AQRU plc - Incorporation of the London Carbon Exchange

This announcement contains information which, prior to its disclosure, was inside information as stipulated under Regulation 11 of the Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019/310 (as amended). Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Press Release

14 February 2023

AQRU PLC

("AQRU" or "the Company")

Incorporation of the London Carbon Exchange

AQRU plc (AQSE: AQRU), an incubator specialising in opportunities in FinTech and decentralised finance ("DeFi"), is pleased to announce the incorporation of the London Carbon Exchange Ltd. ("LCE"), a wholly owned subsidiary of AQRU specialising in opportunities in the underserved voluntary carbon market ("VCM"). LCE has opened a waiting list for investors interested in using its platform once it launches in the first half of 2023.

London Carbon Exchange is developing a web platform that will enable investors to easily and securely access and trade in the VCM, a market that allows individuals and organisations to offset their emissions by purchasing voluntary carbon credits that represent certified removals or reductions of carbon emissions.

The VCM market is on the rise as the total value of voluntary carbon transactions reached nearly US$2bn in 2021, which is almost four times more than the US$520m in transactions recorded in 2020 (Source: EcoSystem Marketplace, 2022). The growth of the market is expected to continue as an increasing number of businesses and individuals commit to lowering their carbon emissions and limiting their impact on the environment.

Despite this, the VCM is a complex market with significant barriers to entry. For instance, there are numerous standards for certifying projects in the VCM which creates significant challenges for individuals looking to assess the quality of a given carbon credit. As a result, the Company believes that there is an opportunity to capitalise from the growing voluntary carbon market by offering a solution that can help remove these complexities and enable investors to easily access and trade trusted carbon credits.

The launch of the London Carbon Exchange builds on the Company's efforts to continue delivering value to shareholders and expand into new and growing markets. The Company is doing this by developing technology solutions that enable investors to access investment propositions that were previously locked behind market complexities and other barriers to entry.

Philip Blows, Chief Executive of AQRU, said: "Our mission at AQRU is to develop solutions that can simplify complex investment opportunities so that they're not only the domain of large institutional investors. This is exactly what we're doing through the founding of the London Carbon Exchange. By supporting our subsidiary as they develop their platform, we're creating a solution that will enable investors to easily access and trade trusted carbon credits so that they can take advantage of all the opportunities in the growing voluntary carbon market. We look forward to the launch of the London Carbon exchange platform and seeing them become a key player in the rising voluntary carbon credits market."

The Directors of AQRU plc take responsibility for this announcement.

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About AQRU plc:

AQRU is an incubator specialising in opportunities in FinTech and decentralised finance ("DeFi"), a disruptive technology using blockchain and cryptocurrencies to remove financial intermediaries from transactions, creating a cheaper, more efficient and more secure way of providing financial services. Listed on the Aquis Exchange in London, we apply our expertise to the business operations and strategic plans of FinTech companies in the UK, USA and Canada, and act as an accelerator for start-ups and early-stage companies. www.aqruplc.com