Thuraya agrees heads of terms to invest in Astrocast through a convertible loan
valued at $17.5 million. It includes an extension of the Orbital Resource
Cooperation Agreement for another four years which was originally entered
between Astrocast and Thuraya in 2019.
 
Lausanne, Switzerland, April 3,  2023 - Astrocast, a leading global
nanosatellite IoT network operator announces today that the company has
concluded Heads of Terms for an investment agreement with Thuraya
Telecommunications Company, the mobile satellite services subsidiary of the
UAE's flagship satellite solutions provider, Al Yah Satellite Communications
Company PJSC ("Yahsat" or "the Group"), the UAE's flagship satellite solutions
provider listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange ("ADX"; under the symbol:
YAHSAT, ISIN: AEA007501017). The transaction will be in the form of a
convertible loan valued at US$17.5 million and marks Thuraya's first investment
in a LEO satellite constellation. As part of the agreement, both parties will
also look to extend a technical cooperation agreement for another four years
that was originally entered between Astrocast and Thuraya in 2019.

Astrocast operates a leading global nanosatellite IoT network with a focus on
enabling low power wide area connectivity solutions across core industries
including Transportation & logistics, Oil & Gas, Utilities, Mining, Forestry,
Agriculture, and Maritime. The agreement with Astrocast aims to strengthen
Thuraya's positioning in the IoT market and help expedite the execution of its
strategy for satellite enabled IoT. 

The overall IoT market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 22% over the next four
years to US$ 525 billion and the satellite IoT business is forecasted to
generate cumulative revenues of US$ 6 billion over the same period. The
strategic transaction with Astrocast represents a compelling opportunity for
Thuraya to increase its exposure to a fast-growing sector that is still
significantly under-penetrated and has a long runway for growth.

"We look forward to working together with Astrocast to execute this strategic
investment which highlights our continued belief in the outsized impact of the
IoT sector for the space and satellite industries. We are pleased to further
strengthen our relationship with Astrocast as we mutually explore ways to expand
our service offering across GEO and LEO assets to unlock greater growth
potential. Through this agreement, we are committed to enabling innovative
solutions in the Maritime, Energy, Logistics, Transportation, Mining and
Agriculture industries". Said Ali Al Hashemi, Group Chief Executive Officer of
Yahsat.

"We are delighted to have secured this agreement with Thuraya, as we anticipate
their support and expertise in guaranteeing Astrocast's success in the low-power
narrowband IoT market in the future. Our partnership with Thuraya has been solid
for the past four years, and their continuous support is incredibly important to
us. In addition, collaborating on creating new products and applications and
leveraging the Thuraya distribution network will expedite the expansion of our
customer ecosystem". Added Fabien Jordan, Founder & Chief Executive Officer at
Astrocast.



- ENDS -

Astrocast notice:

In order to carry out the investment, Astrocast will issue a convertible loan to
Yahsat for in-kind investment of 17.50 MUSD (approx. 180.8 MNOK). The loan
carries an interest of 8% and has a term of 45 months from issue. Principal plus
any interest can be converted into shares in the Company, at a premium to market
price at issue date. The convertible loan is subject to customary terms and
conditions, including inter alia with respect to adjustments for subsequent
issues, share capital restructurings, qualified equity issues or financing and
other.

Issuance of the Convertible Loans implies a deviation from the existing
shareholders' pre-emptive rights to subscribe for financial instruments. The
board of directors has carefully considered such deviation and has resolved that
the issuance is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. In
reaching this conclusion, the board has among other things considered the terms
of the Convertible Loans, the availability of capital markets financing in a
timely manner and the necessity for the Company to ensure financing in line with
its strategy.

Following this issue, the Company has issued convertible loans for a total of
approx. 23.7 MCHF (approx. 262 MNOK) (the "Convertible Loans"). As of this date,
no amount of the Convertible Loans has been converted into shares in the Company
and the Convertible Loans remains outstanding in full.


About Astrocast

Astrocast SA operates a leading global nanosatellite IoT network, offering
services in industries such as Agriculture & Livestock, Maritime, Environment &
Utilities to name a few. The Astrocast network enables companies to monitor,
track, and communicate with remote assets from anywhere in the world. It relies
on superior L-band spectrum through a strategic alliance with Thuraya. In
partnership with Airbus, CEA/LETI and ESA, Astrocast developed Astronode S, an
ultra-low power and miniaturised module compatible with inexpensive L-band patch
antennas. Founded in 2014 by a renowned team of experts, Astrocast develops and
tests all its products in-house, from the satellites to the modules. Astrocast
is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the symbol ASTRO. 
For more information visit astrocast.com

Media Contact Astrocast
Fatima Vigil 
media@astrocast.com

Investors Contact Astrocast
Kjell Karlsen
investors@astrocast.com
 


About Thuraya Telecommunications Company

Established in 1997, Thuraya offers innovative communications solutions to a
variety of sectors including maritime, energy, government, broadcast media,
military, aerospace and humanitarian NGO. Thuraya's superior network enables
clear communications and uninterrupted coverage across two-thirds of the globe
by MSS, global VSAT coverage and around the world through its unique GSM roaming
capabilities. The company's diverse range of technologically advanced and
dependable mobile satellite handsets and broadband devices provide ease of use,
value, quality and efficiency. Through relevant partnerships, Thuraya stays
ahead by delivering solutions and supporting applications that meet the rapidly
transforming nature of market demands. Thuraya remains committed to keeping
everyone within reach in any circumstance by making accessible the essential
tools required for vital connectivity.

For more information, visit www.thuraya.com; Follow us on Twitter:
@ThurayaTelecom


About Yahsat

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC (Yahsat) is a public company listed
on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and a subsidiary of Mubadala
Investment Company PJSC, offering multi-mission satellite services in more than
150 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, Asia and
Australasia. 

Yahsat's fleet of 5 satellites reaches more than 80% of the world's population,
enabling critical communications including broadband, broadcasting, backhauling
and mobility solutions. Based out of Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Yahsat provides C,
Ku, Ka and L-band satellite communications solutions for land, maritime and aero
platforms to consumers, governments and enterprises. Its businesses consist of
Yahsat Government Solutions, Thuraya, YahClick (powered by Hughes) and YahLink.
Yahsat also participates in Hughes do Brasil, an equity partnership with Hughes,
and Yahlive, an equity partnership with SES. In 2020, Yahsat commenced
construction of Thuraya 4-NGS, the next generation telecommunications system for
Thuraya, which is due to be in service during 2025. 

For more information, visit: www.yahsat.com; Follow us on Twitter:
@YahsatOfficial

For investor enquiries, please contact: ir@yahsat.ae 
For media enquiries, please contact: corporatecomms@yahsat.ae 

---

Legal Notice

Neither this announcement nor anything contained herein constitutes a financial
promotion, or an invitation or inducement to acquire or sell securities in any
jurisdiction.  


Important notice:

This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU
Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant
to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This stock exchange announcement was published by Kjell Karlsen, Chief Financial
Officer, Astrocast SA, on the time and date set out above in the announcement.

This announcement is for information purposes only and is not to be relied upon
in substitution for the exercise of independent judgment. It is not intended as
investment advice and under no circumstances is it to be used or considered as
an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a
recommendation to buy or sell any securities of the Company. 

The distribution of this announcement and other information may be restricted by
law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or
such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and
to observe any such restrictions.

Forward-looking statements

This announcement is not and does not form a part of any offer to sell, or a
solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities of the Company. Copies of
this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into any
jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require
registration or other measures.

This announcement is for information purposes only and is not to be relied upon
in substitution for the exercise of independent judgment. It is not intended as
investment advice and under no circumstances is it to be used or considered as
an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a
recommendation to buy or sell any securities of the Company.

This announcement contains statements regarding the prospects and growth
strategies of the Company. These statements are sometimes identified by the use
of the future or conditional tense, or by the use of forward-looking terms such
as "considers", "envisages", "believes", "aims", "expects", "intends", "should",
"anticipates", "estimates", "thinks", "wishes" and "might", or, if applicable,
the negative form of such terms and similar expressions or similar terminology.
Such information is not historical in nature and should not be interpreted as a
guarantee of future performance. Such information is based on data, assumptions,
and estimates that the Company considers reasonable. Such information is subject
to change or modification based on uncertainties in the economic, financial,
competitive or regulatory environments. The Company's forward-looking statements
speak only as of the date of this announcement. Absent any applicable legal or
regulatory requirements, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to
release any updates to any forward-looking statements contained in this
announcement to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events,
conditions, or circumstances, on which any forward-looking statement contained
in this announcement is based.

The Company operates in a competitive and rapidly evolving environment; it is
therefore unable to anticipate all risks, uncertainties or other factors that
may affect its business, their potential impact on its business or the extent to
which the occurrence of a risk or combination of risks could have significantly
different results from those set out in any forward-looking statements, it being
noted that such forward-looking statements do not constitute a guarantee of
actual results.

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