Molten Ventures Plc (LSE : GROW) reached an agreement to acquire Forward Partners Group plc (AIM:FWD) for £41.8 million on November 27, 2023. Under the terms of the acquisition, for each 9 Forward Partners? shares held, Forward Partners? shareholders will be entitled to receive 1 New Molten share. The transaction is to be effected by means of a Scheme of Arrangement.

The scheme has been unanimously approved by the Forward Partners Directors. The scheme is subject to Forward Partners? shareholders approval at the court and general meeting, sanction by court, the applicable requirements of the Companies Act, the Court, the Takeover Code, the Panel, the Listing Rules, the Irish Listing Rules, the AIM Rules, the FCA, the Central Bank of Ireland, the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Dublin. The scheme is expected to become effective in February 2024.

Simon Willis, Jamie Loughborough, Iqra Amin and George De Felice of Numis Securities Limited acted as financial advisor and Don Harrington, Dearbhla Gallagher and Will Hall of Goodbody acted as joint financial adviser to Molten. Chris Clarke, Mark Harrison, Lauren Kettle, Miquela Bezuidenhoudt and Anake Singh of Liberum acted as independent financial advisor to Forward Partners. Gowling WLG (UK) LLP is retained as legal adviser to Molten and Travers Smith LLP is retained as legal adviser to Forward Partners in connection with the acquisition. Equiniti acted as registrar to Forward Partners.