Graphene Council identifies Versarien as quality graphene maker.

https://www.compositesworld.com/blog/post/nanomaterials-products-supply-chain-mature-for-next-gen-composites

6/26/2019
Nanomaterials: Products, supply chain mature for next-gen composites

Verifying producers and supporting developers


One of the challenges facing a dynamic, fast-maturing technology is to build trust in the supply chain. To that end, the Graphene Council is working to mature the global supply chain through its Verified Graphene Producer program. Versarien plc (Cheltenham, U.K.) is the first graphene supplier to successfully complete this independent, third-party verification system that involves a physical inspection of the production facilities and review of the entire production process and safety procedures. “We also take random samples of their products and submit them for blind testing to be rigorously characterized at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL, Teddington, U.K.), a world-class institution that follows ISO/TR 19733:2019 for Nanotechnologies,” says the Graphene Council’s Barkan. NADCAP is an analogous audit program long used by the aerospace industry for the same purpose. “Without this type of program, customers have no clue what they are getting when they buy and receive graphene products,” says Barkan. “Our Verified Graphene Producer program is an important step to provide a level of confidence in the both products and producers worldwide.”

The Graphene Council also works to improve development of graphene applications. “We connect companies with resources to help them quickly navigate products, producers, materials science and testing for faster, more successful development,” says Barkan. “We also provide independent, third-party advisory services to help companies that want to use graphene, but don’t know where to start. We not only have reach into our formal members, but also track more than 200 companies involved with graphene worldwide. We monitor what is being developed and the latest scientific and research results, helping to understand what type of graphene to use, how to functionalize and disperse it and how to test for performance.” He notes a close relationship with the Graphene Engineering & Innovation Center (GEIC) at the University of Manchester (Manchester, UK), where graphene was first discovered. “This is a rapid prototyping center,” says Barkan, “and helps us to leverage what graphene can do.”

AMERICA IDENTIFIES VERSARIEN GRAPHENE first to qualify.

1 April 2019

Versarien plc

("Versarien" or the "Company")

Completion of Verified Graphene Producer Programme

Versarien plc (AIM: VRS), the advanced materials engineering group, is pleased to announce that the Company is the first graphene company in the world to successfully complete the Graphene Council's "Verified Graphene Producer" programme (the "Programme").

The US-based Graphene Council's Programme is an independent, third party verification system that involves a physical inspection of the production facilities, a review of the entire production process, a random sampling of product material and rigorous characterisation and testing by a leading, international materials laboratory. The Programme is based on the most recent developments in globally recognised graphene standards, surveys of graphene producers, researchers and users, as well as analysis of commercially available graphene products.

The Graphene Council have designed the Programme to be an important step in providing customers and end-users with a degree of confidence, that has not existed before, that they are sourcing material from a reputable supplier, bringing transparency and clarity to a rapidly changing and opaque market for graphene materials.

Terrance Barkan, Executive Director of The Graphene Council, commented: "Successful commercialisation of graphene materials requires not only the ability to produce graphene to a declared specification, but to be able to do so at a commercial scale. It is nearly impossible for a graphene customer to verify the type of material they are receiving without going through an expensive and time-consuming process of having sample materials fully characterised by a laboratory that has the equipment and expertise to test graphene.

"The Verified Graphene Producer programme developed by The Graphene Council provides a level of independent inspection and verification that is not available anywhere else.

"We are pleased to have worked with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the UK, regarded as one of the absolute top facilities for metrology and graphene characterisation in the world. They have provided outstanding analytical expertise for the materials testing portion of the Programme."

Neill Ricketts, CEO of Versarien, commented: "We are delighted that Versarien is the first graphene producer in the world to successfully complete the Graphene Council's Verified Graphene Producer programme.

"This is a huge validation of our technology and will enable our partners and potential customers to have confidence that the graphene we produce meets globally accepted standards.

"There are many companies that claim to be graphene producers, but to enjoy the benefits that this material can deliver requires high quality, consistent product to be supplied. The Verified Producer programme is designed to verify that our production facilities, processes and tested material meet the stringent requirements laid down by the Graphene Council.

"I am proud that Versarien has been independently acclaimed as a Verified Graphene Producer and look forward to making further progress with our collaboration partners and numerous other parties that we are in discussions with."

Enquiries:


Versarien
Neill Ricketts, CEO
Chris Leigh, CFO +44 (0)1242 269 122
Canaccord Genuity (Nominated
Adviser and Broker)
Bobbie Hilliam
Emma Gabriel +44 (0)20 7523 8000
IFC Advisory (Financial PR
and IR)
Tim Metcalfe
Graham Herring
Heather Armstrong +44(0)20 3934 6630

About Versarien

Versarien plc (AIM:VRS), is an advanced engineering materials group. Leveraging proprietary technology, the Group creates innovative engineering solutions for its clients in a diverse range of industries. Versarien has six subsidiaries operating under two divisions:

Graphene and Plastics

2-DTech Ltd, which specialises in the supply, characterisation and early stage development of graphene products. www.2-dtech.com

AAC Cyroma Limited, which specialises in the supply of vacuum-formed and injection-moulded products to the automotive, construction, utilities and retail industry sectors. Using Versarien's existing graphene manufacturing capabilities, AAC will have the ability to produce graphene-enhanced plastic products. www.aaccyroma.co.uk

Cambridge Graphene Limited, supplies novel inks based on graphene and related materials, using patented processes to develop graphene materials technology.

www.cambridgegraphene.com

Gnanomat S.L. ("GNA"), based in the Parque Cientifico Madrid, Spain, is a company capable of utilising Versarien's graphene products in an environmentally friendly, scalable production process for energy storage devices that offer high power density, almost instant recharging and very long lifetimes for use in electrical vehicles and portable electronics products.www.gnanomat.com

Hard Wear and Metallic Products

Versarien Technologies Limited has developed an additive process for creating advanced micro-porous metals targeting the thermal management industry and supplies extruded aluminium. www.versarien-technologies.co.uk

Total Carbide Limited, a leading manufacturer in sintered tungsten carbide for applications in arduous environments such as the oil and gas industry. www.totalcarbide.com

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

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XG global sale chief quits. Joining Versarien instead. Patrick Abbott, global sales chief at XG Sciences will head up Versarien's new base at Houston.

Versarien comes to Houston. New US base.

hTTps://uk.advfn.com/stock-market/london/versarien-VRS/share-news/Versarien-PLC-USA-Update/79518660

RNS Number : 5552T

Versarien PLC

21 March 2019

21 March 2019

Versarien plc

("Versarien" or the "Company")

USA Update

Versarien plc (AIM: VRS), the advanced materials engineering group, is pleased to provide an update on the Company's activities in the United States of America.

Versarien has recently established a new US corporate entity, Versarien Graphene Inc, to facilitate the Company's graphene and other 2D materials activities in the USA. The Company is additionally in the process of establishing a new office, laboratory facility and applications centre in Houston, Texas that will act as a hub for the Company's activities in North America.

Patrick Abbott has been appointed as Versarien's Vice President North American Operations to oversee these activities and he will be based at the Company's Houston facility once established. Patrick is an experienced speciality materials professional with over 20 years' experience in the sector. He is a former US Marine Corps Officer who spent over 16 years in a variety of global business development and marketing roles at BASF. In 2015 and 2016, Patrick was part of the team transitioning specific product lines to Huntsman Corporation. Subsequently he established Global Marketing Empire Solutions, a disruptive technology consulting company and joined XG Sciences, a company focussed on graphene nano technology, as their global sales manager. At XG Sciences he was tasked with assisting the executive team in transitioning the company from an academic company to full commercialisation.

The establishment of this US presence follows on from work that Versarien has been undertaking with the US National Graphene Association and various collaboration partners in the region. Further North American potential collaboration partners and customers have been identified, both through inbound enquires and proactive approaches, and it is intended that the Houston facility and additional resource will enable these to be more efficiently progressed.

The Company is pleased to be participating in the UK Government organised "UK Technology and Capability Showcase" being held at Collins Aerospace in Charlotte, North Carolina, on 25 March 2019 where the Company will be presenting its 2D materials technology to Collins Aerospace representatives.

The Company additionally looks forward to being a leading participant in the American Graphene Summit, being hosted by the National Graphene Association (NGA) in Washington DC on 21 and 22 May 2019. The summit, keynoted by Senator Roger Wicker, intends to bring together leaders of US industry and government agencies and key international figures in the graphene sector to engage in a dialogue on shaping the global architecture surrounding graphene technologies and its impact on the US and global economy.

Zina Jarrahi Cinker, Executive Director of the National Graphene Association, commented: "The establishment of Versarien's first U.S-Based application development facility in Houston, Texas is a significant step for the development of graphene and graphene technologies in the United States. Versarien is a key member the elite Graphene Industry Council and I strongly believe Versarien Graphene Inc will be well positioned to serve the North American end user markets and facilitate the integration of graphene in strategic product segments."

Neill Ricketts, CEO of Versarien, commented: "We are very pleased to be moving to the next stage of our development in the US with the establishment of Versarien Graphene Inc and a dedicated facility in Houston.

"We are already pursuing a number of substantial opportunities in the US, particularly through the support of the National Graphene Association, and I expect our level of activity to significantly increase in the coming months, particularly given the high number of enquires we have had for the supply of our graphene and other 2D materials from leading US companies.

"I would like to express my sincere thanks to the support and assistance we have received from the National Graphene Association and Senator Wicker to develop our business and network in the US.

"I am also particularly pleased we have secured the services of Patrick Abbott and I would like to formally welcome him to the Versarien team. His skills and experience will be invaluable as we look to build more relationships and commercialise graphene enhanced products with US companies.

"Coupled with the recent progress we have made in China and elsewhere we remain confident that we can make further rapid progress this year. I look forward to providing further updates on our US and other activities in due course."

Enquiries:


Versarien
Neill Ricketts, CEO
Chris Leigh, CFO +44 (0)1242 269 122
Canaccord Genuity (Nominated
Adviser and Broker)
Bobbie Hilliam
Emma Gabriel +44 (0)20 7523 8000
IFC Advisory (Financial PR
and IR)
Tim Metcalfe
Graham Herring
Heather Armstrong +44(0)20 3934 6630

About Versarien

Versarien plc (AIM:VRS), is an advanced engineering materials group. Leveraging proprietary technology, the Group creates innovative engineering solutions for its clients in a diverse range of industries. Versarien has six subsidiaries operating under two divisions:

Graphene and Plastics

2-DTech Ltd, which specialises in the supply, characterisation and early stage development of graphene products. www.2-dtech.com

AAC Cyroma Limited, which specialises in the supply of vacuum-formed and injection-moulded products to the automotive, construction, utilities and retail industry sectors. Using Versarien's existing graphene manufacturing capabilities, AAC will have the ability to produce graphene-enhanced plastic products. www.aaccyroma.co.uk

Cambridge Graphene Limited, supplies novel inks based on graphene and related materials, using patented processes to develop graphene materials technology.

www.cambridgegraphene.com

Gnanomat S.L. ("GNA"), based in the Parque Cientifico Madrid, Spain, is a company capable of utilising Versarien's graphene products in an environmentally friendly, scalable production process for energy storage devices that offer high power density, almost instant recharging and very long lifetimes for use in electrical vehicles and portable electronics products.www.gnanomat.com

Hard Wear and Metallic Products

Versarien Technologies Limited has developed an additive process for creating advanced micro-porous metals targeting the thermal management industry and supplies extruded aluminium. www.versarien-technologies.co.uk

Total Carbide Limited, a leading manufacturer in sintered tungsten carbide for applications in arduous environments such as the oil and gas industry. www.totalcarbide.com

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

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March 21, 2019 03:02 ET (07:02 GMT)

Versarien today announce global collaboration with Advanced Insulation. Today the company issued a formal stockmarket announcement of a tie-up with a company specialising in extreme protection of at-sea and below-sea oil and gas facilities worldwide.

GRAPHENE PROGRESS. Versarien is the real deal. In the 14 years since graphene was first developed at Manchester University in the UK, there's been a wild-west style goldrush among companies worldwide to get it into production. Many claim to have done so. But many of those claims are false. Customers have, in many cases, been sold material purporting to be graphene, but which has not performed well. In some cases the ingredient has produced improvements, but not the exciting ones expected. Fast-forward to September 2017 when the International Standards Organization (ISO) published a long overdue definition of what can and cannot be called graphene. More than 90% of the material previously marketed as graphene fails to comply - which helps explain the disappointments experienced. In many cases the material sold has been graphene oxide or other derivatives of graphite. These do have their uses, but they are not graphene. One of the companies whose product does comply at the highest grade is small UK company called Versarien. This is no surprise to its followers, as in Sept 2017 it was the runaway winner of a UK tender in which samples were submitted to the government's Centre For Process Innovation. The company began by buying 85% of a graphene company set up by Manchester University - the birthplace of graphene. The university maintained a 15% stake in Versarien.

3 Oct 2016 - acquired plastics company Aac Cyroma
19 Jan 2017 - acquired 85% of Cambridge Graphene Ltd, the remaining 15% being retained by Cambridge University with whom Versarien have an ongoing research relationship.
8 Feb 2017 - The brand name Nanene is registered for Versarien's graphene.
19 Sept 2017 - Versarien wins UK government tender to supply graphene after submitted samples proved superior.
15 Jan 2018 - China's Jinan Province sign a Letter Of Intent for a joint venture with Versarien, to meet growing need for genuine graphene which China's own makers have failed to produce.
5 Feb 2018 - America's National Graphene Association (NGA) appoint Versarien's boss Neill Ricketts to its Advisory Board.
22 May 2018 - in an unprecedented move, the UK government announce that Matt Walker, Head of Outward Direct Investment at the UK Government's Department for International Trade ("DIT") has joined Versarien on a secondment for a minimum of 12 months. During this period he will work exclusively for Versarien and will be Head of International Strategy and Government Relations.
7 Jun 2018 - the NGA announce that Versarien has been appointed as the inaugural Industry Council member and Corporate Partner of The National Graphene Association ("NGA"), the main organisation and body in the US advocating and promoting the commercialisation of graphene.
15 Aug 2018 - UK government announce that Peter Jay, Head of Policy and Governance for Outward Direct Investment at the UK Government's Department for International Trade ("DIT") has joined Versarien on a secondment for a minimum of 12 months. During this period he will work exclusively for Versarien and will be primarily responsible for overseeing the Company's planned People's Republic of China expansion implementation.
25 Sep 2018 - Versarien buys a 62% stake in Spanish advanced battery and supercapacitor developer Gnanomat.

Check out the 'About us' page on the company website, and the 'rns' list in the 'Investors' section for details of more than two dozen active collaborations under way with partners ranging from innovative small companies to global corporations. With assistance from the UK government, the company is also finalising huge deals with China.

The company is listed on the London Stockmarket (ticker LSE:VRS) where it's stock price has climbed 12-fold in 12 months.

Versarien is also mentioned within the Industry Specific zone on The Graphene, Graphite and Carbon Nanotube Research Board

In the UK, Investors Hub has a sister site called Advfn where there is an extremely helpful discussion thread about Versarien, titled 'VRS the world lead in real graphene (Nanene)'. The header for that thread contains a huge amount of relevant information for newcomers wishing to research this stock.

GRAPHENE PROGRESS. Versarien is the real deal. In the 14 years since graphene was first developed at Manchester University in the UK, there's been a wild-west style goldrush among companies worldwide to get it into production. Many claim to have done so. But many of those claims are false. Customers have, in many cases, been sold material purporting to be graphene, but which has not performed well. In some cases the ingredient has produced improvements, but not the exciting ones expected. Fast-forward to September 2017 when the International Standards Organization (ISO) published a long overdue definition of what can and cannot be called graphene. More than 90% of the material previously marketed as graphene fails to comply - which helps explain the disappointments experienced. In many cases the material sold has been graphene oxide or other derivatives of graphite. These do have their uses, but they are not graphene. One of the companies whose product does comply at the highest grade is small UK company called Versarien. This is no surprise to its followers, as in Sept 2017 it was the runaway winner of a UK tender in which samples were submitted to the government's Centre For Process Innovation. The company began by buying 85% of a graphene company set up by Manchester University - the birthplace of graphene. The university maintained a 15% stake in Versarien.

3 Oct 2016 - acquired plastics company Aac Cyroma
19 Jan 2017 - acquired 85% of Cambridge Graphene Ltd, the remaining 15% being retained by Cambridge University with whom Versarien have an ongoing research relationship.
8 Feb 2017 - The brand name Nanene is registered for Versarien's graphene.
19 Sept 2017 - Versarien wins UK government tender to supply graphene after submitted samples proved superior.
15 Jan 2018 - China's Jinan Province sign a Letter Of Intent for a joint venture with Versarien, to meet growing need for genuine graphene which China's own makers have failed to produce.
5 Feb 2018 - America's National Graphene Association (NGA) appoint Versarien's boss Neill Ricketts to its Advisory Board.
22 May 2018 - in an unprecedented move, the UK government announce that Matt Walker, Head of Outward Direct Investment at the UK Government's Department for International Trade ("DIT") has joined Versarien on a secondment for a minimum of 12 months. During this period he will work exclusively for Versarien and will be Head of International Strategy and Government Relations.
7 Jun 2018 - the NGA announce that Versarien has been appointed as the inaugural Industry Council member and Corporate Partner of The National Graphene Association ("NGA"), the main organisation and body in the US advocating and promoting the commercialisation of graphene.
15 Aug 2018 - UK government announce that Peter Jay, Head of Policy and Governance for Outward Direct Investment at the UK Government's Department for International Trade ("DIT") has joined Versarien on a secondment for a minimum of 12 months. During this period he will work exclusively for Versarien and will be primarily responsible for overseeing the Company's planned People's Republic of China expansion implementation.
25 Sep 2018 - Versarien buys a 62% stake in Spanish advanced battery and supercapacitor developer Gnanomat.

Check out the 'About us' page on the company website, and the 'rns' list in the 'Investors' section for details of more than two dozen active collaborations under way with partners ranging from innovative small companies to global corporations. With assistance from the UK government, the company is also finalising huge deals with China.

The company is listed on the London Stockmarket (ticker LSE:VRS) where it's stock price has climbed 12-fold in 12 months.

Sweenoid is the IQE poster to follow there. Click his name to reveal a list of his posts on IQE. Very informative.

IQE.com up 7-fold and rising. Apple and many other US and global tech companies rely on its technology - (IQE produce compound semiconductor wafers that suppliers utilise in components they supply to Apple and many others). An eventual listing on Nasdaq is likely. But meantime the UK-listed share price (LSE:IQE) is up 7-fold in the past year and is still powering upwards with good reason. This article by Kevin Godbold appeared today:

Full text of that Kevin Godbold article:


Back in the tech-bubble madness of 2000, shares in IQE (LSE: IQE) briefly touched 750p. Today, after multi-bagging from its lows, the stock changes hands for around 141p, but I reckon it has a decent shot at fulfilling the potential seen by stock market speculators almost 20 years ago because the underlying business is growing fast.

The future of semiconductors
The company manufactures and supplies advanced wafer products and services to the semiconductor industry globally. Through a process and technology known as epitaxy, IQE combines different semiconducting elements to make more advanced semiconductor materials, which are called compound semiconductors.

According to the firm, many people in the industry believe the future of semiconductors will focus on combining the advanced properties of compound semiconductors with silicon in a hybrid technology known as Compound Semiconductors On Silicon – a complex technology in which IQE has been a pioneer for over 10 years.

The directors say the firm has accumulated a “powerful portfolio of intellectual property (IP) including patents and trade secrets.” They are optimistic and say the company’s strong pedigree in high tech manufacturing “uniquely positions the firm to commercialise this IP over the coming years and decades.”

Strong revenues growth
In a trading update on 20 July, the company told us it had seen strong growth in revenues in the first half, which the directors reckon is due to increased demand for Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) wafers for mass-market consumer applications. When the directors of any company use words such as ‘mass-market’ when describing demand for their products, it’s bound to stir the animal instincts of even the most conservative of investors!

The firm has galvanised itself into action to cope with what it expects will be higher levels of demand going forward. The directors reckon the start of the ramp up for VCSEL wafers marks an inflection point in the commercialisation of the technology. There they go again – inflexion point – another phrase that suggests the potential is huge and that profitable growth is about to make a quantum leap forward.

Multiple contract wins
Indeed, IQE has nailed down “multiple, multi-year contracts” towards the growth of VCSEL, which the directors say reflects the firm’s strong competitive advantages, technology leadership and proven track record in delivering wafers into high volume consumer markets. The development of an expansion plan comes hard on the heels of the firm’s higher investment during the first half of 2017, which itself was designed to prepare for higher levels of growth in the second half. Part of the expansion plan has led to IQE agreeing heads of terms for the lease of new premises in South Wales.

Chief executive Dr Drew Nelson said in July’s update that “the first half of 2017 has been a very exciting time for the IQE Group.” He reckons the firm has “multiple high-growth opportunities ahead,” and it almost went without saying that he expected to exceed market expectations for 2017. Unusually, he went further and thinks it possible “a more significant upgrade to current market expectations could be delivered for 2018.”

I couldn’t resist the improving long-term fundamental story here, so I bought some of the shares last week. However, with a forward price-to-earnings ratio running a little over 37 for 2018, this will be a scary ‘hold’ for me. We’ll find out more with the interim statement due on 5 September.