Oxford Investment Opportunity Network

The following five companies are seeking investment via the Network as a result of the 29 January OION investment meeting at the Oxford Chemistry Research Laboratory, Oxford. The descriptions available summarise the investment proposal made by the company. The information is provided by the company and has not been vetted in any way by OION.

If you are interested in receiving further information on any of the companies then please contact us.

Company A is developing a simple, low cost technology to make solar panels safer and more cost effective.
Product A uses a simple wireless chip, powered by the photovoltaic module itself, to improve safety, reduce installation cost, improve logistics for the supply chain, increase efficiency and provide a low cost information for users for a PV system.

Company A’s founders have a CleanTech track record. The development team includes a university partner and a leading UK building supplies firm with PV products. The technology is at proof of concept, with a patent filed. Investment to date, from the founders and in-kind from partners, is in the region of £50k. The company is seeking a total of £400k in two tranches. £150k is required to produce further prototypes for pre-production testing, with a further £250k in mid-2008 for commercialisation.

The technology has benefits throughout the supply chain, and the target customers are manufacturers of junction boxes currently supplying the PV industry. The business model is straight sales, with joint-venture or licensing as options. Potential unit sales are high (one smaller manufacturer ships around 1 million junction boxes annually), with high margins. Most likely exit is a trade sale, from 2010.

“Product 1” - 3D Cinema without Glasses & “Product 2” - Multi Level Projection

Company B has completed two Proof Of Concept demonstrators over 3 years of DTI funded Research in the fields of, “autostereoscopic & volumemetric” 3D imagery.

For Product 1 - people do not require 3D glasses to see images float out of the screen towards them
For Product 2 - viewers do not require 3D glasses to see independent and different projected images on a number of projection screens within a rear projection cabinet.

Product 1 enables a viewer to see full colour, “holographic type” images coming out of the screen from anywhere within their seat - then it repeats in the seats either side, above and below them. This technology is ideally suited for training simulators or simulator rides and theme park 3D theatres.

Product 2 is the Projection of independent images on separate layers of projection screens where each layer is of the highest quality, and can be made to be relevant to each other if required. E.g. Level 1 could show a patients muscle structure while level 2 showed, overlaid, skeletal structure while level 3 superimposed, the patient's details. 3 times more information is displayed for medical, air-traffic control, digital signage or entertainment.

Company C is developing a novel, patented rechargeable battery that has the potential to replace current state-of-the-art electrochemistries, for many applications and win a significant share of this $6bn market. The competitive advantage of Company C’s technology is based upon the unique properties of its liquid cathode lithium sulphide (“LiS”) battery chemistry. Based at the Culham Science Centre (near Oxford), Company C has well equipped laboratories and is currently producing prototype batteries.

There is strong interest from potential customers in the oil and electric vehicle markets, some of whom are already funding development.

Company C has an experienced Board and is raising up to £3m, of which £0.75-1m will be from existing investors.

Company D is an early stage biotech company developing Product D - a novel technology for anti-bacterials that can target any selected bacteria. Product D technology will be aimed initially at bacteria where there is a problem with antibiotic resistance, and products against MRSA and Clostridium difficile are in development. Product D has a unique mode of action and inactivates bacterial DNA in such a way that mutations in the DNA do not affect its efficacy. Targeted bacterial cells are rapidly inactivated and production of toxins and antibiotic resistance can also be halted.

The company’s first product will be used to reduce nasal carriage of MRSA. Pre-clinical studies have been conducted and a Phase I clinical trial is scheduled for 2008. In vitro tests against 175 MRSA isolates from patients around the world, showed that the product is highly effective. A patent covering the Product D technology has been granted in Europe and Australia (in National Phases in US, Canada and Japan) and a patent application covering the first product was filed in 2007.

Company D is based at the Babraham Research Campus near Cambridge, has 12 employees (including 9 post-docs) and has raised more than £3.6 million to date.

Company E is a technology enabler for bespoke organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), using carbon-based polymers. The company provides polymer and electronic reference design solutions for OLEDs. OLEDs, touch sensors and standard colour graphics can be printed on a single, existing commercial UV-inkjet printer platform. The solutions provided are the chemical formulae and electronic schematics.

OLEDs are a flat-display technology, made by placing a series of organic-polymer thin-films between two conductors. When a low-voltage is applied across the conductors, a light is emitted from the polymer. Company E’s technology is protected by four patent applications.

1. Four unique selling points of the technology:
2. High-definition displays on non-special medias
3. Curing time is approximately four seconds
4. Highly suitable to low-volume customised displays
5. Cost effective and low waste process

To commercialise Company E’s technology a technical development phase, 2008-10, is required. Said development is to improve the OLED lifetime and light output. To achieve this, an investment of £750K is proposed.