NanoMaterials Technology opens new US$1.5m facility in Singapore
28 April 2006
Singapore. Singapore-based NanoMaterials Technology Pte Ltd (NMT), a company
that develops and commercialises production technologies for nanomaterials,
has opened a new US$1.54 million facility. A brand new laboratory, which
includes a GMP facility and pharmaceutical and chemical laboratories, has
been set up and NMT is also looking to further boost its R&D headcount to 30
persons.
NMT recently concluded a funding round, bringing its total funding to
date to US$7.7 million. This has allowed it to expand its facilities and
capabilities to cater for further international growth.
NMT was founded in 2000 and currently has 20 employees. NMT was included
in Lux Research's ''Nanotechnology Report 2004'' as one of the top seven
private nanotechnology companies in Asia. It counts amongst its customers,
3M and Weyerhaeuser from the US, BASF from Germany and other multinational
companies from Europe and Japan.
To date, NMT has venture capital investors which include EDBV Management,
Juniper Capital Ventures and 3V SourceOne, Japan Asia Investment Company
(JAIC) and Korea Technology Investment Corp (KTIC).
NMT's proprietary and patented High Gravity Controlled Precipitation
(HGCP) technology platform is simple, easy to scale up and cost effective
compared to conventional production methods. It is so versatile that it can
be applied to various sectors like specialty chemicals, electronic materials
and pharmaceuticals.
The technology for the production of nano-precipitated calcium carbonate
(NPCC), the first nanomaterial developed by NMT, has already been
out-licensed to several companies for industrial production. NPCC has also
been used in nano-composite development, where the addition of NPCC enhances
mechanical properties. The technology has been applied in the paper
industry, where its use has been found to improve paper properties and lower
paper production cost.
NMT has also developed electronic materials for use in multi-layer
ceramic capacitors and these are currently being tested at some companies in
the US and Japan.
In the area of pharmaceuticals, NMT has worked on several nano-drug
compounds in solid oral form and for inhalation delivery and is actively
targeting the pharmaceutical and drug delivery industry. Its HGCP platform
allows excellent control over the specifications of drug particles. By
reducing the active pharmaceutical ingredient particle size, drug efficacy
and drug delivery performances has been shown to improve. This will allow
pharmaceutical and drug delivery companies to explore novel drug delivery
systems which may not have been previously possible, opening a potential
billion dollar market for NMT.
To top
|