20 December 2021

Directa Plus plc

("Directa Plus" or the "Company")

Grant of EU Patent for Shoe Soles

Directa Plus (AIM: DCTA), a leading producer and supplier of graphene nanoplatelets based products for use in consumer and industrial markets, announces that the Company has been granted an EU-wide patent covering the use of the Company's G+® pristine graphene nanoplatelets to boost the performance of rubber-based shoe outsoles.  The priority date for the patent is July 2018.

The patent, titled "Shoe sole comprising graphene", covers G+® graphene embedded in outsoles.  The specific formulation of G+® graphene for soles provides the ability to balance opposite performance characteristics such as durability and grip, in both dry and wet conditions.  This ability to balance opposing performance traits is unique to Directa Plus's G+® graphene and becomes markedly apparent on rubber-based technical shoe soles such as those used for running, trail running, hiking, and on motorbikes.  The patent covers both the formula for the compound and the final product outsole made with the compound.

Following the grant of the patent, Directa Plus's IP portfolio will comprise 18 patent families with 72 patents granted and 25 patents pending.

Commenting, Giulio Cesareo, Founder and CEO of Directa Plus, said: "This EU patent will reinforce our position in the fast-growing market for technical footwear, attracting the attention of the major consumer product players.  We will continue to aggressively expand our IP portfolio, covering both production technology and applications, to continue to build value for shareholders."

For further information please visit http://www.directa-plus.com/ or contact:

About Directa Plus

Directa Plus (www.directa-plus.com) is one of the largest producers and suppliers of graphene-based products for use in consumer and industrial markets. The Company's graphene manufacturing capability uses proprietary patented technology based on a plasma super expansion process. Starting from natural graphite, each step of Directa Plus' production process - expansion, exfoliation and drying - creates graphene-based materials and hybrid graphene materials ready for a variety of uses and available in various forms such as powder, liquid and paste.

This proprietary production process uses a physical process, rather than a chemical process, to process graphite into pristine graphene nanoplatelets, which enables Directa Plus to offer a sustainable, non-toxic product, without unwanted by-products. Directa Plus' products are made of hybrid graphene materials and graphene nano-platelets. The products (marketed as G+®) have multiple applications due to its properties. These G+® products can be categorised into various families, with different products being suitable for specific practical applications.

Directa Plus was established in 2005 and is based in Lomazzo (Como, Italy) and has been listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange since May 2016. The Company holds the Green Economy Mark from London Stock Exchange which recognises companies that contribute to the global green economy.

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