Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR
Leclanché Concludes its 2024 Annual General Meeting
- Shareholders have approved the conversion of CHF 84.7 million in debt into company shares. This initiative significantly augments the company's capital reserves, reinforcing its balance sheet and underlining its commitment to sustained growth and market leadership
- The shareholders also approved an increase in the conditional capital and the introduction of a capital band
YVERDON-LES-BAINS, Switzerland, 27th June, 2023 - Leclanché SA (SIX: LECN), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy-duty industrial batteries, announced the decisions by the Company’s shareholders on the proposals of the Board of Directors at its 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held today at EXPLORiT, Y-Parc, Avenue des Découvertes 1, 1400 Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland.
The shareholders have approved a proposal by the Board of Directors to convert existing debt of CHF 84,670,025.30 owed to SEF-Lux[1] and other investment partners into equity through an ordinary capital increase. This restructuring aims to strengthen Leclanché's balance sheet and increase its capital base, strategically positioning the company to leverage opportunities in the high-growth e-Mobility
The Board of Directors proposition to increase the Company's share capital in the amount of CHF 18,768,578.90, to take it from CHF 58,611,476.90 to CHF 77'380'055.80 by way of two ordinary capital increases, has been approved.
The five members of the Board, Mr. Lex Bentner, Mr. Marc Lepièce, Mr. Christophe Manset, and Mr. Ali Sherwani have been re-elected. Mr. Lex Bentner has been re-elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors. The members of the Appointment and Remuneration Committee, Mr. Marc Lepièce and Mr. Christophe Manset have been re-elected and Mr. Lex Bentner has been elected.
The shareholders have approved maximum aggregate amount of the Executive Committee’s compensation at CHF 2,350,000.00, for the financial year 2025. The amount remains unchanged for the 2024 financial year.
Lex Bentner, Chairman of the board of directors of Leclanché, said: “We are pleased with the outcomes of our 2024 Annual General Meeting and the support from our shareholders, including the capital increase. The approval to convert CHF 84.7 million of debt into equity marks a pivotal step in strengthening our balance sheet and positions us well for future growth. Our strategic initiatives in the e-Mobility, Stationary, and Specialty Battery businesses are gaining significant traction, with notable project wins and technological advancements. As Leclanché continues to innovate and expand, the company remains committed to delivering sustainable energy solutions that meet the evolving needs of customers and drive long-term value for our stakeholders.”
For more information, write to info@leclanche.com or visit www.leclanche.com.
******
About Leclanché
Leclanché is a world leading provider of low-carbon footprint energy storage solutions based on lithium-ion cell technology. Established in 1909 in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, Leclanché’s history and heritage is rooted in battery and energy storage innovation. The company’s Swiss culture for precision and quality, together with its production facilities in Germany, make Leclanché the partner of choice for companies seeking the very best in battery performance and who are pioneering positive changes in how energy is produced, distributed and consumed around the world. Leclanché is organised into three business units: energy storage solutions, e-Mobility solutions and specialty battery systems. The company currently employs over 350 people with representative offices in eight countries around the world. Leclanché is listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX: LECN).
SIX Swiss Exchange: ticker symbol LECN | ISIN CH 011 030 311 9
Disclaimer
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to Leclanché's business, which can be identified by terminology such as "strategic", "proposes", "to introduce", "will", "planned", "expected", "commitment", "expects", "set", "preparing", "plans", "estimates", "aims", "would", "potential", "awaiting", "estimated", "proposal", or similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding the ramp up of Leclanché's production capacity, potential applications for existing products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such products, or potential future sales or earnings of Leclanché or any of its business units. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Leclanché regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that Leclanché's products will achieve any particular revenue levels. Nor can there be any guarantee that Leclanché, or any of the business units, will achieve any particular financial results.
Contacts
Media Switzerland /Europe:
Thierry Meyer
T: +41 (0) 79 785 35 81
E-mail: tme@dynamicsgroup.ch
Media Germany:
Christoph Miller
T: +49 (0) 711 947 670
E-mail: leclanche@sympra.de
Investor Contacts:
Pasquale Foglia / Pierre Blanc
T: +41 (0) 24 424 65 00
E-Mail: invest.leclanche@leclanche.com
[1] SEF-LUX refers to: Strategic Equity Fund SCA SICAV RAIF – Renewable Energy, AM Investment S.C.A. SICAV - RAIF - Global Growth Sub-Fund, and Strategic Yield Fund S.C.A., who collectively are the main shareholders of Leclanché, hereunder referred to as “SEF-Lux". Strategic Equity Fund SCA SICAV RAIF – E Money Strategies (EMS) and Strategic Equity Fund SCA SICAV RAIF – Multi Asset Strategy merged into Strategic Equity Fund SICAV RAIF as of 31 March 2023. Golden Partner Private Equity FOF merged into Strategic Equity Fund SICAV RAIF as of 30 November 2023. AM Investment S.C.A. SICAV - FIS - R&D Sub-Fund, AM Investment S.C.A. SICAV - FIS - Liquid Assets Sub-Fund and AM Investment S.C.A. SICAV - FIS - Illiquid Assets merged into a single sub-fund AM Investment S.C.A. SICAV - RAIF - Global Growth Sub-Fund as of 30 November 2023 Pure Capital S.A. being the beneficial owner as per the reporting platform of SIX Exchange Regulation AG’s Disclosure Office - Date of publication of the most recent notification: 26 October 2023.
.