Tag Archives: Zyvex Instruments

The world’s largest nanotechnology business: OCSiAl and its Zyvex acquisition

I have taken the claim of being the world’s largest nanotechnology business at face value as this is not my area of expertise but there is at least one company specializing in the analysis of nanotechnology-based business which seems to support the company’s contention.

In any event, the acquisition by OCSiAl of Zyvex Technologies has resulted in the world’s largest nanotechnology business according to a June 19, 2014 news item on cemag.us,

OCSiAl, a technology manufacturer for the mass industrial production of graphene tubes, announces that it has acquired Zyvex Technologies, making the combined organization the largest nanotechnology company in the world. The partnership between OCSiAl and Zyvex Technologies will combine large scale manufacturing capabilities with commercialization expertise.

A June 16, 2014 Zyvex Technologies news release (scroll down the page and hopefully it will still be there), which originated the news item, describes the deal and proponents’ hopes and dreams in further detail (Note: Links have been removed),

The unprecedented partnership between OCSiAl and Zyvex Technologies will combine large scale manufacturing capabilities with commercialization expertise – unleashing limitless potential for enhanced consumer products across the globe.

OCSiAl is known for developing the world’s largest low cost and scalable production of graphene tubes under the brand name TUBALL®, while Zyvex Technologies is the acknowledged leader in the field of carbon nanomaterial applications. The latter’s nanotechnology-based products are already integrated into a diverse number of products, ranging from Easton sporting goods to Airbus next generation materials research. This acquisition will enable the mass availability of TUBALL® graphene tubes and provide endless advantages to customers across industries.

“From improved quality and durability of consumer goods to premier, high level projects, the combination of OCSiAl’s manufacturing capabilities and the scale and expertise of each company’s respective market, we are creating a vertically integrated organization that serves customers better with readily available nanotech products,” said Yuri Koropachinsky, President of OCSiAl. “Zyvex Technologies has built a tremendous team that we are excited to welcome into the OCSiAl family – and together, we will usher in a new age of technology for businesses and consumers alike.”

Graphene, a single atom thick sheet of carbon – proclaimed as the ‘wonder material of the 21st century’ by the American Chemical Society – makes batteries more powerful and long-lasting, construction materials lighter, polymers stronger, and improves the electrical and thermal conductivity of composites. In contrast with other technologies, many of its applications do not require changes in currently used equipment or processes. The integration of OCSiAl’s graphene tubes with Zyvex Technologies’ proven operations will allow for the creation of products with properties that significantly surpass what is currently available on the market.

“This is a landmark deal which will open the doors for further development and penetration of nanotechnology through a combination of technology and commercial excellence,” said Dr. Sanjay Mazumdar, CEO of the market research organization, Lucintel. “Businesses must consider the advantages that can be gained through the early adoption of new materials technology, otherwise they’ll watch on the sidelines as their competitors grow.”

Zyvex Technologies will continue to operate with its own distinct brand identity and product line while contributing to the growth of OCSiAl. The combined team will have a presence on six continents and will have 160 dedicated business and R&D staff who have the potential to dramatically change not only the market for carbon nanomaterials but a number of industries, creating new opportunities for carbon enhanced products. Founder and current chairman, Jim Von Ehr, will also join the OCSiAl Board of Directors.

“We are thrilled to join OCSiAl,” said Lance Criscuolo, President of Zyvex Technologies. “Zyvex was the first recognized nanomaterials company in the United States. Now with support from OCSiAl, Zyvex will be in an even better position to bring the potential of nanotechnology into powerful commercial reality.”

There is a June 17, 2014 posting about the deal by Nanalyze but before getting to the analysis, here’s some information* from the About Nanalyze page,

Nanalyze provides objective information about companies involved in disruptive technologies so that investors can make informed investment decisions.

Founded in 2003, Nanalyze started as a forum where investors could share information on companies involved in the nanotechnology space. Over time Nanalyze grew to over 3000 registered users who contributed to over 1900 different topics. In 2004 when nanotechnology became an emerging topic among investors,  Nanalyze was key in distributing objective information that helped differentiate real nanotechnology companies from “pump and dump” OTC stocks that attempted to capitalize on the hype surrounding nanotechnology.

10 years later,  Nanalyze has moved from a forum format to a publishing format so that our readers can better access information that will help them make more informed investment decisions. We have also expanded outside of just Nanotechnology to include additional disruptive technologies such as 3D Printing, Emerging Electronics,  Live Sciences, and Renewable Energy.

The June 17, 2014 Nanalyze posting provides historical context (Note: Links have been removed),

When George W. Bush signed the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act in 2003, it wasn’t too long after that before investors began driving up the price of any stock that contained any variation of the word nanotechnology. In a previous article, we highlighted 6 companies that used the hype surrounding nanotechnology to burn through vast amounts of money before leaving investors holding the proverbial bag. However, not all nanotechnology companies that were around prior to 2004 have perished. One company that claims to be the oldest nanotechnology company around, Zyvex Technologies, was just acquired yesterday by OCSiAl in what has been described as the creation of the world’s largest nanotechnology company.

The ins and outs of the Zyvex Technologies story are fascinating and I encourage you to read the whole posting. Here’s the conclusion (from the June 17, 2014 posting),

Zyvex seems to be following suit with past nanomaterial companies that target niche applications across multiple industries in hopes of capturing as much opportunity as quickly as possible. For some firms with truly innovative materials technology, an “Intel inside” approach may work where a licensing model is used to receive royalties off the product development efforts of others. For other firms, trying to target too many industry verticals leads to a lack focus and none of them manage to capture meaningful revenues. In this case Zyvex’s technology and products must have shown some promise for OCSiAl to purchase them though nothing is disclosed about the actual purchase price. Zyvex appears to have had around 13 employees when acquired bringing the total employees for the combined company to 160.

Nanalyze is hoping to followup in the future with a posting about OCSiAl, “a company that unveiled in November 2013 the world’s largest industrial plant for the synthesis of single walled carbon nanotubes (up to 10 tons per year)” (from the Nanalyze posting). For anyone who wants to ensure they see this upcoming post, I advise subscribing to the Nanalyze RSS.

Here’s my final bit about Zyvex Technologies. It is one of three entities according to the Zyvex website. Two of the three entities are now owned by other parties, Zyvex Technologies by OCSiAl and Zyvex Instruments by DCG Systems, presumably leaving Zyvex Labs to stand alone.

As for OCSiAl, there’s this on their LinkedIn profile,

OCSiAl is an international technology firm with operations in USA, UK, Germany, Russia, South Korea and headquarters in Luxembourg.[emphasis mine]

You can find the OCSiAl website (English language) here and their YouTube Channel here.

ETA June 26, 2014: As they promised, Nanalyze has published a June 25, 2014 posting with an analysis of OCSiAl.

* ‘information’ was added to the sentence on Sept. 10, 2014