24 June 2021

DeepVerge plc

("DeepVerge" or the "Company")

Microtox® PD claims world first live data alerts of SARS-Cov-2 in wastewater treatment plants

Modern Water enters Service Agreement with EPS Group for European Microtox^®PD[i] installations

DeepVerge (LSE:DVRG.L), today announces the successful completion of Phase 3 field trials in which Microtox® PD  achieved real-time detection and transmission of data, specific to SARS-CoV-2, in wastewater treatment plants at multiple sites[ii].  As a result, its Environmental Health Division ("Modern Water") has entered into a master service agreement with EPS Group to install, calibrate, service and maintain  Microtox^®PD units which, subject to negotiation with undisclosed parties, have the potential to be installed in multiple European countries.

Gerard Brandon, DeepVerge plc CEO commented:

"The successful completion of the Phase 3 field trials clearly demonstrates the capability and value of Microtox® PD to identify dangerous pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, in real-time.  By establishing a permanent anonymised mass surveillance of wastewater, DeepVerge claims a world first real-time defence against this global pandemic.  The installation of Microtox® PD  wastewater units will enable live data to simultaneously identify the source of COVID-19 cases as well as identify COVID-19 clusters with the ability to indicate the size of each cluster.  As the data grows, the central AI system has the potential to predict the trajectory of growth of future clusters of SARS-CoV-2 or any future dangerous pathogen.

"Having achieved this major milestone, we are delighted to enter this agreement with EPS Group who complete the final step of installing, retrofitting and maintaining our Microtox® PD  equipment. With this level of established technical engineering support and distribution, DeepVerge can now offer an end-to-end solution for public and private clients across the European wastewater sector. We expect updates from our Joint Venture agreement with China Resources and roll-out in the US to follow early in Q3."

Patrick Buckley, EPS Group Managing Director commented:

"We are very pleased to be part of this innovative partnership with DeepVerge to help combat the pandemic with their unique Microtox® PD  technology playing a crucial role in the early detection of COVID-19 hotspots around the world. With 550 personnel, our largest footprint in the water, wastewater pumping and treatment services sector across Europe, EPS Group engineers are ready to make this happen".

Background to field trials:

On the 24 September 2020, the Company announced[iii] completion of the integration of an Affimer/Aptamer-based real-time SARS-CoV-2 detector and alert system into Modern Water's Microtox water contamination system, now called Microtox® PD , for the detection of the coronavirus in wastewater. Microtox® PD  successfully completed initial spike protein testing and validation of SARS-CoV-2 in filtered wastewater and transitioned to the University of Aberdeen for full beta testing of the system using real SARS-CoV-2 virus samples in its containment level 3 laboratory, prior to initiation of the field trials, referred to above. 

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About DeepVerge plc (www.deepverge.com)

DeepVerge is an environmental and life science group of companies that develops and applies AI and IoT technology to analytical instruments for the analysis and identification of bacteria, virus and toxins. Utilising artificial intelligent data analytics to scientifically prove the impact of skincare product claims on skin microbiome for most of the top 20 global cosmetic company clients and remotely detect and identify in real-time, dangerous pathogens in wastewater treatment plants, drinking water, rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

About EPS Group (www.epswater.ie)

EPS Group is one of largest, privately owned Design-Build-Operate European partners for the delivery, operation and concession management of water and wastewater assets. A wet infrastructure specialist, employing approximately 550 people with revenues in excess of £100m. With a 52 year pedigree, EPS has grown from a modest electrical and pumping services business into an innovative, internationally exporting product and service provider, focused on water, wastewater and clean technology.

EPS Group work across the utility; industrial; commercial; residential and agricultural sectors with customers as varied as water and power companies; those in the dairy, meat processing, bakery, brewing and distilling industries; pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, microelectronic, data centre and defence spaces to commercial including building services, leisure, office/retail outlets and SMEs to residential and agricultural clients.