THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE UK VERSION OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION NO 596/2014 WHICH IS PART OF ENGLISH LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018, AS AMENDED. ON PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INFORMATION IS CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

21 August 2025

Versarien plc

("Versarien", the "Company" or the "Group")

Strategic Investment and Joint Venture Update

Versarien plc (AIM: VRS), the advanced engineering materials group, provides an update regarding a proposed joint venture outlined in the Company's interim results, announced on 30 June 2025, and the Company's proposed strategic investment.

As previously announced, the proposed strategic investment had been delayed by, inter alia, not yet receiving appropriate clearances under both the UK National Security and Investment Act ("NSIA") and Chinese Outbound Direct Investment including a pending decision from the Investment Screening Unit in relation to a joint venture company.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has now made a determination which prevents the acquisition and use of the tangible and intangible assets held by Versarien by the prospective UK joint venture company with China's Anhui Boundary Innovative Materials Technology ("BIMT") on the grounds of maintaining the security of know-how and intellectual property relating to the production and use of graphene with dual-use applications.

The purpose of any joint venture with BIMT will involve the import of BIMT's graphene, carbon nanotubes and silicon-carbon anode materials to the UK for sale, with a particular focus on electric vehicle and other battery technologies, technical support and research and development of new nanomaterial enhanced composite products for the automotive sector. 

It should be noted that there is no certainty of concluding a joint venture agreement on this basis, nor of concluding the strategic investment, which still remains subject to clearance under Chinese Outbound Direct Investment regulations, within the timeframes outlined in the Company's Corporate Update announcement of 11 August 2025.

Further announcements will be made in due course as appropriate.

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For further information please see: http://www.versarien.com