15 February 2012 Director's exercise of options Starvest plc ('Starvest' or the 'Company'), the provider of finance to fledgling businesses with a focus on mineral exploration and development, announces that it received notification on 14 February 2012, of the exercise of 200,000 options to subscribe for Ordinary Shares of 1 pence each in the Company at a price of 5 pence per share and of the exercise of 200,000 options to subscribe for Ordinary Shares in the Company at a price of 6 pence per share by directors of the Company as stated below: +----------------------------+-----------------------------+----------------+ | | Number of options exercised | Exercise price | +----------------------------+-----------------------------+----------------+ | Anthony Charles Raby Scutt | 200,000 | 6 pence | +----------------------------+-----------------------------+----------------+ | John Watkins | 200,000 | 5 pence | +----------------------------+-----------------------------+----------------+ | Total | 400,000 | | +----------------------------+-----------------------------+----------------+ As a result of this exercise of these options, the directors' interests in the Ordinary Shares of the Company are as follows: +--------------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+ | |Shares now held|Percentage of issued ordinary share| | | | capital| +--------------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+ |Ronald Bruce Rowan | 10,170,000| 27.40%| +--------------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+ |Anthony Charles Raby Scutt| 360,000| 0.97%| +--------------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+ |John Watkins | 1,235,000| 3.33%| +--------------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+ In addition to their interests in the Ordinary Share Capital of the Company stated above, the Directors remain interested in the following options to subscribe for the Company's Ordinary Shares: +----------------------------+---------------------+----------------+ | | Options outstanding | Exercise price | +----------------------------+---------------------+----------------+ | Ronald Bruce Rowan | 1,750,000 | 15 pence | +----------------------------+---------------------+----------------+ | Anthony Charles Raby Scutt | 350,000 | 15 pence | +----------------------------+---------------------+----------------+ | John Watkins | 300,000 | 5 pence | +----------------------------+---------------------+----------------+ | John Watkins | 100,000 | 6 pence | +----------------------------+---------------------+----------------+ | John Watkins | 875,000 | 15 pence | +----------------------------+---------------------+----------------+ Application will been made for the New Ordinary Shares, which rank pari passu with the Company's existing issued Ordinary Share capital, to be admitted to trading on AIM. It is expected that the admission of the New Ordinary Shares to trading on AIM will occur on 21 February 2012. Following the issue and allotment of the new Ordinary Shares, the Company will have 39,417,259 Ordinary Shares of 1 pence each in issue of which 2,300,000 are held in treasury, therefore the number of Ordinary Shares in issue with voting rights is 37,117,259. Enquiries to: Bruce Rowan, Chairman 020 7486 3997 or John Watkins, Finance Director 07768 512404; john@starvest.co.uk Gerry Beaney, Colin Aaronson or David Hignell Grant Thornton Corporate Finance 020 7383 5100 This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Starvest plc via Thomson Reuters ONE [HUG#1586066]