| NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 2005--Advance Nanotech, Inc.,
(OTC BB:AVNA.OB), the premier provider of services, support and
financing to drive the commercialization of nanotechnology
discoveries, used the NSTI Conference as a backdrop for discussing its
view of the near term potential of nanotechnology in the US and
abroad. The company sees faster adoption of nanotechnology supported
by business models like its own, which provide mission critical
resources and support services to enable early stage nanotechnology
discoveries to evolve from the university laboratory to the market.
Advance Nanotech currently has nearly twenty companies comprising
its diversified portfolio, most of which are developing technologies
within the university setting. The university provides a
cost-effective environment with access to cutting edge infrastructure
in which innovative solutions can be developed for existing problems
and unmet business needs. The Advance Nanotech model, while having
some similarities to the incubator made popular in the technology
community of the late 1990s, is far more advanced and features
precisely the kinds of resources nanotechnology companies demand.
Specifically, Advance Nanotech provides services ranging from funding,
to human capital and research equipment essential to ensuring that the
most promising companies can accelerate the path to rapid
commercialization. In this way, investor exposure to any particular
technology is mitigated with Advance Nanotech retaining the option to
increase investment in those technologies which successfully mature.
This model is much more relevant to nanotechnology companies
which, unlike technology companies, do not have a strong existing
infrastructure in place and are not widely understood by prospective
customers, investors or the public. Nanotechnology companies require a
great deal of nurturing to develop early stage ideas through to
commercial success and often need help educating key audiences about
their complex sciences. This is an expensive process, which could
translate to higher investor risk and exposure. Investors and
prospective customers for these technologies are rightly asking what
distinguishes one nanotechnology company from another - which one will
be successful? As a result, the Advance Nanotech model is enjoying an
unprecedented level of success.
"Our model is extremely well accepted by early stage
nanotechnology companies and academic institutions, which need the
kind of critical services we provide," said Magnus Gittins, CEO of
Advance Nanotech. "To meet that demand, it is vital that we continue
to provide the highest level of human resources for existing projects
and in those portfolio companies proving out their development
milestones. This would also apply to any additional portfolio
companies we consider."
Reviewing Advance Portfolio and Partners:
Advance Nanotech calculates the impact of nanotechnology in the
sectors of materials, electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals,
aerospace, tools, healthcare, and others to total in excess of $1
trillion over the next 15 years. Today, the company is currently
funding 18 portfolio companies in the electronics, biopharma, and
materials industries. Advance Nanotech sees providing the following as
critical to supporting the nanotechnology sector's evolution:
- Equipment and Resource Enhancements: Advance Nanotech sees
investment in equipment to extend the research and development
resources as critical to supporting nanotechnology development
in Europe, the US and Asia. For example, earlier this year,
Advance Nanotech announced a key strategic investment in an
electron beam lithography machine that will benefit the firm's
portfolio companies based out of the University of Cambridge
in the United Kingdom. Advance Nanotech supplements equipment
at its partnership facilities, enhancing rather than
duplicating pre-existing infrastructure.
- Human Resources: Advance Nanotech will continue to provide
support to its portfolio companies as they successfully
execute on their development plans. Specifically, Advance
Nanotech will be helping the following companies add
scientific and administrative resources:
- Owlstone, developing a button sized chemical sensor, an
'electronic nose' for numerous applications in defense,
healthcare, domestic and industry.
- Bio-Nano Sensium, developing a platform technology for the
next generation of medical diagnostic sensors. These may
be wearable or implantable and are able to communicate
their information wirelessly to a PDA, mobile phone or
computer.
- NanoFED, developing a field emission display which
combines the light, thin packaging of LCD displays with
the quality of displays based on cathode ray tubes.
Moving forward, Advance Nanotech's growth strategy includes
extending its already broad network of industry and academic
partnerships. In 2005, Advance is continuing to focus on:
- Academic Partnerships: Advance Nanotech will continue to
extend and diversify its academic partnerships. The company
already maintains deep alliances with premier universities,
including the University of Cambridge and Imperial College,
which were independently rated as the number two and number
three universities in the UK this year. In the US, Advance
Nanotech will seek to build relationships with leading centers
of nanotechnology excellence.
- Industry Partnerships: Advance Nanotech will continue to seek
out leading industry partners with a common goal of funding
and guiding early-stage nanotechnology companies. In 2005, the
company partnered with industry leaders including Alps
Electric Company Limited, Marconi plc and the Dow Corning
Corporation in the Centre for Advanced Photonics and
Electronics at the University of Cambridge, a strategic
alliance of government, academia and industry to direct
research to practical outcomes.
- Commercialization Partnerships: Advance Nanotech will seek out
potential licensees, purchasers and joint-venture partners for
its technologies as they mature within the Advance Nanotech
development frame-work. Advance Nanotech will leverage its
majority control of its technologies to select the most
value-generating route for commercialization appropriate to
each technology.
About Advance Nanotech, Inc.
Advance Nanotech Inc. is dedicated to ensuring nanotechnology
discoveries reach maximum market potential through successful
commercialization. Advance is the trusted guide to commercial success
for nanotech entrepreneurs spanning the globe, partnering with leading
universities to provide scientists and researchers with mission
critical infrastructure support to transform their discoveries to
marketable solutions. The organization provides a range of services
and support including financing, leadership assets and counsel on
intellectual property, licensing and regulatory issues. With a
portfolio of nearly 20 companies developing technologies which offer
potentially breakthrough nanotechnology discoveries in the
electronics, biopharma and materials sectors, Advance's goal is to
transform the potential for nanotechnology discoveries into innovative
products that further evolve existing industries and enable new
markets.
This document contains forward-looking statements by Advance
Nanotech regarding its expectations as to its business, and involves
risks and uncertainties and may constitute forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995.
Such statements are based on management's current expectations and
are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those addressed in the
forward-looking statements.
Factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not
limited to, problems and risks associated with developments in the
nanotechnology industry in general and in Advance Nanotech's products
under development in particular; the potential failure of Advance
Nanotech's products under development to prove safe and effective in
application; uncertainties inherent in the early stage of Advance
Nanotech's products under development; failure to successfully
implement or complete research programmes; failure to receive
marketing clearance from regulatory agencies for our products under
development; acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, licenses or
strategic initiatives that change Advance Nanotech's business,
structure or projections; the development of competing products;
uncertainties related to Advance Nanotech's dependence on third
parties and partners; and those risks described Advance Nanotech 's
filings with the SEC. Advance Nanotech disclaims any obligation to
update these forward-looking statements.
Further information about these and other relevant risks and
uncertainties may be found in the Advance Nanotech's findings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available from
the Commission as well as other sources.
Contact:
Public Relations:
Racepoint Group
RJ Bardsley, 781-487-4616
rbardsley@racepointgroup.com
or
Investor Relations Contact:
CEOCast
Cormac Glynn, 212-732-4300
cglynn@ceocast.com
|
