that meets the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act and was entered into in compliance with the Company’s policies (a “10b5-1 Arrangement”)), and

 

(ii) either (1) Withholding Taxes do not apply, or (2) the Company decides, prior to the Original Issuance Date, (A) not to satisfy Withholding Taxes by withholding Shares from the Shares otherwise due, on the Original Issuance Date, to Participant under the Award, and (B) not to permit Participant to enter into a “same day sale” commitment with a broker-dealer (including but not limited to a commitment under a 10b5-1 Arrangement) and (C) not to permit Participant to pay the Withholding Taxes in cash,

 

then the Shares that would otherwise be issued to Participant on the Original Issuance Date will not be delivered on such Original Issuance Date and will instead be delivered on the first business day when Participant is not prohibited from selling Shares of the in the open public market, but, if the Company determines that Participant may be subject to taxation in the United States, in no event later than December 31 of the calendar year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs (that is, the last day of Participant’s taxable year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs), or, if and only if permitted in a manner that complies with United States Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(b)(4), no later than the date that is the 15th day of the third calendar month of the applicable year following the year in which the Shares under the Award are no longer subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(d).

 

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3. TAXATION AND TAX WITHHOLDING

 

3.1 Representation.

 

Participant represents to the Company that Participant has reviewed with Participant’s own tax advisors the tax and/or social security consequences of this Award and the transactions contemplated by the Grant Notice and this Agreement. Participant is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents.

 

3.2 Tax Withholding.

 

(a) On each vesting date, and on or before the time Participant receives a distribution of the shares underlying the RSUs, and at any other time as reasonably requested by the Company in accordance with applicable tax laws, Participant hereby authorizes any required withholding from the shares issuable to Participant and/or otherwise agree to make adequate provision in cash for any sums required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax and/or social security withholding obligations of the Company or any parent or Subsidiary that arise in connection with Participant’s RSUs (the “Withholding Taxes”). Participant hereby authorizes the Company and/or the relevant parent or Subsidiary, or their respective agents, at their discretion, to satisfy the obligations with regard to all Withholding Taxes by one or a combination of the following: (i) withholding from any compensation otherwise payable to Participant by the Company or any parent or Subsidiary; (ii) causing Participant to tender a cash payment (which may be in the form of a check, electronic wire transfer or other method permitted by the Company); (iii) withholding shares from the shares issued or otherwise issuable to Participant in connection with Participant’s RSUs with a fair market value (measured as of the date shares are issued to Participant) equal to the amount of such Withholding Taxes; provided, however, that the number of such shares so withheld will not exceed the amount necessary to satisfy the required tax and/or social security withholding obligations using the maximum statutory withholding rates for federal, state, local and, if applicable, foreign tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that are applicable to supplemental taxable income; and, provided, further, that to the extent necessary to qualify for an exemption from application of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, such share withholding procedure will be subject to the prior approval of the Company’s Remuneration Committee; or (iv) by requiring Participant to enter into a “same day sale” commitment with a broker-dealer in a manner satisfactory to the Company (including but not limited to a commitment under a 10b5-1 Arrangement).

 

15

 

 

(b) Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the RSUs, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax and/or social security withholding obligations that arise in connection with the RSUs. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax and/or social security withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or payment of the RSUs or the subsequent sale of Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the RSUs to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax and/or social security liability.

 

4. OTHER PROVISIONS

 

4.1 No Advice Regarding Grant; No Liability for Taxes

 

The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding Participant’s participation in the Plan, or his or her acquisition or sale of the underlying Shares. Participant should consult with his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding his or her participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.

 

As a condition to accepting the Award, Participant hereby (a) agrees to not make any claim against the Company, Group, or any of its officers, Directors, Employees related to tax or social security liabilities arising from the Award or other Company or Group compensation and (b) acknowledges that Participant was advised to consult with Participant’s own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding the tax and social security consequences of the Award and has either done so or knowingly and voluntarily declined to do so.

 

4.2 Adjustments.

 

Participant acknowledges that the RSUs and the Shares subject to the RSUs are subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.

 

4.3 Notices.

 

Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant at Participant’s last known mailing address or email address. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given: (i) if sent by email, when actually received; and (ii) if sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in the applicable national mail, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company.

 

4.4 Titles.

 

Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

 

16

 

 

4.5 Conformity to Securities Laws.

 

Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws, and the RSUs may be unilaterally cancelled by the Company (with the effect that all Participant’s rights hereunder lapse with immediate effect) if the Administrator determines in its reasonable discretion that such conformity is not possible or practicable.

 

4.6 Successors and Assigns.

 

The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

4.7 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement, and the RSUs will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

 

4.8 Entire Agreement.

 

The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof, with the exception of other equity awards previously granted to the Participant and any written employment agreement, offer letter, severance agreement, written severance plan or policy, or other written agreement between the Company and the Participant in each case that specifies the terms that should govern this Award.

 

4.9 Agreement Severable.

 

In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

 

17

 

 

4.10 Limitation on Participant’s Rights.

 

Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the RSUs, and rights no greater than the right to receive cash or the Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the RSUs, as and when settled pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

 

4.11 Not a Contract of Employment.

 

By accepting the Award, Participant acknowledges, understands and agrees that:

 

(a) the Award is not an employment or service contract, and nothing in the Award will be deemed to create in any way whatsoever any obligation on Participant’s part to continue in the employ of the Company or any Group Company, or of the Company or any Group Company to continue Participant’s employment. In addition, nothing in Participant’s Award will obligate the Company or any Group Company, their respective shareholders, boards of directors, officers or employees to continue any relationship that Participant might have as a Director or Consultant for the Company or any Group Company;

 

(b) the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature, and may be amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted under the Plan;

 

(c) the grant of the Award is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options (whether on the same or different terms), or benefits in lieu of options, even if options have been granted in the past;

 

(d) Participant’s Award and any Shares acquired under the Plan in respect of Participant’s Award, and the income and value of same, are not part of normal or expected compensation for any purpose, including, without limitation, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, holiday pay, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments;

 

(e) the future value of the Shares underlying the Award is unknown, indeterminable, and cannot be predicted with certainty;

 

(f) neither the Company nor any Group Company shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between Participant’s local currency and the United States Dollar (or such other currency in which the nominal value of a Share may be denominated) that may affect the value of Participant’s Award or of any amounts due to Participant pursuant to the Award or the subsequent sale of any Shares received;

 

(g) for the purposes of the Award, Participant’s status as a Service Provider will be considered terminated as of the date Participant is no longer actively providing services to the Company or one of its Group Companies (regardless of the reason for such termination and whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of Participant’s employment agreement, if any), and unless otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or determined by the Company, Participant’s right to vest in the Award under the Plan, if any, will terminate as of such date and in each instance will not be extended by any notice period or any period of “garden leave” or similar period mandated under employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of Participant’s employment agreement, if any; and the Board shall have the exclusive discretion to determine when Participant is no longer actively providing services for purposes of the Award (including whether Participant may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence); and

 

18

 

 

(h) no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from forfeiture of this Award resulting from the termination of Participant’s status as a Service Provider (for any reason whatsoever, whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of his or her employment or service agreement, if any), and in consideration of the grant of this Award to which Participant is otherwise not entitled, Participant irrevocably agrees never to institute any claim against the Company or any Group Company, waives his or her ability, if any, to bring any such claim, and release the Company and any Group Company from any such claim; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is allowed by a court of competent jurisdiction, then, by participating in the Plan, Participant shall be deemed irrevocably to have agreed not to pursue such claim and agree to execute any and all documents necessary to request dismissal or withdrawal of such claim.

 

4.12 Lock-up.

 

By accepting the Award, Participant agrees that Participant will not sell, dispose of, transfer, make any short sale of, grant any option for the purchase of, or enter into any hedging or similar transaction with the same economic effect as a sale with respect to any Shares or other securities of the Company held by Participant, for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the effective date of a registration statement of the Company filed under the Securities Act or such longer period as the underwriters or the Company will request to facilitate compliance with FINRA Rule 2241 or any successor or similar rules or regulation (the “Lock-Up Period”); provided, however, that nothing contained in this section will prevent the exercise of a repurchase option, if any, in favor of the Company during the Lock-Up Period. Participant further agrees to execute and deliver such other agreements as may be reasonably requested by the Company or the underwriters that are consistent with the foregoing or that are necessary to give further effect thereto. In order to enforce the foregoing covenant, the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to Participant’s Shares (or other securities of the Company) until the end of such period. Participant also agrees that any transferee of any Shares (or other securities of the Company) held by Participant will be bound by this Section. The underwriters of the Company’s Shares are intended third party beneficiaries of this Section and will have the right, power and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto.

 

4.13 Counterparts.

 

The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Laws, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

 

4.14 Choice of Law

 

The Agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales disregarding any jurisdiction’s choice-of-law principles requiring the application of a jurisdiction’s laws other than that of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear any dispute.

 

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4.15 Other Documents

 

Participant hereby acknowledges receipt of or the right to receive a document providing the information required by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes the prospectus document containing the Plan information specified in Section 10(a) of the Securities Act. In addition, Participant acknowledges receipt of the Company’s Insider Trading and Window Period Policy.

 

4.16 Corporate Events.

 

The Award is subject to the terms of any agreement governing a Corporate Event involving the Company, including, without limitation, a provision for the appointment of a shareholder representative that is authorized to act on Participant’s behalf with respect to any escrow, indemnities and any contingent consideration.

 

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APPENDIX 7
RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT GRANT NOTICE (INTERNATIONAL)

 

EXSCIENTIA PLC
2021 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN [:
NON-EMPLOYEE SUB-PLAN]24

 

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Restricted Share Unit Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan [: Non-Employee Sub-Plan]25 (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Exscientia Plc (the “Company”).

 

The Company has granted to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the Restricted Share Units (the “RSUs”) described in this Grant Notice (the “Award”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Restricted Share Unit Agreement attached as Exhibit A including any special terms and conditions for the Participant’s country set forth in the attached appendix (the “Appendix” and together, the “Agreement”)), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:  
   
Grant Date:  
   
Number of RSUs:  
   
Vesting Commencement Date:  
   
Vesting Schedule26: 1/4 of the RSUs shall vest on the first anniversary of the Vesting Commencement Date, and 1/12th of the remaining RSUs shall vest on each Quarter Date thereafter, subject to Participant remaining continuously a Service Provider as of each such date.]
   
Vesting Commencement Date:  
   
Vesting Schedule27: [TBD] .

 

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan, the Agreement and any Group Company policy that may be applicable to the Participant and the Option from time to time (the “Policies”) [including but not limited to the [Company’s claw-back policy / share retention policy / remuneration policy]]28. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Policies in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice, the Agreement and the Policies. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

 

24 Note to draft: For Consultants and Directors who are not Employees

25 For Consultants and Directors who are not Employees

26 Note to draft: Selection of applicable vesting schedule, or determination that a different vesting schedule shall apply, subject to discretion of Administrator.

27 Selection of applicable vesting schedule, or determination that a different vesting schedule shall apply, subject to discretion of Administrator.

28 Note to draft: Delete as applicable

 

21

 

 

By accepting this Award, Participant consents to receive this Grant Notice, the Agreement, the Plan, the Policies and any other Plan-related documents by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or another third party designated by the Company. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the US federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or other Applicable Law) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered will be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

EXSCIENTIA PLC   PARTICIPANT
By:      
       
  Name:   [Participant Name]
       
  Title:    

 

22

 

 

 

Exhibit A

 

RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT AGREEMENT

 

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement (the definition of which includes any special terms and conditions for the Participant’s country set forth in the Appendix) have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

 

1. GENERAL

 

1.1 Award of RSUs.

 

The Company has granted the RSUs to Participant effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Grant Date”). Each RSU represents the right to receive one Share or, at the option of the Company (subject to the provisions of the Appendix), an amount of cash, in either case, as set forth in this Agreement. Participant will have no right to the distribution of any Shares or payment of any cash until the time (if ever) the RSUs have vested.

 

1.2 Incorporation of Terms of Plan.

 

The RSUs are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

 

1.3 Unsecured Promise.

 

The RSUs will at all times prior to settlement represent an unsecured Company obligation payable only from the Company’s general assets.

 

2. VESTING; FORFEITURE AND SETTLEMENT

 

2.1 Vesting; Forfeiture.

 

The RSUs will vest according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice except that any fraction of an RSU that would otherwise be vested will be accumulated and will vest only when a whole RSU has accumulated. In the event of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason, all unvested RSUs will immediately and automatically be cancelled and forfeited, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator or provided in a binding written agreement between Participant and the Company.

 

2.2 Settlement.

 

(a) RSUs will be paid in Shares or cash at the Company’s option as soon as administratively practicable after the vesting of the applicable RSU, but in no event more than sixty (60) days after the RSU’s vesting date (except as otherwise provided in Section 2.2(d) below). Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent permitted under Applicable Laws, the Company may delay any payment under this Agreement that the Company reasonably determines would violate Applicable Laws until the earliest date the Company reasonably determines the making of the payment will not cause such a violation.

 

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(b) If an RSU is paid in cash, the amount of cash paid with respect to the RSU will equal the Fair Market Value of a Share on the day on which the applicable RSU vests.

 

(c) If an RSU is paid in Shares, Participant may be required to pay the nominal value thereof in the same manner as provided for Withholding Taxes below.

 

(d) If the date Shares would otherwise be distributed pursuant to Section 2.2(a) (the “Original Issuance Date”) falls on a date that is not a business day, delivery of Shares will instead occur on the next following business day. In addition, if:

 

(i) the Original Issuance Date does not occur (1) during an “open window period” applicable to Participant, as determined by the Company in accordance with the Company’s then-effective policy on trading in Company securities, or (2) on a date when Participant is otherwise permitted to sell Shares on an established stock exchange or stock market (including but not limited to under a previously established written trading plan that meets the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act and was entered into in compliance with the Company’s policies (a “10b5-1 Arrangement”)), and

 

(ii) either (1) Withholding Taxes do not apply, or (2) the Company decides, prior to the Original Issuance Date, (A) not to satisfy Withholding Taxes by withholding Shares from the Shares otherwise due, on the Original Issuance Date, to Participant under the Award, and (B) not to permit Participant to enter into a “same day sale” commitment with a broker-dealer (including but not limited to a commitment under a 10b5-1 Arrangement) and (C) not to permit Participant to pay the Withholding Taxes in cash,

 

then the Shares that would otherwise be issued to Participant on the Original Issuance Date will not be delivered on such Original Issuance Date and will instead be delivered on the first business day when Participant is not prohibited from selling Shares of the in the open public market, but, if the Company determines that Participant may be subject to taxation in the United States, in no event later than December 31 of the calendar year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs (that is, the last day of Participant’s taxable year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs), or, if and only if permitted in a manner that complies with United States Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(b)(4), no later than the date that is the 15th day of the third calendar month of the applicable year following the year in which the Shares under the Award are no longer subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(d).

 

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3. TAXATION AND TAX WITHHOLDING

 

3.1 Representation.

 

Participant represents to the Company that Participant has reviewed with Participant’s own tax advisors the tax and/or social security consequences of this Award and the transactions contemplated by the Grant Notice and this Agreement. Participant is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents.

 

3.2 Tax Withholding.

 

(a) On each vesting date, and on or before the time Participant receives a distribution of the shares underlying the RSUs, and at any other time as reasonably requested by the Company in accordance with applicable tax laws, Participant hereby authorizes any required withholding from the shares issuable to Participant and/or otherwise agree to make adequate provision in cash for any sums required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax and/or social security withholding obligations of the Company or any parent or Subsidiary that arise in connection with Participant’s RSUs (the “Withholding Taxes”). Participant hereby authorizes the Company and/or the relevant parent or Subsidiary, or their respective agents, at their discretion, to satisfy the obligations with regard to all Withholding Taxes by one or a combination of the following: (i) withholding from any compensation otherwise payable to Participant by the Company or any parent or Subsidiary; (ii) causing Participant to tender a cash payment (which may be in the form of a check, electronic wire transfer or other method permitted by the Company); (iii) withholding shares from the shares issued or otherwise issuable to Participant in connection with Participant’s RSUs with a fair market value (measured as of the date shares are issued to Participant) equal to the amount of such Withholding Taxes; provided, however, that the number of such shares so withheld will not exceed the amount necessary to satisfy the required tax and/or social security withholding obligations using the maximum statutory withholding rates for federal, state, local and, if applicable, foreign tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that are applicable to supplemental taxable income; and, provided, further, that to the extent necessary to qualify for an exemption from application of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, if applicable, such share withholding procedure will be subject to the prior approval of the Company’s Remuneration Committee; or (iv) by requiring Participant to enter into a “same day sale” commitment with a broker-dealer in a manner satisfactory to the Company (including but not limited to a commitment under a 10b5-1 Arrangement).

 

(b) Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the RSUs, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax and/or social security withholding obligations that arise in connection with the RSUs. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax and/or social security withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or payment of the RSUs or the subsequent sale of Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the RSUs to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax and/or social security liability.

 

25

 

 

4. OTHER PROVISIONS

 

4.1 No Advice Regarding Grant; No Liability for Taxes

 

The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding Participant’s participation in the Plan, or his or her acquisition or sale of the underlying Shares. Participant should consult with his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding his or her participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.

 

As a condition to accepting the Award, Participant hereby (a) agrees to not make any claim against the Company, Group, or any of its officers, Directors, Employees related to tax or social security liabilities arising from the Award or other Company or Group compensation and (b) acknowledges that Participant was advised to consult with Participant’s own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding the tax and social security consequences of the Award and has either done so or knowingly and voluntarily declined to do so.

 

4.2 Adjustments.

 

Participant acknowledges that the RSUs and the Shares subject to the RSUs are subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.

 

4.3 Language

 

The Participant acknowledges that he or she is sufficiently proficient in the English language, or has consulted with an advisor who is sufficiently proficient in English, so as to allow him or her to understand the terms and conditions of this Agreement. If the Participant has received this Agreement, or any other document related to the Award and/or the Plan translated into a language other than English and if the meaning of the translated version is different than the English version, the English version will control.

 

4.4 Foreign Assets/Account, Exchange Control and Tax Reporting

 

The Participant may be subject to foreign asset/account, exchange control and/or tax reporting requirements as a result of the acquisition, holding and/or transfer of Shares or cash (including dividends and the proceeds arising from the sale of Shares) derived from the Participant’s participation in the Plan in, to and/or from a brokerage/bank account or legal entity located outside the Participant’s country. The applicable laws in the Participant’s country may require that he or she report such accounts, assets and balances therein, the value thereof and/or the transactions related thereto to the applicable authorities in such country. the Participant may also be required to repatriate sale proceeds or other funds received as a result of his or her participation in the Plan to his or her country through a designated bank or broker within a certain time after receipt. Participant acknowledges that it is his or her responsibility to be compliant with such regulations and he or she is encouraged to consult with his or her personal legal advisor for any details.

 

26

 

 

4.5 Appendix

 

Notwithstanding any provisions in this Agreement, the Award shall be subject to the special terms and conditions for the Participant’s country set forth in the Appendix attached to this Agreement. Moreover, if the Participant relocates to one of the countries included therein, the terms and conditions for such country will apply to the Participant to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons. The Appendix constitutes part of this Agreement.

 

4.6 Notices.

 

Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant at Participant’s last known mailing address or email address. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given: (i) if sent by email, when actually received; and (ii) if sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in the applicable national mail, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company.

 

4.7 Titles.

 

Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

 

4.8 Conformity to Securities Laws.

 

Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws, and the RSUs may be unilaterally cancelled by the Company (with the effect that all Participant’s rights hereunder lapse with immediate effect) if the Administrator determines in its reasonable discretion that such conformity is not possible or practicable.

 

4.9 Successors and Assigns.

 

The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

4.10 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement, and the RSUs will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

 

27

 

 

4.11 Entire Agreement.

 

The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof, with the exception of other equity awards previously granted to the Participant and any written employment agreement, offer letter, severance agreement, written severance plan or policy, or other written agreement between the Company and the Participant in each case that specifies the terms that should govern this Award.

 

4.12 Agreement Severable.

 

In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

 

4.13 Limitation on Participant’s Rights.

 

Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the RSUs, and rights no greater than the right to receive cash or the Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the RSUs, as and when settled pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

 

4.14 Not a Contract of Employment.

 

By accepting the Award, Participant acknowledges, understands and agrees that:

 

(a) the Award is not an employment or service contract, and nothing in the Award will be deemed to create in any way whatsoever any obligation on Participant’s part to continue in the employ of the Company or any Group Company, or of the Company or any Group Company to continue Participant’s employment. In addition, nothing in Participant’s Award will obligate the Company or any Group Company, their respective shareholders, boards of directors, officers or employees to continue any relationship that Participant might have as a Director or Consultant for the Company or any Group Company;

 

28

 

 

(b) the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature, and may be amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted under the Plan;

 

(c) the grant of the Award is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options (whether on the same or different terms), or benefits in lieu of options, even if options have been granted in the past;

 

(d) Participant’s Award and any Shares acquired under the Plan in respect of Participant’s Award, and the income and value of same, are not part of normal or expected compensation for any purpose, including, without limitation, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, holiday pay, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments;

 

(e) the future value of the Shares underlying the Award is unknown, indeterminable, and cannot be predicted with certainty;

 

(f) neither the Company nor any Group Company shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between Participant’s local currency and the United States Dollar (or such other currency in which the nominal value of a Share may be denominated) that may affect the value of Participant’s Award or of any amounts due to Participant pursuant to the Award or the subsequent sale of any Shares received;

 

(g) for the purposes of the Award, Participant’s status as a Service Provider will be considered terminated as of the date Participant is no longer actively providing services to the Company or one of its Group Companies (regardless of the reason for such termination and whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of Participant’s employment agreement, if any), and unless otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or determined by the Company, Participant’s right to vest in the Award under the Plan, if any, will terminate as of such date and in each instance will not be extended by any notice period or any period of “garden leave” or similar period mandated under employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of Participant’s employment agreement, if any; and the Board shall have the exclusive discretion to determine when Participant is no longer actively providing services for purposes of the Award (including whether Participant may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence); and

 

(h) no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from forfeiture of this Award resulting from the termination of Participant’s status as a Service Provider (for any reason whatsoever, whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where Participant is employed or the terms of his or her employment or service agreement, if any), and in consideration of the grant of this Award to which Participant is otherwise not entitled, Participant irrevocably agrees never to institute any claim against the Company or any Group Company, waives his or her ability, if any, to bring any such claim, and release the Company and any Group Company from any such claim; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is allowed by a court of competent jurisdiction, then, by participating in the Plan, Participant shall be deemed irrevocably to have agreed not to pursue such claim and agree to execute any and all documents necessary to request dismissal or withdrawal of such claim.

 

29

 

 

4.15 Lock-up.

 

By accepting the Award, Participant agrees that Participant will not sell, dispose of, transfer, make any short sale of, grant any option for the purchase of, or enter into any hedging or similar transaction with the same economic effect as a sale with respect to any Shares or other securities of the Company held by Participant, for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the effective date of a registration statement of the Company filed under the Securities Act or such longer period as the underwriters or the Company will request to facilitate compliance with FINRA Rule 2241 or any successor or similar rules or regulation (the “Lock-Up Period”); provided, however, that nothing contained in this section will prevent the exercise of a repurchase option, if any, in favor of the Company during the Lock-Up Period. Participant further agrees to execute and deliver such other agreements as may be reasonably requested by the Company or the underwriters that are consistent with the foregoing or that are necessary to give further effect thereto. In order to enforce the foregoing covenant, the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to Participant’s Shares (or other securities of the Company) until the end of such period. Participant also agrees that any transferee of any Shares (or other securities of the Company) held by Participant will be bound by this Section. The underwriters of the Company’s Shares are intended third party beneficiaries of this Section and will have the right, power and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto.

 

4.16 Counterparts.

 

The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Laws, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

 

4.17 Choice of Law

 

The Agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales disregarding any jurisdiction’s choice-of-law principles requiring the application of a jurisdiction’s laws other than that of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear any dispute.

 

4.18 Other Documents

 

Participant hereby acknowledges receipt of or the right to receive a document providing the information required by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes the prospectus document containing the Plan information specified in Section 10(a) of the Securities Act. In addition, Participant acknowledges receipt of the Company’s Insider Trading and Window Period Policy.

 

4.19 Corporate Events.

 

The Award is subject to the terms of any agreement governing a Corporate Event involving the Company, including, without limitation, a provision for the appointment of a shareholder representative that is authorized to act on Participant’s behalf with respect to any escrow, indemnities and any contingent consideration.

 

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APPENDIX TO RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT AGREEMENT

 

This Appendix includes special terms and conditions that govern the Award granted to the Participant under the Plan if the Participant resides and/or works in one of the countries listed below.

 

The information contained herein is general in nature and may not apply to the Participant’s particular situation, and the Participant is advised to seek appropriate professional advice as to how the relevant laws in the Participant’s country may apply to his or her situation. If the Participant is a citizen or resident of a country other than the one in which he or she is currently working and/or residing, transfers employment and/or residency to another country after the Grant Date, is a Consultant, changes employment status to a consultant position, or is considered a resident of another country for local law purposes, the Company shall, in its discretion, determine the extent to which the special terms and conditions contained herein shall be applicable to the Participant. References to an employer (if any) shall include any entity that engages the Participant’s services. References to “you” are to the Participant.

 

Austria30

 

Exchange Control Information. If you hold Shares acquired under the Plan outside of Austria, you must submit a report to the Austrian National Bank as follows: (i) on a quarterly basis if the value of the shares of Common Stock as of any given quarter meets or exceeds €30,000,000; the deadline for filing the quarterly report is the 15th day of the month following the end of the respective quarter and (ii) on an annual basis if the value of the Shares as of December 31 meets or exceeds €5,000,000; the deadline for filing the quarterly report is the 15th day of the month following quarter-end and for filing the annual report is January 31 of the following year.

 

When you sell Shares acquired under the Plan (or receive a cash dividend) you may be required to comply with certain exchange control obligations if the cash proceeds from the sale are held outside of Austria. If the transaction volume of all cash accounts abroad exceeds €10,000,000, the movements and balances of all accounts must be reported monthly, as of the last day of the month, on or before the fifteenth day of the following month.

 

Belgium

 

[Holding Period. For a period of two years after the time that Shares have been delivered to you, you may not transfer, pledge, sell or otherwise dispose of such Shares.]31

 

Foreign Asset / Account Reporting. Belgian residents are required to report any security (e.g., shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan) or bank account established outside of Belgium on their annual tax return. In a separate report, Belgian residents are also required to provide the National Bank of Belgium with certain details regarding such foreign accounts (including the account number, bank name and country in which any such account was opened). The forms to complete this report are available on the website of the National Bank of Belgium. Belgian residents should consult with their personal tax advisors to determine their personal reporting obligations.

 

Stock Exchange Tax. A stock exchange tax applies to transactions executed by a Belgian resident through a non-Belgian financial intermediary, such as a U.S. broker. The stock exchange tax likely will apply when the Shares are sold. You should consult with your personal tax advisor for additional details on your obligations with respect to the stock exchange tax.

 

 

30 Not to be granted without seeking further local counsel advice.

31 Note to draft: Optional clause to be deleted or retained for an award depending on desired tax treatment (a holding period requirement results in more favourable tax treatment at the time of vesting / delivery of the shares).

 

31

 

 

Securities Account Tax. A securities account tax applies if the average annual value of securities (including Shares acquired under the Plan) held by you in a securities account exceeds certain thresholds, subject to certain conditions.

 

Japan

 

Foreign Asset / Account Reporting. If you hold assets outside of Japan (e.g., Shares acquired under the Plan) with a value exceeding JPY ¥50,000,000 (as of December 31 each year), you are required to comply with annual tax reporting obligations with respect to such assets. Such a report will be due by March 15 each year. You should consult with your personal tax advisor to ensure that you are properly complying with applicable reporting requirements in Japan.

 

Exchange Control Information. If you acquire Shares valued at more than JPY ¥100,000,000 in a single transaction, you must file a Report Concerning Acquisition or Transfer of Securities with the Ministry of Finance through the Bank of Japan within 20 days of the acquisition of the Shares.

 

Switzerland

 

Sole Contact and Contractual Partner Information. You acknowledge that the Award, this Agreement, the Appendices and your participation in the Plan do not create any claims against your employer, either directly or indirectly. Your sole contract and sole contractual partner regarding the Plan and the Award is the Company and the Award does not form part of your contractual compensation.

 

Continuous Service. Notwithstanding anything else in the Plan or the Agreement, a Termination of Service will be deemed to occur on the date when a termination notice is issued, regardless of whether the cessation of the employment was lawful, and shall not include any period notice of termination of employment or any period of salary continuance or deemed employment. As a result, if you receive notice of Termination of Service, you will cease to be a Service Provider on the date you receive such notice.

 

Securities Law Information. The Award is not intended to be publicly offered in or from Switzerland. Because it is considered a private offering, it is not subject to securities registration in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other materials relating to the RSUs and/or the underlying Shares: (i) constitutes a prospectus according to articles 35 et seq. of the Swiss Federal Act on Financial Services (“FinSA”); (ii) may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland to any person other than a Participant; or (iii) has been or will be filed with, approved or supervised by any Swiss reviewing body according to article 51 FinSA or any Swiss regulatory authority, including the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (“FINMA”).

 

Grant of the Award. The Award is a voluntary gratuity (Gratifikation; gratification) within the meaning of Article 322d Swiss Code of Obligations (CO) as determined at the Company's sole discretion which you have no entitlement to and which does not constitute an entitlement for a grant of further Awards or other equities in the future.

 

Vesting. You acknowledge and confirm that the Award is fully discretionary and that before the RSUs have vested you shall not have any right in regard to such RSUs.

 

Disability. For the avoidance of any doubt, “Disability” shall include, but not be limited to, any permanent disability as per the social security laws of Switzerland.

 

Social Security and Tax: You herewith directly authorize your employer to make all (if any) applicable social security, insurance and tax deductions resulting from the grant and/or vesting of the RSU or the sale of Shares from any compensation owed to you by your employer, subject to any statutory limitations. If your compensation shall not be sufficient to cover such social security, insurance and tax liabilities, you will indemnify the employer upon first demand.

 

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Cause. Cause” shall include, but not be limited to, all reasons entitling to a summary dismissal pursuant to article 337 of the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO) and all justified reasons pursuant to article 340c para. 2 CO, without limiting the definition of Cause as outlined in the Plan. You expressly acknowledge that the definition of Cause as per the Plan shall include any crime or felony under Swiss laws and any breaches against your duties and in respect of your employer, and not only in respect of the Company.

 

Language Acknowledgement. You confirm that you have read and understood the documents relating to the Plan, including the Agreement, with all terms and conditions included therein, which were provided in the English language only. You confirm that you have sufficient language capabilities to understand these terms and conditions in full.

 

Sie bestätigen, dass Sie den Plan sowie die dazugehörigen Dokumente, inklusive der Vereinbarung, mit all den darin enthaltenen Bedingungen und Voraussetzungen, welche in englischer Sprache verfasst sind, gelesen und verstanden haben. Sie bestätigen, dass Ihre Sprachkenntnisse genügend sind, um die Bedingungen und Voraussetzungen zu verstehen.

 

Vous confirmez que vous avez lu et compris les documents relatifs au plan, y compris la convention d'attribution, avec toutes les conditions qui y sont incluses, qui ont été fournies en langue anglaise uniquement. Vous confirmez que vous avez des capacités linguistiques suffisantes pour comprendre ces termes et conditions dans leur intégralité.

 

No Right against Employer. You expressly acknowledge that you shall not have any right or claim under the RSUs, the Plan or the Agreement against your employer. You expressly acknowledge and agree that you only have any right and claim against the Company as set out under the Plan and the Agreement.

 

Governing Law and Jurisdiction. You expressly acknowledge and agree to the Governing Law and Jurisdiction clause in the Plan and the Choice of Law clause in the Agreement and accept that Swiss law does not apply and that Swiss courts do not have any jurisdiction in regard to any claims under the Plan or the Agreement.

 

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Exhibit 10.20

 

The Exscientia

 

Unapproved Share Option Plan

 

 

 

 

 

Plan Rules

 

 

 

 

Adopted by the Board on 13th February 2018 and amended on 25th September 2019
and 1st April 2021

 

 

 

Plan Rules

 

Definitions

 

1.1 In these Rules (and, where applicable, any Option Agreement) the following words and expressions shall have the following meanings:

 

“Acting in Concert” the meaning given in the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers as in force at the date of an Option Agreement
“Articles” the Articles of Association of the Company as amended from time to time
“Auditors” the auditors of the Company from time to time or such other competent professional agreed by the parties or in the absence of an agreement, as appointed by the Board
“Bad Leaver” a Participant who, on the occasion of a Cessation of Employment, is not a Good Leaver
“Board” the Board of directors of the Company or a duly authorised committee of the Board
“Business Sale” the sale of the Majority Value of the assets of the business to a company which is not a Group Company, or to a person or persons Acting in Concert, where Majority Value is defined as the greater part of the gross assets of the business (including intellectual property and goodwill) as certified by the Auditors acting as experts and not as arbitrators
“Cessation of Employment” the occasion on which a Participant ceases to hold any office or employment in any Group Company and does not continue as, or become, an officer or employee of any other Group Company, and the time and date of cessation shall be the date on which the Participant shall have ceased to be an officer or employee of any Group Company, or the date of death or, if the Participant is absent from work by reason of maternity, paternity or adoption leave, the time and date when the Participant ceases to be entitled to exercise their right under the Employment Rights Act 1996 to return to work in any Group Company
“Company” Exscientia Limited, CRN SC 428761, with registered office at Dundee Incubator, James Lindsay Place, Dundee, United Kingdom, DD1 5JJ
“Company Reorganisation” the meaning given to that expression in Rule 5.1
“Control” the meaning given by section 719 of ITEPA
“Date of Grant” the date on which an Option is, was, or is to be granted under the terms of an Option Agreement
“Exercise Price” the price at which each Share subject to an Option may be acquired on the exercise of that Option as set out in an Option Agreement

 

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“Exit Event”

any of the following events:

 

(i)       the date of a Company Reorganisation as mentioned in Rule 5.1;

 

(ii)       a Majority Share Sale;

 

(iii)       a Business Sale;

 

(iv)       a Flotation;

 

(v)       on the commencement of a period mentioned in Rule 5.3 or 5.4; or

 

(vi)       the Company passing a resolution for voluntary winding up

 

“Flotation” the date on which any of the Company’s shares become quoted on a public stock exchange
“Good Leaver”

a Participant who, on Cessation of Employment, ceases to be employed as a result of:

 

(i)       injury, disability or illness (in each case evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Board); or

 

(ii)       ceasing to be employed with the intention of retiring; or

 

(iii)       redundancy within the meaning of the Employment Rights Act 1996; or

 

(iv)       death; or

 

(v)       a transfer to which The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 apply; or

 

(vi)       the Participant’s employing company ceasing to be a Group Company; or

 

(vii)       the Participant being declared a Good Leaver by the Board in its absolute discretion

 

“Grantor” whoever grants the Option, which may be a Group Company, the Trustees or any other person
“Group Company” the Company or any company over which the Company has Control or any company which has Control of the Company
“ITEPA” the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 from time to time amended
“Majority Share Sale” a sale on a single date, or by a series of transactions over less than a calendar month, of shares of any class in the Company together entitled to more than 50 per cent of the votes in general meeting to a person or persons Acting in Concert previously unconnected with (i) the Company, or (ii) any shareholder of record, provided that the Company may by Ordinary Resolution waive the condition that the person or persons Acting in Concert must be unconnected

 

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“New Holding Company” a company which has obtained Control of the Company (including where a person and others Acting in Concert with him together obtain Control of the Company) where the consideration received by holders of ordinary shares in the Company consists wholly of shares in the company obtaining Control of the Company and where the identity and proportion of the shareholders of the company obtaining Control of the Company are substantially similar to those prior to the change of Control
“Option” a right to acquire Shares granted in accordance with an Option Agreement
“Option Agreement” an agreement entered into between the Grantor and a Participant in accordance with these Rules under which the Grantor offers and the Participant accepts an Option
“Participant” an individual to whom an Option is granted including his personal representatives where the context so admits
“Plan” The Exscientia Unapproved Share Option Plan
“Rules” these present rules of the Plan
“Share” or “Shares” either Ordinary or B Ordinary Shares of 0.001 each in the capital of the Company which rank pari passu with all other shares of the same class but subject to the rights and restrictions set down in any Shareholders’ Agreement and the Articles, or an equivalent number of the Company’s American Depositary Shares representing such shares
“Shareholders’ Agreement” any shareholders’ agreement made between the shareholders of the Company as may be in force and as amended from time to time
“Trustees” the trustees of an employee benefit trust within the meaning of section 1166 Companies Act 2006
“Vest”, “Vests” or “Vested” the circumstances in which all, or part of, an Option will become capable of exercise
“Vesting Conditions” conditions attached to an Option which determine the circumstances in which all or part of an Option will Vest
“Vesting Schedule” a schedule attached to an Option Agreement containing the Vesting Conditions

 

1.2 Where the context so admits the singular shall include the plural and vice versa and the masculine shall include the feminine.

 

1.3 Any reference to any enactment includes a reference to that enactment as from time to time modified, extended or re-enacted.

 

1.4 If any question, dispute or disagreement arises as to the interpretation of these Rules or any Option Agreement the decision of the Grantor shall (except as regard any matter regarded to be determined by the Auditors hereunder) be final and binding upon all persons.

 

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2. Grant of the Option

 

2.1 An Option shall be granted by the Grantor and a Participant executing by deed an Option Agreement.

 

2.2 Following the grant of an Option the Grantor shall as soon as reasonably practicable issue to the Participant a certificate in respect of the Option making reference to the terms of the Option Agreement and these Rules and stating the date on which the Option was granted.

 

2.3 Notwithstanding any other provision of the Rules:

 

(i) the grant of an Option pursuant to these Rules shall not form part of any contract of employment between any Group Company and a Participant;

 

(ii) unless expressly so provided in his contract of employment, a Participant has no right to be granted an Option;

 

(iii) the benefit to a Participant of any Options held by him shall not form any part of his remuneration or count as his remuneration for any purpose and shall not be pensionable;

 

(iv) the rights granted to a Participant under any Option shall not give the Participant any right or entitlement to claim any compensation or damages in consequence of the loss or termination of his office or employment with any Group Company for any reason and whether or not such loss or termination of office or employment is found to be wrongful or inn breach of any contract (whether of the Plan, the Option Agreement or any other agreement); and

 

(v) a Participant shall not be entitled to claim any compensation or damages (or any other remedy) for any loss by reason that the Participant is unable to exercise any Option in consequence of the loss or termination of his office or employment with any Group Company for any reason and whether or not such loss or termination of office or employment is found to be wrongful or in breach of any contract (whether of the Plan, the Option Agreement or any other agreement) including as a result of the exercise by any Group Company (or the Grantor) of any discretion (or failure to exercise any discretion) that is found to be an unreasonable exercise of such discretion); and

 

(vi) by accepting the grant of an Option and not renouncing it, a Participant is deemed to have agreed to the provisions of this Rule 2.3.

 

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3. Exercise of Option

 

3.1 Subject to this Rule 3, an Option shall be exercisable only in accordance with the conditions contained in the relevant Option Agreement.

 

3.2 An Option may be exercised in whole or in part provided that, on any day, an Option may be exercised over no fewer than the less of:

 

(i) 25 per cent. of the Shares over which an Option has Vested;

 

(ii) the total number of Shares over which an Option remains exercisable at that time; and

 

(iii) such other number as the Board may determine.

 

3.3 When an Option is exercised in part, the balance (to the extent that it has not lapsed) shall remain exercisable on the same terms as originally applied to the whole Option and a new Option certificate shall be issued accordingly by the Grantor as soon as possible after the partial exercise.

 

3.4 Save where the context otherwise permits, or if otherwise determined by the Board, a Vested Option shall be capable of exercise on any business day, subject to the notice period required under Rule 7.

 

3.5 The acquisition price on exercise of an Option shall be the Exercise Price, provided that the total exercise consideration shall be rounded up to the nearest penny. If the price is less than the nominal value of a Share then, on the exercise of the Option, the Board shall capitalise the Company’s distributable reserves and apply the same in paying up the difference between the Exercise Price and the nominal value of the Shares. In the event that the Company has no such reserves, the Participant shall pay up the difference.

 

3.6 The Participant may not exercise any part of an Option or sell Shares upon such exercise if such exercise or sale would not be permissible under any applicable law, rule or regulation including any regulation relating to insider trading.

 

4. Lapse of Option

 

4.1 An Option shall lapse as provided in the relevant Option Agreement, or if earlier, on the earliest of the following events:

 

(i) the tenth anniversary of the Date of Grant;

 

(ii) the date of Cessation of Employment if the Participant is a Bad Leaver;

 

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(iii) the date of Cessation of Employment for any part of a Good Leaver’s Option that the Board, in its discretion, has determined that the Participant may not exercise by virtue of being a Good Leaver, with any balance of the Option that the Board, in its discretion has determined may be exercised by virtue of being a Good Leaver to lapse on a date determined by the Board in its discretion, and not exceeding 90 days;

 

(iv) where the Participant is a Good Leaver by reason of his death, 12 months after the death of the Participant;

 

(v) 60 days after either a Majority Share Sale, a Company Re-organisation or a Business Sale;

 

(vi) as provided by Rule 5.2, Rule 5.3 or Rule 5.4;

 

(vii) six months after the Company passes a resolution for voluntary winding up; or

 

(viii) the Participant being adjudicated bankrupt.

 

4.2 Any purported transfer of assignment by the Participant shall cause the Option to lapse forthwith, and the Option certificate shall carry a statement to this effect, provided that, on a Participant’s death, his personal representatives may exercise the Option, subject to the Rules and the Option Agreement.

 

4.3 Neither the Company or, if different, the Grantor shall be obliged to notify the Participant if the Option is due to lapse.

 

5. Takeovers and Liquidations

 

5.1 For the purposes of this Rule 5, a Company Reorganisation means where a company (“Acquiring Company”):

 

(i) obtains Control of the Company as a result of making a general offer to acquire the whole of the issued share capital of the Company which is made on a condition such that if it is satisfied the person making the offer will have Control of the Company; or

 

(ii) obtains Control of the Company as a result of making a general offer to acquire all the shares in the Company which are of the same class as the Shares; or

 

(iii) obtains Control of the Company as a result of a compromise or arrangement sanctioned by the court under section 899 of the Companies Act 2006 (court sanction for compromise or arrangement); or

 

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(iv) becomes bound or entitled under sections 979 to 982 of the Companies Act 2006 (takeover offers; right of offeror to buy out minority shareholder) to acquire shares in the Company which are of the same class as the Shares,

 

provided always that in circumstances where Rule 5.1(A) applies, the creation of a New Holding Company shall not constitute a Company Reorganisation.

 

5.1(A) Where a New Holding Company is established, and the Board determines (with the agreement of the New Holding Company) that this Rule shall apply, Options shall be substituted for options to acquire shares (or securities representing such shares) in the New Holding Company (the “Replacement Options”) which are equivalent (as determined by the Board) to the Options provided that:

 

(i) the Rules shall apply to the Replacement Options save that, where appropriate, references to “Company” and “Shares” shall be read as if they were references to the New Holding Company and the shares (or other securities representing them) in respect of which the Replacement Options are granted, respectively; and

 

(ii) Participant consent shall not be required for a substitution of Options pursuant to this Rule to be effected.

 

5.2 If a person makes an offer for the Company which, if successful, would result in a Company Reorganisation, a Majority Share Sale or a Business Sale, the Grantor may by written notice to the Participant (an “Impending Sale Notice”) declare that all outstanding Options (which have Vested, or will Vest on the occurrence of a Company Reorganisation, a Majority Share Sale or a Business Sale in accordance with an Option Agreement) may be conditionally exercised during a period not exceeding 3 months to be specified by the Grantor in the notice and shall lapse at the end of that period. If an Option is conditionally exercised by a Participant pursuant to this Rule 5.2, the exercise shall become unconditional immediately before it becomes certain that the Company Reorganisation, Majority Share Sale or Business Sale will take place. All conditional notices of exercise shall lapse if, and when, it becomes certain that the Company Reorganisation, Majority Share Sale or Business Sale will not take place. Any Option which was subject to a lapsed exercise notice shall be unaffected and the Option shall continue as before. The Grantor may at its discretion include in the Impending Sale Notice a requirement that the Participant must give a valid and irrevocable power of attorney (“POA”) in favour of a director of the Company nominated by the Grantor conferring on such person the authority to do all things (including executing all documents) necessary to exercise the Participant’s Option to the fullest extent possible permitted by the relevant Option Agreement and, at the discretion of the Grantor, to sell the Shares acquired through exercise of the Option, provided that such authority to sell Shares shall be exercised only pursuant to a Company Reorganisation or a Majority Share Sale and the terms of any such sale and the value of the consideration to be received on a sale taking into account the terms of sale shall in the reasonable opinion of the Board not be inferior to the best terms on which any other share is sold pursuant to the Company Reorganisation or the Majority Share Sale. If a Participant is required by an Impending Sale Notice to give a POA and does not do so within any reasonable time limit set by the Grantor of receiving such notice the relevant Option shall immediately lapse.

 

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5.3 If a person proposes to obtain Control of the Company in pursuance of a compromise or arrangement sanctioned by the court, as referred to in Rule 5.1(iii), all outstanding Options (which have Vested, or will Vest on the occurrence of a Company Reorganisation or a Majority Share Sale in accordance with an Option Agreement) may be exercised, conditionally, at any time during the period beginning with the date of the meeting of the members of the Company ordered by the court and ending on the earlier of 6 months thereafter and 7 clear days before the court sanctions the compromise or arrangement. If an Option is conditionally exercised by a Participant pursuant to this Rule 5.3, the exercise shall become unconditional immediately before it becomes certain that the proposed compromise or arrangement will be sanctioned by the court. All conditional notices of exercise shall lapse if, and when, it becomes certain that the proposed compromise or arrangement will not be sanctioned by the court. Any Option which was subject to a lapsed exercise notice shall be unaffected and the Option shall continue as before.

 

5.4 In the case of an event falling within Rule 5.1(iv), all outstanding Options (which have Vested or will Vest on the occurrence of a Company Reorganisation in accordance with an Option Agreement) may be exercised at any time during the period beginning with the date the person serves a notice under section 979 of the Companies Act 2006 and ending 7 clear days before the date on which the person ceases to be entitled to serve such a notice. For the purposes of this Rule 5.4, the term “person” shall include two or more persons Acting in Concert.

 

6. Variation of share capital

 

6.1 In the event of any variation of the share capital of the Company by way of capitalisation (other than a scrip dividend), rights issue, consolidation, subdivision or reduction of capital or otherwise, the number of Shares subject to the Option and the Exercise Price for each of those Shares shall be adjusted in such a manner as the Auditors confirm in writing to be fair and reasonable provided that the Exercise Price for a Share is not reduced below its nominal value. For the avoidance of doubt no adjustment shall be made under this Rule in respect of any new consideration received by the Company as a result of an issue of shares.

 

7. Manner of Exercise of Options

 

7.1 An Option shall be exercised by the Participant giving notice to the Grantor in writing of the number of Shares in respect of which he wishes to exercise the Option accompanied by such arrangements for payment as are acceptable to the Grantor in its reasonable discretion and the relevant Option certificate and shall be effective on the expiry of 28 clear days, or such shorter period as the Board in its discretion shall determine, after its receipt by the Grantor.

 

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7.2 A definitive Share certificate shall be issued to the Participant within 30 days of the date of the exercise of the Option subject to the Participant entering into a deed of adherence pursuant to any Shareholders’ Agreement.

 

7.3 The Participant irrevocably agrees to enter into a joint election, under section 431(1) or section 431(2) of ITEPA in respect of the Shares to be acquired on exercise of the relevant Option, if required to do so by any Group Company, on, before or within 14 days of any date of exercise of the Option.

 

7.4 If in connection with the grant, holding and/or exercise of the Option:

 

(i) a Participant becomes liable to tax, duties (including stamp duty), national insurance contributions or any other tax, impost or amount and any Group Company is liable to make a payment to any revenue or other authority on account of the liability (including employees’ social security contributions); or

 

(ii) any Group Company becomes liable to make a payment of employer’s national insurance contributions (unless this paragraph (ii) is disapplied in the relevant Option Agreement);

 

the Participant shall as a condition of exercising the Option and before exercising the Option enter into such arrangements as the Grantor shall determine in its discretion for the purpose of ensuring that the Participant discharges all such liabilities as are mentioned in this Rule 7.4 and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Company may sell a sufficient number of Shares on exercise of the Option or require the Participant to remit to any Group Company an amount sufficient to satisfy the aforementioned liabilities.

 

7.5 All Shares allotted or transferred to a Participant following the date of exercise shall rank equally in all respects with the Shares for the time being in issue save as regards any rights attaching to such Shares by reference to a record date prior to the date of such allotment or transfer.

 

8. Miscellaneous

 

8.1 Neither the Grantor or any Group Company shall have any responsibility for the consequences (whether in relation to taxation or any other matter) of any action of a Participant in relation to his acceptance or exercise of an Option and the Participant shall be responsible for obtaining any financial or legal advice that it or he may require at his own cost.

 

Page 9 of 10

 

 

8.2 Any notice or other communication under or in connection with an Option may be given by a Participant or any Group Company or the Grantor either personally or by post; items sent by post shall be prepaid and shall be deemed to have been served 72 hours after posting.

 

8.3 The Grantor, if the Company, shall ensure that at all times it has sufficient authority to issue new Shares to satisfy the exercise to the full extent still possible of an Option or any part of it which has neither lapsed nor been fully exercised, taking account of any other obligations of the Company. The Grantor, if not the Company, shall procure that at all times it holds sufficient unencumbered Shares or irrevocable rights over such Shares to satisfy the exercise to the full extent still possible of an Option or any part of it which has neither lapsed nor been fully exercised.

 

8.4 If on the date of exercise of an Option or on any prior date any shares of the same class as the Shares are listed or quoted on a public investment exchange, the Company shall within one month of the Option exercise apply to the relevant investment exchange for permission for the Shares which have been the subject of the Option exercise to be similarly listed or quoted.

 

8.5 In order to operate the Plan, the Grantor or a Group Company needs to hold certain personal information about the Participants. If a third party is involved in operating or administering the Plan, they may also need to hold the same personal information. For Options granted on or after 25 May 2018, each Option Agreement shall contain an appropriate privacy notice.

 

8.6 Each Party shall bear its own costs in connection with these Rules and any Option Agreement subject to these Rules.

 

8.7 The Board may at its discretion make minor alterations or additions to the Rules in order to benefit the administration of the Plan, to take account of changes in legislation or to obtain or maintain favourable taxation or regulatory treatment for the Participant or the Grantor.

 

8.8 Save as otherwise provided in these Rules, a person who is not a party to an Option Agreement shall have no rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to rely upon or enforce any term of these Rules or any Bonus Agreement. This Rule shall not affect any right or remedy of a third party which exists or is available apart from that Act.

 

8.9 These Rules shall be interpreted in accordance with, and governed by, English law.

 

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EXSCIENTIA LIMITEDTHE EXSCIENTIA UNAPPROVED SHARE OPTION PLAN

 

RSU Sub Plan

 

Board adoption: 1st April 2021

 

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Exscientia Limited

 

Exscientia Unapproved Share Option Plan (the “Plan”)

 

RSU Sub Plan to the Plan

 

This RSU Sub Plan was adopted by the Board to permit the grant of Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) to such persons as the Board shall in their absolute determine (each, a “Participant”) pursuant to rule 8.7 of the Plan.

 

In the event of any inconsistency between the rules of the Plan and the rules of the RSU Sub Plan, the rules of the RSU Sub Plan shall take precedence.

 

1. DEFINITIONS

 

1.1 Unless the context otherwise requires, the words and expressions used in the Plan shall bear the same meanings in this RSU Sub Plan save to the extent the rules in this RSU Sub Plan provide to the contrary.

 

1.2 In addition:

 

Code” means the US Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any applicable regulations and guidance thereunder.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the value of the Shares (as determined on a per share or aggregate basis, as applicable) determined as follows:

 

(a) if the Shares are listed on any established stock exchange or traded on any established market, the Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for such stock as quoted on such exchange or market (or the exchange or market with the greatest volume of trading in the Shares) on the date of determination, as reported in a source the Board deems reliable.

 

(b) if there is no closing sales price for the Shares on the date of determination, then the Fair Market Value will be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

 

(c) in the absence of such markets for the Shares, or if otherwise determined by the Board, the Fair Market Value will be determined by the Board in good faith and in a manner that complies with Sections 409A and 422 of the Code.

 

Restricted Stock Units” or “RSUs” means a right to receive Shares which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of the RSU Sub Plan.

 

RSU Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of RSUs evidencing the terms and conditions of a grant of RSUs comprising a grant notice and an agreement. Each RSU Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of this RSU Sub Plan.

 

Securities Act” means the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

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2. APPLICATION OF PLAN

 

2.1 Save as modified in this RSU Sub Plan, all the provisions of the Plan shall be incorporated into this RSU Sub Plan as if fully set out herein so as to be part of this RSU Sub Plan SAVE THAT:

 

(a) rule 2.1 of the Plan shall not apply for the purposes of the RSU Sub Plan and RSUs shall be granted by resolution of the Board pursuant to which the Board approves (among other things) the identity of the Participant, the number of Shares under the RSU and the terms on which such Shares shall be delivered, and “Date of Grant” shall mean the date of such resolution;

 

(b) where applicable, references in the Plan to:

 

(i) an Option shall include an RSU;

 

(ii) an Option Agreement shall include an RSU Agreement;

 

(iii) to the exercise of an Option shall include the vesting and/or settlement of an RSU;

 

(c) Save for Rule 5.1(A), Rule 5 of the Plan shall not apply for the purposes of the RSU Sub Plan.

 

3. EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERM OF RSU SUB-PLAN

 

This RSU Sub Plan shall become effective on the date on which it is adopted by the Board. No RSUs shall be granted under this RSU Sub Plan after the earlier of (i) the completion of 10 years from the date on which this RSU Sub Plan was adopted by the Board and (ii) the occurrence of a Flotation.

 

4. AMENDMENTS

 

The Board may amend, suspend or terminate this RSU Sub Plan or any portion thereof at any time. No amendment, suspension or termination of this RSU Sub Plan may materially adversely affect any RSUs granted previously to any Participant without the consent of the Participant.

 

5. COMPLIANCE WITH CODE SECTION 409A

 

Unless otherwise set forth in an applicable RSU Agreement, the terms applicable to RSUs granted under this RSU Sub Plan will be interpreted to the greatest extent possible in a manner that makes the RSUs exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and, to the extent not so exempt, that brings the RSUs into compliance with Section 409A of the Code. The

 

Company shall have no liability to a Participant, or any other party, if an RSU that is intended to be exempt from, or compliant with, Section 409A of the Code is not so exempt or compliant or for any action taken by the Board.

 

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6. NO RIGHT TO EMPLOYMENT OR OTHER STATUS

 

No person shall have any claim or right to be granted RSUs under this RSU Sub Plan and the grant of RSUs shall not be construed as giving a Participant the right to continued employment or any other relationship with any Group Company.

 

7. AMENDMENT OF RSUs

 

The Board may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding RSU provided that the Participant’s consent to such action shall be required unless the Board determine that the action, taking into account any related action, would not materially and adversely affect the Participant.

 

8. CONDITIONS ON DELIVERY OF SHARES

 

The Company will not be obligated to deliver any Shares pursuant to this RSU Sub Plan or to remove restrictions from Shares previously delivered under this RSU Sub Plan until:

 

(a) all conditions of the RSU have been met or removed to the satisfaction of the Company;

 

(b) in the opinion of the Company’s counsel, all other legal matters in connection with the issue, allotment and delivery of such shares have been satisfied, including any applicable securities laws and any applicable stock exchange or stock market rules and regulations; and

 

(c) the Participant has executed and delivered to the Company such representations or agreements as the Company may consider appropriate to satisfy the requirements of any applicable laws, rules or regulations or as may be otherwise required to be executed by the holders of Shares at the time such Shares are delivered.

 

9. BOARD POWERS

 

The Board shall have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan and more particularly this RSU Sub Plan to:

 

(a) determine (i) who will be granted RSUs; (ii) the number of Shares subject to RSUs; (iii) when and how each RSU will be granted, vest and settled;

 

(b) construe and interpret this RSU Sub Plan and RSUs granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for administration of the RSU Sub Plan and RSUs. The Board, in the exercise of these powers, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in this RSU Sub Plan and in any RSU Agreement, in a manner and to the extent it will deem necessary or expedient to make this RSU Sub Plan or RSUs fully effective;

 

(c) accelerate, in whole or in part, the time at which RSUs may vest (or the time at which Shares may be issued in settlement thereof);

 

(d) approve forms of RSU Agreements and amend the terms of any one or more RSU Agreement without the affected Participant’s consent to clarify the manner of exemption from, or to bring the RSUs into compliance with, Section 409A of the Code, or to comply with other applicable laws; and

 

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(e) generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Board deem necessary or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company and that are not in conflict with the provisions of this RSU Sub Plan or any RSU awards.

 

10. RSU AGREEMENT

 

Each RSU Agreement will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the Board deem appropriate including the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

(a) Consideration. At the time of grant of RSUs, the Board will determine the consideration, if any, to be paid by the Participant upon delivery of each Share subject to the RSUs. The consideration to be paid (if any) by the Participant for each share of Shares subject to an RSU may be paid in any form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board, in its sole discretion, and permissible under applicable law. The Board may adjust the consideration to be paid in respect of any RSU in such manner as it considers to be fair and reasonable in the event of a variation of the share capital of the Company (provided that the amount of Consideration is not reduced below the nominal value of a Share). as described in Rule 6 of the Plan.

 

(b) Vesting. At the time of the grant of RSUs, the Board may impose such restrictions on or conditions to the vesting of the RSUs as it, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.

 

(c) Payment. RSUs may be settled by the delivery of Shares, their cash equivalent, any combination thereof or in any other form of consideration, as determined by the Board and contained in the RSU Agreement.

 

(d) Additional Restrictions. At the time of the grant of RSUs, the Board, as they deem appropriate, may impose such restrictions or conditions that delay the delivery of the Shares (or their cash equivalent) subject to RSUs to a time after the vesting of such RSUs.

 

11. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

 

11.1 No Obligation to Notify or Minimize Taxes. The Company will have no duty or obligation to warn or otherwise advise any Participant of a pending termination or expiration of RSUs or any duty or obligation to minimize the tax consequences of RSUs.

 

11.2 Securities Law Compliance. The Company will seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency having jurisdiction over this RSU Sub Plan such authority as may be required to grant RSUs and to issue and sell Shares pursuant to RSUs; provided, however, that this undertaking will not require the Company to register under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this RSU Sub Plan, any RSUs or any Shares issued or issuable pursuant to any such RSUs. If, after reasonable efforts and at a reasonable cost, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority that counsel for the Company deems necessary for the lawful issuance and sale of Shares pursuant to any RSUs, the Company will be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell Shares upon settlement of any RSUs, unless and until such authority is obtained. A Participant will not be eligible for the grant of RSUs or the subsequent issuance of cash or Shares pursuant to the RSUs if such grant or issuance would be in violation of any applicable securities law.

 

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12. MISCELLANEOUS

 

12.1 Shareholder Rights. No Participant will be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any Shares subject to RSUs unless and until (a) such Participant has satisfied all requirements for the issuance of Shares under the RSU pursuant to its terms, and (b) the issuance of the Shares subject to the RSUs have been entered into the books and records of the Company.

 

12.2 Withholding Obligations. Unless prohibited by the terms of an RSU Agreement, the Company may, in its sole discretion, satisfy any UK, US federal, US state or other local tax withholding obligation relating to RSUs by any of the following means or by a combination of such means: (a) causing the Participant to tender a cash payment; (b) withholding Shares from the Shares issued or otherwise issuable to the Participant in connection with the RSUs; provided, however, that no Shares are withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law (or such lesser amount as may be necessary to avoid classification of the RSUs as a liability for financial accounting purposes); (c) withholding cash from RSUs settled in cash; (d) withholding payment from any amounts otherwise payable to the Participant; or (e) by such other method as may be set forth in the RSU Agreement.

 

12.3 Exit Events. The following provisions will apply to RSUs in the event of an Exit Event unless otherwise provided in the instrument evidencing the RSU or any other written agreement between the Company or any Group Company and the Participant or unless otherwise expressly provided by the Board at the time of grant of an RSU. In the event of an Exit Event, then, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this RSU Sub Plan, the Board may take one or more of the following actions with respect to RSUs, contingent upon the closing or completion of the Exit Event:

 

(a) arrange for the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or the surviving or acquiring corporation’s parent company) to assume or continue the RSUs or to substitute similar RSUs for the RSUs (including, but not limited to, an award to acquire the same consideration paid to the shareholders of the Company in respect of the Shares pursuant to the Exit Event);

 

(b) accelerate the vesting, in whole or in part, of the RSUs to a date on or prior to the effective time of such Exit Event as the Board determine (or, if the Board do not determine such a date, to the date that is five days prior to the effective date of the Exit Event),

 

(c) settle all RSUs that become vested as a result of the Exit Event, or which have vested previously but for which no Shares have yet been issued as of the Exit Event, through the delivery of the Shares subject to such RSUs, at or prior to the effective time of the Exit Event (provided that, in lieu of issuing Shares, the Company may settle vested RSUs through a cash payment in respect of the Shares subject to the RSUs equal to the consideration paid to the shareholders in respect of their Shares);

 

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(d) cancel or arrange for the cancellation of the RSUs, to the extent not vested prior to the effective time of the Exit Event, in exchange for such cash consideration (including no consideration) as the Board, in their sole discretion, may consider appropriate; and

 

(e) cancel or arrange for the cancellation of the RSUs for no payment or consideration to the Participant in the case of an Exit Event that does not also qualify as a change in control event for purposes of Section 409A of the Code.

 

12.4 The Board need not take the same action or actions with respect to all RSUs or portions thereof or with respect to all Participants. The Board may take different actions with respect to the vested and unvested portions of an RSU. In the case of any RSUs being settled through a cash payment upon an Exit Event, the amount paid to the holders of RSUs may be subject to the same escrows, holdbacks, earn outs and other post-closing contingencies as the proceeds payable to the Company’s shareholders in respect of their Shares. Further, the Board, in its sole discretion, may condition a Participant’s right to receive such cash payment in connection with an Exit Event upon the Participant’s delivery of an agreement (x) acknowledging such escrows, earn outs, holdbacks or other contingencies, (y) appointing a representative to act on the Participant’s behalf following the Exit Event with respect to matters relating to the Exit Event, and/or (z) agreeing to or acknowledging any indemnification or other agreements or obligations required of recipients of proceeds pursuant to the Exit Event.

 

12.5 Adjustments. In connection with an event described in Rule 6.1 of the Plan, the class(es) and number of securities and (if applicable) the price per Share of subject to an award of RSUs will be appropriately and proportionately adjusted and such adjustment will occur automatically to the greatest extent possible.

 

13. GOVERNING LAW

 

This RSU Sub Plan and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales.

 

14. JURISDICTION

 

Each party irrevocably agrees that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with, this RSU Sub Plan or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims).

 

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Exhibit 10.21

 

Exscientia Limited

 

Rules

 

of the

 

Exscientia

 

Company Share Option Plan

 

 

 

Established by a resolution of the board of directors of the Company on 27th November 2019 and amended on 3rd April 2021

 

 

 

 

The Rules of the Exscientia Company Share Option Plan

 

1. Interpretation

 

1.1 The following definitions and rules of interpretation apply in the Plan.

 

Amendment Date: 3rd April 2021.

 

Associate: has the meaning given in paragraph 12 of Schedule 4.

 

Bad Leaver: a participant who, on the occasion of ceasing employment with a Group Company, is not a Good Leaver.

 

Board: the board of directors of the Company or a committee of directors appointed by that board to carry out any of its functions under the Plan.

 

Business Day: a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in Scotland or England when banks in London are open for business.

 

Company: Exscientia Limited incorporated and registered in Scotland under company registration number SC428761.

 

Constituent Company: any Group Company nominated by the Board to be a Constituent Company at the relevant time.

 

Control: has the meaning given in section 719 of ITEPA 2003.

 

Dilutive Shares: on any date, all shares of the Company that:

 

a) have been issued or transferred out of treasury on the exercise of options granted, and in satisfaction of any other awards made, under any Share Incentive Scheme (including the Plan) and

 

b) remain capable of issue or transfer out of treasury under any Existing Options.

 

Eligible Employee:

 

a) any employee of a Constituent Company; and

 

b) any director of a Constituent Company who is required to devote at least 25 hours per week (excluding meal breaks) to their duties;

 

who in either case:

 

a) does not have a Material Interest (either on their own or together with one or more of their Associates), and has not had such an interest in the last 12 months; and

 

b) has no Associate or Associates that has or (taken together) have a Material Interest, or had such an interest in the last 12 months.

 

 

 

 

Employee: an employee of a Group Company.

 

Employer Company: the Option Holder’s employer or former employer as applicable.

 

Exercise Price: the price at which each Share subject to an Option may be acquired on the exercise of that Option, which (subject to rule 15):

 

a) if Shares are to be newly issued to satisfy the exercise of the Option, may not be less than the nominal value of a Share; and

 

b) may not be less than the Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date (or such earlier date as determined in accordance with paragraph 22 of Schedule 4).

 

Existing CSOP Options: all:

 

a) Option; and

 

b) options granted under any other Schedule 4 CSOP that has been established by the Company or any of its Associated Companies (as defined in paragraph 35 of Schedule 4),

 

that can still be exercised.

 

Existing Option: an option or any other right to acquire or receive Shares granted under any Share Incentive Scheme (including the Plan), that remains capable of exercise, or in the case of options or rights that do not require exercise, remains capable of satisfaction.

 

Good Leaver: a Participant who, on the occasion of ceasing employment with a Group Company, ceases to be employed as a result of:

 

a) injury, disability or illness (in each case evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Board);

 

b) redundancy within the meaning of the Employment Rights Act 1996;

 

c) retirement;

 

d) the Option Holder’s employer ceasing to be a Group Company

 

e) the transfer of the business which employs the Option Holder to a person which is not a Group Company

 

f) death; or

 

g) the Participant being declared a Good Leaver by the Board in its absolute discretion.

 

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Grant Date: the date on which an Option is granted under the Plan.

 

Group Company: any of the following:

 

a) the Company;

 

b) a company of which the Company has Control and which is also a Subsidiary of the Company; and

 

c) a jointly owned company (as defined in paragraph 34 of Schedule 4) that is treated as being under the Company’s Control under paragraph 34 of Schedule 4 and that is not excluded from being a Constituent Company under paragraph 34(4) of Schedule 4.

 

HMRC: HM Revenue & Customs.

 

ITEPA 2003: Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.

 

Key Feature: any provision of the Plan that is necessary to meet the requirements of Schedule 4.

 

Market Abuse Regulation: Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on market abuse.

 

Market Value: the market value determined in accordance with the applicable provisions of Part VIII of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, and any relevant published HMRC guidance, on the relevant date and, if Shares are subject to a Relevant Restriction, Market Value shall be determined as if they were not subject to a Relevant Restriction.

 

Material Interest: has the meaning given in paragraph 9 of Schedule 4.

 

Normal Vesting Date: the earliest date on which the Option may be exercised, unless an earlier event occurs to cause the Option to lapse or become exercisable.

 

Option: a right to acquire Shares granted under the Plan.

 

Option Agreement: a certificate setting out the terms of an Option issued under rule 2.3.

 

Option Holder: an individual who holds an Option.

 

Performance Condition: any condition set under rule 3 that:

 

a) must be met before an Option can be exercised at all; and/or

 

b) provides that the extent to which an Option becomes capable of exercise shall be determined by reference to performance over a certain period measured against specified targets.

 

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Plan: the employee share option plan constituted and governed by these rules, as amended from time to time.

 

Relevant Restriction: any provision included in any contract, agreement, arrangement or condition to which any of sections 423(2), 423(3) and 423(4) of ITEPA 2003 would apply if references in those sections to employment-related securities were references to Shares.

 

Rollover Period: any period during which Options may be exchanged for options over shares in another company (under paragraph 26 of Schedule 4, rule 14.5 and rule 14.6).

 

Schedule 4: Schedule 4 to ITEPA 2003.

 

Schedule 4 CSOP: a share plan that meets the requirements of Schedule 4.

 

Share Incentive Scheme: any arrangement to provide employees and/or directors with shares.

 

Shares: £0.001 A ordinary shares in the Company (subject to rule 15) that meet the requirements of paragraphs 16 to 18 and paragraph 20 of Schedule 4.

 

Subsidiary: a subsidiary as defined in section 1159 of the Companies Act 2006.

 

Tax Liability: the total of any income tax and primary class 1 (employee) national insurance contributions and, in respect of Options granted on or after the Amendment Date, secondary class 1 (employer) national insurance contributions (or their equivalents in any jurisdiction) for which any Employer Company is or may be liable to account (or reasonably believes it is or may be liable to account) as a result of any Taxable Event.

 

Taxable Event: any event or circumstance that gives rise to a liability for the Option Holder to pay income tax, national insurance contributions or both (or their equivalents in any jurisdiction) in respect of:

 

a) the Option, including its exercise, assignment or surrender for consideration, or the receipt of any benefit in connection with it;

 

b) any Shares (or other securities or assets):

 

(i) earmarked or held to satisfy the Option;

 

(ii) acquired on exercise of the Option;

 

(iii) acquired as a result of holding the Option;

 

(iv) acquired in consideration of the assignment or surrender of the Option;

 

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(c) any securities (or other assets) acquired or earmarked as a result of holding Shares (or other securities or assets) mentioned in (b);

 

(d) entering into an election under section 430 or 431 of ITEPA 2003; or

 

(e) any amount due under PAYE in respect of securities or assets within (a) to (d) above, including any failure by the Option Holder to make good such an amount within the time limit specified in section 222 of ITEPA 2003.

 

1.2 Rule headings shall not affect the interpretation of the Plan.

 

1.3 Unless the context otherwise requires, words in the singular shall include the plural and in the plural shall include the singular.

 

1.4 Unless the context otherwise requires, a reference to one gender shall include a reference to the other genders.

 

1.5 A reference to a statute or statutory provision is a reference to it as amended, extended or re-enacted from time to time.

 

1.6 A reference to a statute or statutory provision shall include all subordinate legislation made from time to time under that statute or statutory provision.

 

1.7 A reference to writing or written includes fax and email.

 

1.8 Any obligation on a party not to do something includes an obligation not to allow that thing to be done.

 

1.9 A reference to the Plan or to any other agreement or document referred to in the Plan is a reference to the Plan or such other agreement or document as varied or novated (in each case, other than in breach of the provisions of the Plan) from time to time.

 

1.10 References to rules are to the rules of the Plan and a reference to Plan Rules shall be construed accordingly

 

1.11 Any words following the terms including, include, in particular, for example or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words, description, definition, phrase or term preceding those terms.

 

2. Grant of Options

 

2.1 Subject to the Plan Rules, the Company may grant Options to any Eligible Employee it chooses at any time.

 

2.2 Options may not be granted:

 

(a) at any time when that grant would be prohibited by, or in breach of any:

 

(i) law; or

 

(ii) the Market Abuse Regulation or any other regulation with the force of law.

 

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2.3 An Option shall be granted by the Company executing an Option Agreement as a deed in a form approved by the Board. Each Option Agreement shall be sent to the relevant Option Holder and shall specify (without limitation):

 

(a) the Grant Date;

 

(b) the number and class of the Shares over which the Option is granted;

 

(c) the Exercise Price;

 

(d) the Normal Vesting Date;

 

(e) the date when the Option will lapse, assuming that the Option is not exercised earlier and no event occurs to cause the Option to lapse earlier. This date may not be later than the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.

 

(f) any Performance Conditions, and the method by which the Performance Conditions may be varied or waived;

 

(g) a statement that:

 

(i) the Option is subject to these rules, Schedule 4 and any other legislation applying to Schedule 4 CSOPs; and

 

(ii) the provisions listed in rule (i) shall prevail over any conflicting statement relating to the Option’s terms;

 

(h) whether or not the shares are subject to any Relevant Restrictions and, if so, the nature of the Relevant Restrictions; and

 

(i) the circumstances in which the Option will lapse.

 

2.4 No amount shall be paid for the grant of an Option.

 

3. Performance Conditions

 

3.1 On the Grant Date of any Option, the Company:

 

(a) may specify one or more Performance Conditions for the Option; and

 

(b) may specify, for any Performance Condition:

 

(i) any restrictions that will apply to variation or waiver of that Performance Condition under rule 3.4; or

 

(ii) that there may be no such variation or waiver.

 

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3.2 A Performance Condition may be specified to apply only to part of an Option.

 

3.3 Any Performance Condition shall be an objective measure of the performance of:

 

(a) the Company; or

 

(b) the Option Holder; or

 

(c) a business unit of which the Option Holder is a part.

 

3.4 Subject to rule 3.6 and any restrictions on variation or waiver specified by the Company under rule 3.1(b), the Board may vary or waive any Performance Condition if events occur that cause:

 

(a) an Option to become exercisable before the end of the period over which the original Performance Condition was to be assessed, if the original Performance Condition cannot reasonably be applied to the shortened time period; or

 

(b) the Board to decide the Performance Condition is no longer an appropriate measure of performance.

 

3.5 If the Board varies the Performance Condition under rule 3.4, the varied Performance Condition must be (in the reasonable opinion of the Board):

 

(a) no more difficult to satisfy than the original Performance Condition was at the Grant Date; and

 

(b) not materially easier to satisfy than the original Performance Condition was at the Grant Date, unless the variation of the Performance Condition has been approved in advance by the Company in general meeting.

 

3.6 rule 3.4 shall not permit the general waiver by the Board of Performance Conditions:

 

(a) on cessation of employment;

 

(b) on the occurrence of any event permitting the exercise of Options under rule 14; or

 

(c) on the release of Options in exchange for New Options under rule 14.5.

 

3.7 The Board shall determine whether, and to what extent, Performance Conditions have been satisfied.

 

3.8 If an Option is subject to any Performance Condition, the Board shall notify the Option Holder within a reasonable time after the Board becomes aware of the relevant information:

 

(a) when that Performance Condition has become incapable of being satisfied, in whole or in part; and

 

(b) of any waiver or variation of that Performance Condition under rule 3.4.

 

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4. Overall limits on grants

 

The Company may not grant an Option if that grant would result in the total number of Dilutive Shares exceeding 25% of the issued share capital of the Company.

 

5. Individual limits on grants

 

The grant of any share option intended to be an Option (New Option) shall be limited and take effect so that the total Market Value (at the relevant dates of grant) of Shares subject to all Existing CSOP Options held by the relevant Eligible Employee and the New Option does not exceed £30,000 (or any other amount specified in paragraph 6 of Schedule 4 at the relevant time).

 

6. Transfer of Options

 

6.1 Options may not be transferred or assigned or have any charge or other security interest created over them. If an Option Holder attempts to do any of those things, the Option shall lapse immediately.

 

7. Lapse and suspension of Options

 

7.1 An Option (or part of an Option as applicable) shall lapse on the earliest of the following:

 

(a) any attempted action by the Option Holder falling within rule 6.1; or

 

(b) to the extent that any Performance Condition becomes incapable of being met, or is not met on the Normal Vesting Date; or

 

(c) the lapse date specified in the Option Agreement; or

 

(d) the day next following the Option Holder (who is not determined to be a Good Leaver) ceasing employment with a Group Company and is thereby no longer an employee or director of any Group Company;

 

(e) if any part of rule 14 applies, the time specified for the lapse of the Option under that part of rule 14; or

 

(f) when the Option Holder becomes bankrupt under Part IX of the Insolvency Act 1986, or applies for an interim order under Part VIII of the Insolvency Act 1986, or proposes or makes a voluntary arrangement under Part VIII of the Insolvency Act 1986, or takes similar steps, or is similarly affected, under laws of any jurisdiction that correspond to those provisions of the Insolvency Act.

 

8. Exercise of Options: General

 

8.1 An Option Holder may exercise an Option from the earliest of:

 

(a) the Normal Vesting Date; and

 

(b) the time it becomes exercisable under rule 14.

 

8.2 An Option Holder may only exercise an Option to the extent that the relevant Performance Condition is achieved (unless waived under rule 3.4).

 

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9. Exercise of Options: restrictions

 

9.1 An Option Holder may not exercise an Option when its exercise is prohibited by, or would be a breach of the Market Abuse Regulation, or any:

 

(a) law; or

 

(b) regulation with the force of law.

 

9.2 An Option Holder may not exercise an Option at any time when the Option Holder:

 

(a) has a Material Interest (any interests of the Option Holder’s Associates being treated as belonging to the Option Holder for this purpose); or

 

(b) had a Material Interest in the 12 months before that time (any interests of the Option Holder’s Associates being treated as having belonged to the Option Holder for this purpose).

 

9.3 An Option Holder may exercise an Option only if the Option Holder has:

 

(a) agreed to rule 12 in writing (this agreement may be included in the exercise notice); and

 

(b) made any arrangements, or entered into any agreements, required under rule 12.

 

9.4 An Option Holder may not exercise an Option at any time:

 

(a) while subject to ongoing disciplinary proceedings by any Group Company;

 

(b) while any Group Company is investigating the Option Holder’s conduct and may as a result begin disciplinary proceedings;

 

(c) while there is a breach of the Option Holder’s employment contract that is a potentially fair reason for dismissal;

 

(d) while in breach of a fiduciary duty owed to any Group Company;

 

(e) after ceasing to be an Employee.

 

9.5 The Company shall not unfairly frustrate a valid exercise of the Option by the inappropriate application of any provision of rule 9.4.

 

9.6 If an Option Holder is unable to exercise an Option due to the application of rule 9.3(a) or rule 9.3(b), following the conclusion of any disciplinary proceedings or investigation, the Board shall determine whether the Option is exercisable. If so, the Option will be exercisable, subject to these rules, on the date of such determination.

 

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10. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT

 

10.1 An Option Holder who gives or receives notice of termination of employment (whether or not lawful) before the Normal Vesting Date may not exercise an Option at any time while the notice remains effective unless the Board is satisfied that the notice has been given or received in connection with an arrangement to transfer the Option Holder’s employment to another Group Company.

 

10.2 An Option Holder who ceases employment with a Group Company may not exercise their Option except as permitted by Rule 10.6, Rule 10.7 or Rule 10.11.

 

10.3 If an Option Holder:

 

(a) dies while an Employee; or

 

(b) ceases to be an Employee (whether or not following notice and for whatever reason)

 

before the Normal Vesting Date, their Option shall lapse immediately in respect of such number of Shares as is calculated in accordance with Rule 10.4.

 

10.4 If Rule 10.3 applies, the number of Shares in respect of which the Option lapses shall be calculated in accordance with the formula N x (X/Y) where:

 

(a) N is the number of Shares over which the Option was originally granted, less any Shares in respect of which it has already been exercised or has lapsed;

 

(b) X is the number of days between the date of death or cessation and the Normal Vesting Date; and

 

(c) Y is the number of days between the Grant Date and the Normal Vesting Date.

 

10.5 For the purposes of Rule 10, the Leaver Number is such number of Shares as remain following the application of Rule 10.3, reduced to reflect the extent to which the Performance Condition has not been satisfied on:

 

(a) the date on which the Board determines whether the Performance Condition has been met;

 

(b) if an Option becomes exercisable before the Normal Vesting Date under this Rule 10, the date the Option Holder ceased employment.

 

10.6 Notwithstanding any other rule of this Plan except Rule 14.13, if an Option Holder dies, the Option Holder’s personal representatives may exercise the Option over the Leaver Number during the period of 12 months following the Option Holder’s death. If the Option is not exercised, it will lapse on the first anniversary of the Option Holder’s death.

 

11 

 

 

10.7 An Option Holder who ceases to be an Employee before the Normal Vesting date due to any of the following reasons, may exercise their Option over the Leaver Number during the period of six months following the date the Option Holder ceased to be an Employee due to:

 

(a) injury;

 

(b) ill health;

 

(c) disability;

 

(d) the transfer of the business which employs the Option Holder to a person which is not a Group Company

 

(e) retirement;

 

(f) Redundancy;

 

(g) the Option Holder’s employer ceasing to be a Group Company;

 

The Option shall lapse at the end of the exercise period specified in this Rule 10.7 to the extent it is not exercised.

 

10.8 An Option Holder who ceases to be an Employee before the Normal Vesting Date for any reason other than death or a reason specified in Rule 10.7 may not exercise their Option unless the Board determines otherwise under Rule 10.11.

 

10.9 An Option Holder who ceases to be an Employee on or after the Normal Vesting Date for any reason other than summary dismissal may exercise their Option during the period of 90 days following the date of cessation, after which the Option shall lapse to the extent not exercised

 

10.10 An Option Holder who ceases to be an Employee by reason of summary dismissal may not exercise their Option unless the Board determines otherwise under Rule 10.11.

 

10.11 If Rule 10.8 or Rule 10.10 applies, the Board may decide at any time during the period of 90 days after the relevant cessation of employment that the relevant Option Holder is a Good Leaver and may exercise their Option over the Leaver Number. Any such decision, and whether to consider making such a decision, shall be entirely at the discretion of the Board. If the Board makes a decision to permit exercise under this Rule 10.11, it shall:

 

(a) specify the period during which the Option may be exercised (after which the Option shall lapse, to the extent not exercised), such a period to end no later than the later of:

 

12 

 

 

 

(i) the latest date on which the Option may be exercised, as specified in the Option Certificate; and

 

(ii) 90 days following the Normal Vesting Date; and

 

(b) notify the Option Holder of its decision within a reasonable time after making it.

 

10.12 An Option Holder shall not be regarded as ceasing to be an Employee until the Option Holder is no longer an employee or director of any Group Company.

 

11. Manner of exercise of Options

 

11.1 An Option may be exercised in part only, or, in respect of Options granted on or after the Amendment Date, in part or in full.

 

11.2 An Option shall be exercised by the Option Holder giving a written exercise notice to the Company that shall:

 

(a) set out the number of Shares over which the Option Holder wishes to exercise the Option except that, if that number exceeds the number over which the Option may be validly exercised at the time:

 

(i) the Option shall be treated as exercised only in respect of that lesser number; and

 

(ii) any excess amount paid to exercise the Option or meet any Tax Liability shall be refunded; and

 

(b) be made using a form that the Board will approve;

 

(c) include a power of attorney as required by rule 12.5;

 

(d) include the Option Holder’s agreement to pay the Tax Liability in accordance with rule 12; and

 

(e) be accompanied by the relevant Option Agreement. If an Option Agreement has been lost, the relevant Option may still be exercised, but the Company may make it a condition of exercise that the Option Holder shall enter into a formal acknowledgement that the Option Agreement is lost and a binding undertaking to return it for cancellation if recovered at a later date.

 

11.3 Any exercise notice shall be accompanied by:

 

(a) payment of an amount equal to the Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Shares specified in the notice; and

 

(b) any payment required under rule 12; and/or

 

(c) any documents relating to arrangements or agreements required under rule 12.

 

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11.4 Any exercise notice shall be invalid:

 

(a) to the extent that it is inconsistent with the Option Holder’s rights under these rules and the Option Agreement; or

 

(b) if any of the requirements of rule 11.2 or rule 11.3 are not met; or

 

(c) if any payment referred to in rule 11.3 is made by a cheque that is not honoured on first presentation or in any other manner that fails to transfer the expected value to the Company.

 

The Company may permit the Option Holder to correct any defect referred to in rule (b) or rule (c) (but shall not be obliged to do so). The date of any corrected exercise notice shall be the date of the correction rather than the original notice date for all other purposes of the Plan.

 

11.5 Shares shall be allotted and issued (or transferred, as appropriate) within 30 days after a valid Option exercise, subject to the other rules of the Plan.

 

11.6 Except for any rights determined by reference to a date before the date of allotment, Shares allotted and issued in satisfaction of the exercise of an Option shall rank equally in all respects with the other shares of the same class in issue at the date of allotment.

 

11.7 If the Shares are listed or traded on any stock exchange, the Company shall apply to the appropriate body for any newly issued Shares allotted on exercise of an Option to be admitted to trading on that exchange.

 

12. Tax liabilities

 

12.1 The Option Holder shall indemnify the Employer Company in respect of any Tax Liability.

 

12.2 An Option Holder may not exercise an Option unless the Option Holder:

 

(a) agrees, in writing, to pay the Tax Liability to the Employer Company; and

 

(b) has made arrangements, satisfactory to the Employer Company or Company, to pay the Tax Liability.

 

12.3 If an Option Holder does not pay the Tax Liability on the day of exercise, the Company or Employer Company as appropriate, may:

 

(a) if the Shares are readily saleable at the time, retain and sell such number of Shares on behalf of the Option Holder as is necessary to meet the Tax Liability and any costs of sale; or

 

(b) deduct the amount of any Tax Liability from any payments of remuneration made to the Option Holder on or after the date on which the Tax Liability arose. However, in the case of national insurance contributions, the Employer Company may only withhold such amount as is permitted by the Social Security Contributions Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/1004).

 

The Option Holder’s obligations under rule 12.1 shall not be affected by any failure of the Company or Employer Company to withhold shares or deduct from payments of remuneration under this rule.

 

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12.4 At the request of the Employer Company (or the Company on behalf of the Employer Company) on or before the date of exercise of the Option, the Option Holder must enter into a joint election under section 431(1) or section 431(2) of ITEPA 2003 in respect of the Shares to be acquired on exercise of the relevant Option.

 

12.5 The exercise notice for the Option may include a power of attorney appointing the Company as the Option Holder’s agent and attorney for the purposes of rule 12.3.

 

12.6 Option Holders shall have no rights to compensation or damages on account of any loss in respect of Options or the Plan where such loss arises (or is claimed to arise), in whole or in part, from the Plan not being, or ceasing to be, a Schedule 4 CSOP.

 

13. Relationship with employment contract

 

13.1 The rights and obligations of any Option Holder under the terms of their office or employment with the Company (or any Group Company or former Group Company) shall not be affected by being an Option Holder.

 

13.2 The value of any benefit realised under the Plan by Option Holders shall not be taken into account in determining any pension or similar entitlements.

 

13.3 Option Holders and Employees shall have no rights to compensation or damages on account of any loss in respect of Options or the Plan where such loss arises (or is claimed to arise), in whole or in part, from:

 

(a) termination of office or employment with; or

 

(b) notice to terminate office or employment given by or to,

 

the Company, any Group Company or any former Group Company. This exclusion of liability shall apply however termination of office or employment, or the giving of notice, is caused and however compensation or damages may be claimed.

 

13.4 Option Holders and Employees shall have no rights to compensation or damages from the Company, any Group Company or any former Group Company on account of any loss in respect of Options or the Plan where such loss arises (or is claimed to arise), in whole or in part, from:

 

(a) any company ceasing to be a Group Company; or

 

(b) the transfer of any business from a Group Company to any person that is not a Group Company.

 

This exclusion of liability shall apply however the change of status of the relevant Group Company, or the transfer of the relevant business, is caused and however compensation or damages may be claimed.

 

13.5 An Employee shall not have any right to receive Options, whether or not any have previously been granted.

 

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14. Takeovers and liquidations

 

14.1 For the purposes of this rule 14, a Relevant Event means:

 

(a) a person (the Controller) obtaining Control of the Company as a result of:

 

(i) making a general offer to acquire the majority of the issued share capital of the Company (except for any capital already held by the Controller or any person connected with the Controller) that is made on a condition such that, if it is satisfied, the person making the offer will have Control of the Company; or

 

(ii) making a general offer to acquire the majority of the shares in the Company (except for any shares already held by the Controller or any person connected with the Controller) that are of the same class as the Shares; or

 

(b) the court sanctioning a compromise or arrangement under section 899 of the Companies Act 2006 that is applicable to or affects:

 

(i) all the ordinary share capital of the Company or all the Shares of the same class as the Shares to which the Option relates; or

 

(ii) all the Shares, or all the Shares of that same class, which are held by a class of shareholders identified otherwise than by reference to their employment or directorships or their participation in a Schedule 4 CSOP; or

 

(c) shareholders becoming bound by a non-UK reorganisation (as defined by paragraph 35ZA of Schedule 4) that is applicable to or affects:

 

(i) all the ordinary share capital of the Company or all the Shares of the same class as the Shares to which the Option relates; or

 

(ii) all the Shares, or all the Shares of that same class, which are held by a class of shareholders identified otherwise than by reference to their employment or directorships or their participation in a Schedule 4 CSOP; or

 

(d) a person becomes bound or entitled to acquire Shares under sections 979 to 985 of the Companies Act 2006.

 

14.2 Subject to rule 14.5 and rule 14.12, an Option may be exercised on the date of the Relevant Event:

 

(a) within six months of a Relevant Event occurring under rule 14.1(a), rule 14.1(b), or rule 14.1(c);

 

(b) at any time after a Relevant Event occurring under rule 14.1(d), continuing for as long as that person remains so bound or entitled.

 

The Board may determine that the Option shall lapse when it ceases to be exercisable under this rule 14.2.

 

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14.3 If

 

(a) a Relevant Event specified in rule 14.1(a) occurs; or

 

(b) a change of Control occurs as a result of a Relevant Event specified in rule 14.1(b), rule 14.1(c) or rule 14.1(d);

 

and, as a result of the change of Control, Shares will no longer satisfy the requirements of Part 4 of Schedule 4, the Board may permit Option Holders to exercise Options to the extent that the Performance Condition is met at the date of the change of Control during the period of 20 days following the change of Control. Options that are not exercised will lapse at the expiry of 20 days following the change of Control.

 

14.4 If the Board reasonably expects a Relevant Event to occur, the Board may make arrangements permitting Options to be exercised for a period of 20 days ending with the Relevant Event. If an Option is exercised under this rule 14.4, it will be treated as having been exercised in accordance with rule 14.2.

 

If the Board makes arrangements for the exercise of Options under this rule 14.4:

 

(a) if the Option is not exercised in accordance with those arrangements, it will lapse on the date of the Relevant Event; and

 

(b) if the Relevant Event does not occur within 20 days of the date of purported exercise, the Option shall be treated as not having been exercised.

 

14.5 If, as a result of a Relevant Event, a company has obtained Control of the Company, each Option Holder may, by agreement with that company (Acquiring Company) within the Rollover Period, release each Option (Old Option) for a replacement option (New Option). A New Option shall:

 

(a) be over shares that satisfy the requirements of paragraphs 16 to 20 of Schedule 4 in the Acquiring Company (or some other company falling within paragraph 27(2)(b) of Schedule 4); and

 

(b) be a right to acquire such number of those shares as have, immediately after grant of the New Option, a total Market Value substantially the same as the total Market Value of the shares subject to the Old Option immediately before its release; and

 

(c) have an exercise price per share such that the total price payable on complete exercise of the New Option is substantially the same as the total price that would have been payable on complete exercise of the Old Option; and

 

(d) so far as practicable, be on terms otherwise identical to the Old Option immediately before the Old Option’s release.

 

14.6 Any Rollover Period shall have the same duration as the applicable appropriate period defined in paragraph 26(3) of Schedule 4.

 

14.7 Any New Option granted under rule 14.5 shall be treated as having been acquired at the same time as the relevant Old Option for all other purposes of the Plan.

 

14.8 The Plan shall be interpreted in relation to any New Options as if references to:

 

(a) the Company (except for those in the definitions of Constituent Company and Group Company) were references to the Acquiring Company (or to any other company whose shares are subject to the New Options, as the context may require); and

 

(b) the Shares were references to the shares subject to the New Options.

 

17 

 

 

14.9 The Company will remain the scheme organiser of the Plan (as defined in paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 4) following the release of Options and the grant of New Options under rule 14.5.

 

14.10 The Acquiring Company shall issue (or procure the issue of) an Option Agreement for each New Option.

 

14.11 In this rule 14 (other than rule 14.5), a person shall be deemed to have obtained Control of a company if they, and others acting with them, have obtained Control of it together.

 

14.12 If a Relevant Event takes place in the course of any corporate reconstruction or reorganisation under which the ultimate beneficial ownership of the business of the Group Companies will remain the same, and the company that obtains Control offers to grant New Options in accordance with rule 14.5, then rule 14.2 shall not apply and all Old Options shall lapse at the end of the Rollover Period to the extent that they are not released under rule 14.5.

 

14.13 If the shareholders of the Company receive notice of a resolution for the voluntary winding up of the Company, any Option Holder may exercise an Option to the extent that the Performance Condition is met at the date of the resolution at any time in the period before that resolution is passed, conditionally upon the passing of that resolution, and if the Option Holder does not exercise the Option, it shall lapse when the winding up begins.

 

14.14 The Board shall notify Option Holders of any event that is relevant to Options under this rule 14 within a reasonable period after the Board becomes aware of it.

 

15. Variation of share capital

 

If there is any variation of the share capital of the Company (whether that variation is a capitalisation issue (other than a scrip dividend), rights issue, consolidation, subdivision or reduction of capital or otherwise) that affects (or may affect) the value of Options to Option Holders, the Board may adjust the number and description of Shares subject to each Option and/or the Exercise Price of each Option in a manner that the Board, in its reasonable opinion, considers to be fair and appropriate. However:

 

(a) adjustments to the Exercise Price may only be made in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 22 of Schedule 4;

 

(b) any adjustment to the number of Shares may be made only in accordance with either paragraph 22 of Schedule 4 or a mechanism notified to the Option Holder at grant;

 

(c) the total market value of the Shares subject to the Option is, immediately after the variation of share capital, substantially the same as immediately before the variation of share capital;

 

(d) the total amount payable on exercise of an Option immediately after the variation of Share Capital must be substantially the same as immediately before the variation of share capital;

 

(e) the Exercise Price for a Share to be newly issued on the exercise of any Option shall not be reduced below its nominal value (unless the Board resolves to capitalise, from reserves, an amount equal to the amount by which the total nominal value of the relevant Shares exceeds the total adjusted Exercise Price, and to apply such amount to pay up the relevant Shares in full).

 

18 

 

 

16. Notices

 

16.1 Any notice or other communication given under or in connection with the Plan shall be in writing and shall be:

 

(a) delivered by hand or by pre-paid first-class post or other next working day delivery service at the appropriate address;

 

For the purposes of this rule 16, the appropriate address means:

 

(i) in the case of the Company, its registered office, provided the notice is marked for the attention of the VP, People;

 

(ii) in the case of an Option Holder, their home address;

 

(iii) if the Option Holder has died, and notice of the appointment of personal representatives has been given to the Company, any contact address they have specified in such notice; and

 

(b) sent by email to the appropriate email address.

 

For the purposes of this rule 16, appropriate email address means:

 

(i) in the case of the Company, the work email address for the VP, People;

 

(ii) in the case of the Option Holder, if they are permitted to receive personal emails at work, their work email address.

 

16.2 Any notice or other communication given under this rule 16 shall be deemed to have been received:

 

(a) if delivered by hand, on signature of a delivery receipt, or at the time the notice is left at the proper address;

 

(b) if sent by pre-paid first-class post or other next working day delivery service, at 9.00 am on the second Business Day after posting, or at the time recorded by the delivery service;

 

(c) if send by fax, at 9.00 am on the next Business Day after transmission; and

 

(d) if sent by email, at 9.00 am on the next Business Day after sending.

 

16.3 This rule 16 does not apply to:

 

(a) the service of any exercise notice pursuant to rule 11.2; and

 

(b) the service of any proceedings or other documents in any legal action or, where applicable, any arbitration or other method of dispute resolution.

 

19 

 

 

17. Administration and amendment

 

17.1 The Board shall administer the Plan.

 

17.2 The Board may amend the Plan from time to time but:

 

(a) no amendment may be made to a Key Feature of the Plan if, as a result of the amendment, the Plan would no longer be a Schedule 4 CSOP;

 

(b) no material amendment may apply to Options granted before the amendment was made without the consent of the Option Holder:

 

(c) while the Company is subject to any requirement, or bound by any agreement, that this should be the case, no amendment may be made without the prior approval of the Company in general meeting if it would:

 

(i) make the terms on which Options may be granted materially more generous; or

 

(ii) increase any of the limits specified in rule 4 or rule 5; or

 

(iii) change the definition of Eligible Employee to expand the class of potential Option Holders; or

 

(iv) change rule 13 to the benefit of Option Holders,

 

unless it is a minor amendment to benefit the administration of the Plan, to take account of a change in legislation or to obtain or maintain favourable tax, exchange control or regulatory treatment for Option Holders or for the Company or any Group Company.

 

17.3 The cost of setting up and operating the Plan shall be borne by the Constituent Companies in proportions determined by the Board.

 

17.4 The Company shall ensure that at all times:

 

(a) it has sufficient unissued or treasury Shares available; or

 

(b) arrangements are in place for a third party to transfer issued Shares

 

to satisfy the exercise of all Options.

 

17.5 The Board shall determine any question of interpretation and settle any dispute arising under the Plan. In such matters, the Board’s decision shall be final.

 

17.6 In making any decision or determination, or exercising any discretion under the rules, the Board shall act fairly and reasonably and in good faith.

 

17.7 The Company shall not be obliged to notify any Option Holder if an Option is due to lapse.

 

17.8 The Company shall not be obliged to provide Option Holders with copies of any materials sent to the holders of Shares.

 

18. Governing law

 

The Plan and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of Scotland or England and Wales.

 

20 

 

 

19. Jurisdiction

 

19.1 Each party irrevocably agrees that the courts of Scotland or England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with the Plan or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims).

 

19.2 Each party irrevocably consents to any process in any legal action or proceedings under rule 19.1 above being served on it in accordance with the provisions of the Plan relating to service of notices. Nothing contained in the Plan shall affect the right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

 

20. Third party rights

 

20.1 A person who is not a party to the Option shall not have any rights under or in connection with it as a result of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 except where such rights arise under any provision of the Plan for any Employer Company of the Option Holder which is not a party. This does not affect any right or remedy of a third party which exists, or is available, apart from that Act.

 

20.1 The rights of the parties to an Option to surrender, terminate or rescind it, or agree any variation, waiver or settlement of it, are not subject to the consent of any person that is not a party to the Option as a result of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

 

21. Data protection

 

21.1 In accepting the grant of an Option each Option Holder consents to the collection, holding, processing and transfer of their Personal Data by the Company or any Group Company for all purposes connected with the operation of the Plan.

 

21.2 The purposes of the Plan referred to in rule 21.1 include, but are not limited to:

 

(a) holding and maintaining details of the Option Holder’s Options;

 

(b) transferring the Option Holder’s Personal Data to the trustee of an employee benefit trust, the Company’s registrars or brokers or any administrators of the Plan;

 

(c) transferring the Option Holder’s Personal Data to a bona fide prospective buyer of the Company or the Option Holder’s Employer Company or business unit (or the prospective buyer’s advisers), provided that the prospective buyer, and its advisers, irrevocably agree to use the Option Holder’s Personal Data only in connection with the proposed transaction and in accordance with the data protection principles set out in the Data Protection Act 1998; and

 

(d) transferring the Option Holder’s Personal Data under rule 21.2(b) or rule21.2(c) to a person who is resident in a country or territory outside the European Economic Area that may not provide the same statutory protection for the information as countries within the European Economic Area.

 

21 

 

Exhibit 10.22

 

The Ex Scientia
Enterprise Management
Incentive Plan

 

under the provisions of Schedule 5 of the Income Tax (Earnings and
Pensions) Act 2003

 

Plan Rules

 

(Adopted by the Board on 29 February 2016)

 

(The RM2 Partnership Limited, registered in England 4613097
Sycamore House, 86-88 Coombe Road, New Malden, Surrey KT3 4QS www.rm2.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Plan Rules

 

Definitions

 

1.1. In these Rules (and, where applicable, any Option Agreement) the following words and expressions shall have the following meanings:

 

“Acting in Concert” the meaning given in the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers as in force at the date of an Option Agreement
“Articles” the Articles of Association of the Company as amended from time to time
“Auditors” the auditors of the Company from time to time or such other competent professional agreed by the parties or in the absence of an agreement, as appointed by the Board
“Bad Leaver” a Participant who, on the occasion of a Cessation of Employment, is not a Good Leaver
"Board” the Board of directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee of the Board
“Business Sale” the sale of the Majority Value of the assets of the business to a company which is not a Group Company, or to a person or persons Acting in Concert, where Majority Value is defined as the greater part of the gross assets of the business (including intellectual property and goodwill) as certified by the Auditors acting as experts and not as arbitrators
“Cessation of Employment” the occasion on which a Participant ceases to hold any office or employment in any Group Company and does not continue as, or become, an officer or employee of any other Group Company, and the time and date of cessation shall be the date on which the Participant shall have ceased to be an officer or employee of any Group Company, or the date of death or, if the Participant is absent from work by reason of maternity, paternity or adoption leave, the time and date when the Participant ceases to be entitled to exercise their right under the Employment Rights Act 1996 to return to work in any Group Company
Company” Ex Scientia Limited, CRN SC 428761, with registered office at EQ 14 City Quay, Dundee, DD 1 3JA
“Company Reorganisation” the meaning given to that expression in Rule 5.1
“Control” the meaning given by section 719 of ITEPA

  

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“Date of Grant” the date on which an Option is, was, or is to be granted under the terms of an Option Agreement
“Disqualifying Event” a disqualifying event as set out in sections 533-539 ITEPA
“Exercise Price” the price at which each Share subject to an Option may be acquired on the exercise of that Option as set out in an Option Agreement
“Exit Event” any of the following events:
  (i)    the date of a Company Reorganisation as mentioned in Rule 5.1 unless a release has been effected under Rule 5.2;
  (ii)    a Majority Share Sale;
  (iii)    a Business Sale;
  (iv)    a Flotation;
  (v)    on the commencement of a period mentioned in Rule 5.7 or 5.8; or
  (vi)    the Company passing a resolution for voluntary winding up
“Flotation” the date on which any of the Company’s shares become quoted on a public stock exchange
“Good Leaver” a Participant who, on Cessation of Employment, ceases to be employed as a result of:
  (i) injury, disability or illness (in each case evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Board); or
  (ii) ceasing to be employed with the intention of retiring; or
  (iii) redundancy within the meaning of the Employment Rights Act 1996; or
  (iv) death; or
  (v) a transfer to which The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 apply; or
  (vi) the Participant’s employing company ceasing to be a Group Company; or
  (vii) the Participant being declared a Good Leaver by the Board in its absolute discretion
“Grantor” whoever grants the Option, which may be a Group Company, the Trustees or any other person

 

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“Group Company” the Company or any company over which the Company has Control or any company which has Control of the Company
“ITEPA” the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 from time to time amended
“Majority Share Sale” a sale on a single date, or by a series of transactions over less than a calendar month, of shares of any class in the Company together entitled to more than 50 per cent. of the votes in general meeting to a person or persons Acting in Concert previously unconnected with (i) the Company, or (ii) any shareholder of record, provided that the Company may by Ordinary Resolution waive the condition that the person or persons Acting in Concert must be unconnected
“Market Value” on any day the market value of a Share determined in accordance with the provisions of Part VIII of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 and agreed with HM Revenue & Customs Shares and Assets Valuation
“New Holding Company” a company which has obtained Control of the Company (including where a person and others Acting in Concert with him together obtain Control of the Company) where the consideration received by holders of ordinary shares in the Company consists wholly of shares in the company obtaining Control of the Company and where the identity and proportion of the shareholders of the company obtaining Control of the Company are substantially similar to those prior to the change of Control
“Option” a right to acquire Shares granted in accordance with an Option Agreement
“Option Agreement” an agreement entered into between the Grantor and a Participant in accordance with these Rules under which the Grantor offers and the Participant accepts an Option
“Participant” an individual to whom an Option is granted including his personal representatives where the context so admits
“Plan” The Ex Scientia Enterprise Management Incentive Plan
“Rules” these present rules of the Plan
“Schedule” Schedule 5 of ITEPA

 

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“Share” or “Shares” either Ordinary and B Ordinary Shares of 0.001 each in the capital of the Company (as specified for each Participant in the Option Agreement) which satisfy the requirements of paragraph 35 of the Schedule and rank pari passu with all other shares of the same class but subject to the rights and restrictions set down in any Shareholders’ Agreement and the Articles
“Shareholders’ Agreement” any shareholders’ agreement made between the shareholders of the Company as may be in force and as amended from time to time
“Trustees” the trustees of an employee benefit trust within the meaning of section 1166 Companies Act 2006
“Vest”, “Vests” or “Vested” the circumstances in which all, or part of, an Option will become capable of exercise
“Vesting Conditions” conditions attached to an Option which determine the circumstances in which all or part of an Option will Vest
“Vesting Schedule” a schedule attached to an Option Agreement containing the Vesting Conditions
1.2. Where the context so admits the singular shall include the plural and vice versa and the masculine shall include the feminine.

 

1.3. Any reference to any enactment includes a reference to that enactment as from time to time modified, extended or re-enacted.

 

1.4. If any question, dispute or disagreement arises as to the interpretation of these Rules or any Option Agreement the decision of the Grantor shall (except as regard any matter regarded to be determined by the Auditors hereunder) be final and binding upon all persons.

 

2. Grant of the Option

 

2.1. An Option shall be granted by the Grantor and a Participant executing by deed an Option Agreement. The Option Agreement shall include a declaration that the Participant works at least 25 hours a week or 75% of their working time (in accordance with paragraph 26 of the Schedule).

 

2.2. Following the grant of an Option the Grantor shall as soon as reasonably practicable issue to the Participant a certificate in respect of the Option making reference to the terms of the Option Agreement and these Rules and stating the date on which the Option was granted.

 

2.3. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Rules:

 

(i) the grant of an Option pursuant to these Rules shall not form part of any contract of employment between any Group Company and a Participant;

 

(ii) unless expressly so provided in his contract of employment, a Participant has no right to be granted an Option;

 

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(iii) the benefit to a Participant of any Options held by him shall not form any part of his remuneration or count as his remuneration for any purpose and shall not be pensionable;

 

(iv) the rights granted to a Participant under any Option shall not give the Participant any right or entitlement to claim any compensation or damages in consequence of the loss or termination of his office or employment with any Group Company for any reason and whether or not such loss or termination of office or employment is found to be wrongful or inn breach of any contract (whether of the Plan, the Option Agreement or any other agreement); and

 

(v) a Participant shall not be entitled to claim any compensation or damages (or any other remedy) for any loss by reason that the Participant is unable to exercise any Option in consequence of the loss or termination of his office or employment with any Group Company for any reason and whether or not such loss or termination of office or employment is found to be wrongful or in breach of any contract (whether of the Plan, the Option Agreement or any other agreement) including as a result of the exercise by any Group Company (or the Grantor) of any discretion (or failure to exercise any discretion) that is found to be an unreasonable exercise of such discretion); and

 

(vi) by accepting the grant of an Option and not renouncing it, a Participant is deemed to have agreed to the provisions of this Rule 2.3.

 

3. Exercise of Option

 

3.1. Subject to this Rule 3, an Option shall be exercisable only in accordance with the conditions contained in the relevant Option Agreement.

 

3.2. An Option may be exercised in whole or in part provided that, on any day, an Option may be exercised over no fewer than the less of:

 

(i) 25 per cent. of the Shares over which an Option has Vested;

 

(ii) the total number of Shares over which an Option remains exercisable at that time; and

 

(iii) such other number as the Board may determine.

 

3.3. When an Option is exercised in part, the balance (to the extent that it has not lapsed) shall remain exercisable on the same terms as originally applied to the whole Option and a new Option certificate shall be issued accordingly by the Grantor as soon as possible after the partial exercise.

 

3.4. Save where the context otherwise permits, or if otherwise determined by the Board, a Vested Option shall be capable of exercise on any business day, subject to the notice period required under Rule  7.

 

3.5. The acquisition price on exercise of an Option shall be the Exercise Price, provided that the total exercise consideration shall be rounded up to the nearest penny. If the price is less than the nominal value of a Share then, on the exercise of the Option, the Board shall capitalise the Company’s distributable reserves and apply the same in paying up the difference between the Exercise Price and the nominal value of the Shares. In the event that the Company has no such reserves, the Participant shall pay up the difference.

 

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3.6. The Participant may not exercise any part of an Option or sell Shares upon such exercise if such exercise or sale would not be permissible under any applicable law, rule or regulation including any regulation relating to insider trading.

 

3.7. To the extent an Option has not lapsed, the Grantor may in its absolute discretion declare an Option to be exercisable, to the extent permitted by the Board, on the occurrence of a Disqualifying Event, but for the avoidance of doubt the Grantor shall be under no obligation to exercise this discretion.

 

4. Lapse of Option

 

4.1. An Option shall lapse as provided in the relevant Option Agreement, or if earlier, on the earliest of the following events:

 

(i) the tenth anniversary of the Date of Grant;

 

(ii) the date of Cessation of Employment if the Participant is a Bad Leaver;

 

(iii) the date of Cessation of Employment for any part of a Good Leaver’s Option that the Board, in its discretion, has determined that the Participant may not exercise by virtue of being a Good Leaver, with any balance of the Option that the Board, in its discretion has determined may be exercised by virtue of being a Good Leaver to lapse on a date determined by the Board in its discretion, and not exceeding 90 days;

 

(iv) where the Participant is a Good Leaver by reason of his death, 12 months after the death of the Participant;

 

(v) (v) 60 days after either a Majority Share Sale, a Company Re-organisation or a Business Sale unless a release has been effected under Rule 5.2;

 

(vi) as provided by Rule 5.6, Rule 5.7 or Rule 5.8;

 

(vii) (vii) six months after the Company passes a resolution for voluntary winding up; or

 

(viii) the Participant being adjudicated bankrupt.

 

4.2. Any purported transfer of assignment by the Participant shall cause the Option to lapse forthwith, and the Option certificate shall carry a statement to this effect, provided that, on a Participant’s death, his personal representatives may exercise the Option, subject to the Rules and the Option Agreement.

 

4.3. Neither the Company or, if different, the Grantor shall be obliged to notify the Participant if the Option is due to lapse.

 

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5. Takeovers and Liquidations

 

5.1. For the purposes of this Rule 5, a Company Reorganisation means where a company (“Acquiring Company”):

 

(i) obtains Control of the Company as a result of making a general offer to acquire the whole of the issued share capital of the Company which is made on a condition such that if it is satisfied the person making the offer will have Control of the Company; or

 

(ii) obtains Control of the Company as a result of making a general offer to acquire all the shares in the Company which are of the same class as the Shares; or

 

(iii) obtains Control of the Company as a result of a compromise or arrangement sanctioned by the court under section 899 of the Companies Act 2006 (court sanction for compromise or arrangement); or

 

(iv) obtains all the shares of the Company as a result of a qualifying exchange of shares within the meaning of paragraph 40 of the Schedule; or

 

(v) becomes bound or entitled under sections 979 to 982 of the Companies Act 2006 (takeover offers; right of offeror to buy out minority shareholder) to acquire shares in the Company which are of the same class as the Shares;

 

Provided always that a Company Reorganisation shall not include the creation of a New Holding Company where the Acquiring Company offers to grant the Participant a Replacement Option (as that term is defined and in accordance with Rule 5.2).

 

5.2. If there is a Company Reorganisation, as an alternative to exercising his Option a Participant may by agreement with the Acquiring Company release his Option for an option (the “Replacement Option”), which is equivalent to the Option but relates to shares in the Acquiring Company, such that all the conditions in Rule 5.3 are satisfied.

 

5.3. The conditions mentioned in Rule 5.2 are:

 

(i) in the case of an event falling within Rules 5.1(i) to 5.1(iv) above, that the Replacement Option is issued within 6 months beginning with the time that the Acquiring Company obtained Control of the Company, or in the case of an event within 5.1(v) above, that the Replacement Option is issued within the period during which the Acquiring Company remains bound or entitled as mentioned in that Rule;

 

(ii) that the total Market Value, immediately before the release, of the Shares which were subject to the Option is equal to the total Market Value, immediately after the grant, of the shares in respect of which the Replacement Option is granted;

 

(iii) that the Acquiring Company is a qualifying company within the meaning of paragraph 8 of the Schedule, that the Participant remains an eligible employee within the meaning of paragraph 24 of the Schedule, that the Replacement Option is a qualifying option within the meaning of paragraph 34 of the Schedule; and

 

(iv) (iv) that all other requirements of paragraph 43 of the Schedule are also met.

 

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5.4. Where any Replacement Option is granted pursuant to this Rule 5, then the date of grant of the Replacement Option shall be deemed to be the same as the Date of Grant of the Option.

 

5.5. In relation to the Replacement Option, where appropriate, references to “Company” and “Shares” shall be read as if they were references to the company to whose shares the Replacement Option relates and the shares in respect of which the Replacement Option is granted, respectively.

 

5.6. If a person makes an offer for the Company which, if successful, would result in a Company Reorganisation, a Majority Share Sale or a Business Sale, the Grantor may by written notice to the Participant (an “Impending Sale Notice”) declare that all outstanding Options (which have Vested, or will Vest on the occurrence of a Company Reorganisation, a Majority Share Sale or a Business Sale in accordance with an Option Agreement) may be conditionally exercised during a period not exceeding 3 months to be specified by the Grantor in the notice and shall lapse at the end of that period. If an Option is conditionally exercised by a Participant pursuant to this Rule 5.6, the exercise shall become unconditional immediately before it becomes certain that the Company Reorganisation, Majority Share Sale or Business Sale will take place. All conditional notices of exercise shall lapse if, and when, it becomes certain that the Company Reorganisation, Majority Share Sale or Business Sale will not take place. Any Option which was subject to a lapsed exercise notice shall be unaffected and the Option shall continue as before. The Grantor may at its discretion include in the Impending Sale Notice a requirement that the Participant must give a valid and irrevocable power of attorney (“POA”) in favour of a director of the Company nominated by the Grantor conferring on such person the authority to do all things (including executing all documents) necessary to exercise the Participant’s Option to the fullest extent possible permitted by the relevant Option Agreement and, at the discretion of the Grantor, to sell the Shares acquired through exercise of the Option, provided that such authority to sell Shares shall be exercised only pursuant to a Company Reorganisation or a Majority Share Sale and the terms of any such sale and the value of the consideration to be received on a sale taking into account the terms of sale shall in the reasonable opinion of the Board not be inferior to the best terms on which any other share is sold pursuant to the Company Reorganisation or the Majority Share Sale. If a Participant is required by an Impending Sale Notice to give a POA and does not do so within any reasonable time limit set by the Grantor of receiving such notice the relevant Option shall immediately lapse.

 

5.7. If a person proposes to obtain Control of the Company in pursuance of a compromise or arrangement sanctioned by the court, as referred to in Rule 5.1(iii), all outstanding Options (which have Vested, or will Vest on the occurrence of a Company Reorganisation or a Majority Share Sale in accordance with an Option Agreement) may be exercised, conditionally, at any time during the period beginning with the date of the meeting of the members of the Company ordered by the court and ending on the earlier of 6 months thereafter and 7 clear days before the court sanctions the compromise or arrangement. If an Option is conditionally exercised by a Participant pursuant to this Rule 5.7, the exercise shall become unconditional immediately before it becomes certain that the proposed compromise or arrangement will be sanctioned by the court. All conditional notices of exercise shall lapse if, and when, it becomes certain that the proposed compromise or arrangement will not be sanctioned by the court. Any Option which was subject to a lapsed exercise notice shall be unaffected and the Option shall continue as before.

 

5.8. In the case of an event falling within Rule 5.1(v), all outstanding Options (which have Vested or will Vest on the occurrence of a Company Reorganisation in accordance with an Option Agreement) may be exercised at any time during the period beginning with the date the person serves a notice under section 979 of the Companies Act 2006 and ending 7 clear days before the date on which the person ceases to be entitled to serve such a notice. For the purposes of this Rule 5.8, the term “person” shall include two or more persons Acting in Concert.

 

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6. Variation of share capital

 

6.1. In the event of any variation of the share capital of the Company by way of capitalisation (other than a scrip dividend), rights issue, consolidation, subdivision or reduction of capital or otherwise, the number of Shares subject to the Option and the Exercise Price for each of those Shares shall be adjusted in such a manner as the Auditors confirm in writing to be fair and reasonable provided that the Exercise Price for a Share is not reduced below its nominal value and:

 

(i) the Market Value of the Shares subject to the Option is not increased; and

 

(ii) following the adjustment the Shares continue to satisfy the conditions specified in paragraph 35 of the Schedule;

 

provided that for the avoidance of doubt no adjustment shall be made under this Rule in respect of any new consideration received by the Company as a result of an issue of shares.

 

6.2. In the event of a proposed adjustment under Rule 6. 1, the Board shall seek clearance from HM Revenue and Customs prior to the adjustment being made that the proposed adjustment shall not constitute a Disqualifying Event.

 

7. Manner of Exercise of Options

 

7.1. The Participant will have no claim against the Grantor, any Group Company or any other person in the event that at the Date of Grant or any other time the Option is not a qualifying option within the meaning of the Schedule.

 

7.2. An Option shall be exercised by the Participant giving notice to the Grantor in writing of the number of Shares in respect of which he wishes to exercise the Option accompanied by such arrangements for payment as are acceptable to the Grantor in its reasonable discretion and the relevant Option certificate and shall be effective on the expiry of 28 clear days, or such shorter period as the Board in its discretion shall determine, after its receipt by the Grantor.

 

7.3. A definitive Share certificate shall be issued to the Participant within 30 days of the date of the exercise of the Option subject to the Participant entering into a deed of adherence pursuant to any Shareholders’ Agreement.

 

7.4. The Participant irrevocably agrees to enter into a joint election, under section 431(1) or section 431(2) of ITEPA in respect of the Shares to be acquired on exercise of the relevant Option, if required to do so by any Group Company, on, before or within 14 days of any date of exercise of the Option.

 

7.5. If in connection with the grant, holding and/or exercise of the Option:

 

(i) a Participant becomes liable to tax, duties (including stamp duty), national insurance contributions or any other tax, impost or amount and any Group Company is liable to make a payment to any revenue or other authority on account of the liability (including employees’ social security contributions); or

 

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(ii) any Group Company becomes liable to make a payment of employer’s national insurance contributions (unless this paragraph (ii) is disapplied in the relevant Option Agreement);

 

the Participant shall as a condition of exercising the Option and before exercising the Option enter into such arrangements as the Grantor shall determine in its discretion for the purpose of ensuring that the Participant discharges all such liabilities as are mentioned in this Rule 7.5 and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Company may sell a sufficient number of Shares on exercise of the Option or require the Participant to remit to any Group Company an amount sufficient to satisfy the aforementioned liabilities.

 

7.6. All Shares allotted or transferred to a Participant following the date of exercise shall rank equally in all respects with the Shares for the time being in issue save as regards any rights attaching to such Shares by reference to a record date prior to the date of such allotment or transfer.

 

8. Miscellaneous

 

8.1. Neither the Grantor or any Group Company shall have any responsibility for the consequences (whether in relation to taxation or any other matter) of any action of a Participant in relation to his acceptance or exercise of an Option and the Participant shall be responsible for obtaining any financial or legal advice that it or he may require at his own cost.

 

8.2. Any notice or other communication under or in connection with an Option may be given by a Participant or any Group Company or the Grantor either personally or by post; items sent by post shall be prepaid and shall be deemed to have been served 72 hours after posting.

 

8.3. The Grantor, if the Company, shall ensure that at all times it has sufficient authority to issue new Shares to satisfy the exercise to the full extent still possible of an Option or any part of it which has neither lapsed nor been fully exercised, taking account of any other obligations of the Company. The Grantor, if not the Company, shall procure that at all times it holds sufficient unencumbered Shares or irrevocable rights over such Shares to satisfy the exercise to the full extent still possible of an Option or any part of it which has neither lapsed nor been fully exercised.

 

8.4. If on the date of exercise of an Option or on any prior date any shares of the same class as the Shares are listed or quoted on a public investment exchange, the Company shall within one month of the Option exercise apply to the relevant investment exchange for permission for the Shares which have been the subject of the Option exercise to be similarly listed or quoted.

 

8.5. By accepting an Option a Participant agrees that the Grantor and any Group Company or any person retained by any of the foregoing in relation to the operation or administration of the Plan, may obtain, store and process data about the Participant in connection with the Plan and agrees further that any of the aforementioned parties or other third parties may use the information to contact the Participant from time to time by post, fax, email or telephone in connection with the operation of the Plan and to process information including personal data and personal sensitive data as defined in the Data Protection Act 1998 for the purposes of the Plan including all relevant disclosures to HM Revenue and Customs.

 

8.6. Each Party shall bear its own costs in connection with these Rules and any Option Agreement subject to these Rules.

 

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8.7. The Board may at its discretion make minor alterations or additions to the Rules in order to benefit the administration of the Plan, to take account of changes in legislation or to obtain or maintain favourable taxation or regulatory treatment for the Participant or the Grantor, provided that no such change will operate to the detriment of a Participant or result in an Option ceasing to be a qualifying option within the meaning of the Schedule. 8.8 Save as otherwise provided in these Rules, a person who is not a party to an Option Agreement shall have no rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to rely upon or enforce any term of these Rules or any Bonus Agreement. This Rule shall not affect any right or remedy of a third party which exists or is available apart from that Act.

 

8.8. These Rules shall be interpreted in accordance with, and governed by, English law.

 

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Exhibit 21.1

 

Exscientia plc*

List of Subsidiaries

 

Subsidiary Jurisdiction
Exscientia Inc. Delaware
Exscientia Ventures I, Inc. Delaware
RE Ventures I, LLC Delaware
Exscientia KK Japan
Kinetic Discovery Ltd Scotland
Alphaexscientia Beteiligungs GmbH Austria
Exscientia AI Limited Scotland

 

*Following the completion of the corporate reorganization described in the prospectus that forms a part of the registration statement to which this list of subsidiaries is an exhibit.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We hereby consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form F-1 of Exscientia Limited of our report dated June 21, 2021 relating to the financial statements of Exscientia Limited, which appears in this Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

  

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Reading, United Kingdom

September 10, 2021