August 1, 2017
IN THE MATTER OF THE SECURITIES LEGISLATION OF ONTARIO (THE JURISDICTION)
AND
IN THE MATTER OF THE PROCESS FOR EXEMPTIVE RELIEF APPLICATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS
AND
IN THE MATTER OF BIOAMBER INC. (THE FILER)
DECISION
Background
The principal regulator in the Jurisdiction has received an application from the Filer for a decision under the securities legislation of the Jurisdiction (the Legislation), pursuant to paragraph 74(1)2 of the Securities Act (Ontario), for an exemption from the prospectus requirement for certain marketing activities not expressly permitted by National Instrument 71-101 – The Multijurisdictional Disclosure System (NI 71-101) so that investment dealers acting as underwriters (as defined in the Legislation) or selling group members of (a) the Filer, or (b) a selling securityholder of the Filer are permitted to (i) use Standard Term Sheets (as defined below) and Marketing Materials (as defined below), and (ii) conduct Road Shows (as defined below) in connection with future offerings under a Final Canadian MJDS Shelf Prospectus (as defined below) to be filed by the Filer in each of the provinces of Canada other than the Province of Québec (the Exemption Sought).
Under the Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions (for a passport application):
(a) the Ontario Securities Commission is the principal regulator for this application, and
(b) the Filer has provided notice that subsection 4.7(1) of Multilateral Instrument 11-102 Passport System (MI 11-102) is intended to be relied upon in each of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador (together with the Jurisdiction, the Jurisdictions).
Interpretation
Terms defined in National Instrument 14-101 – Definitions and MI 11-102 have the same meaning if used in this decision, unless otherwise defined.
Representations
This decision is based on the following facts represented by the Filer:
The Filer is a corporation incorporated under the laws of Delaware.
The head office of the Filer is located at 1000 Westgate Drive, Suite 115, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA 55114.
As of the date hereof, the Filer is a reporting issuer in British Columbia and Ontario and will become a reporting issuer in the other Jurisdictions upon a receipt being issued for its Final Canadian MJDS Shelf Prospectus (as defined below). The Filer is an “SEC foreign issuer” as defined under National Instrument 71-102 Continuous Disclosure and Other Exemptions Relating to Foreign Issuers. The Filer is not in default of securities legislation in any of the Jurisdictions.
The Filer has filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the Registration Statement). The Registration Statement was declared effective on January 12, 2017. The Registration Statement contains a shelf prospectus (the U.S. Shelf Prospectus) that registers for sale in the United States, from time to time, in one or more offerings and pursuant to one or more prospectus supplements, shares of the Filer’s common stock, shares of the Filer’s preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and units.
The Filer also has filed a preliminary MJDS prospectus, and intends to file a final MJDS prospectus (Final Canadian MJDS Shelf Prospectus), in the Jurisdictions pursuant to NI 71-101 which includes or will include, respectively, the U.S. Shelf Prospectus which will qualify the distribution in the Jurisdictions, from time to time, in one or more offerings and pursuant to one or more prospectus supplements, shares of the Filer’s common stock, shares of the Filer’s preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and units.
National Instrument 44-102 – Shelf Distributions (NI 44-102) sets out the requirements for a distribution under a (non-MJDS) shelf prospectus in Canada, including requirements with respect to advertising and marketing activities. In particular, Part 9A of NI 44-102 permits the conduct of “road shows” and the use of “standard term sheets” and “marketing materials” (as such terms are defined in National Instrument 41-101 General Prospectus Requirements (NI 41-101)) following the issuance of a receipt for a final base shelf prospectus provided the approval, content, use and other applicable conditions and requirements of Part 9A are complied with. NI 71-101 does not contain provisions that are equivalent to those of Part 9A of NI 44-102.
In connection with marketing an offering in Canada under the Final Canadian MJDS Shelf Prospectus, investment dealers acting as underwriters or selling group members of (a) the Filer, or (b) a selling securityholder of the Filer may wish to conduct road shows (Road Shows) and utilize one or more standard term sheets (Standard Term Sheets) and marketing materials (Marketing Materials), as such terms are defined in NI 41-101. Any such Road Shows, Standard Term Sheets and Marketing Materials would comply with the approval, content, use and other conditions and requirements of Part 9A of NI 44-102, as applicable.
Canadian purchasers, if any, of securities offered under the Final Canadian MJDS Shelf Prospectus will only be able to purchase those securities through an investment dealer registered in the jurisdiction of residence of the purchaser.
Decision
The principal regulator is satisfied that the decision meets the test set out in the Legislation for the principal regulator to make the decision.
The decision of the principal regulator is that the Exemption Sought is granted, provided that the conditions and requirements set out in Part 9A of NI 44-102 for Standard Term Sheets, Marketing Materials and Road Shows are complied with for any future offering under the Final Canadian MJDS Shelf Prospectus in the manner in which those conditions and requirements would apply if the Final Canadian MJDS Shelf Prospectus were a final base shelf prospectus under NI 44-102.
“Deborah Leckman” “Robert P. Hutchison”
Ontario Securities Commission Ontario Securities Commission