Nanogap is a Galician company expert in the development and manufacture of nanotechnology.At the end of 2018 we learned about the financing round received by the investment fund Repsol. Corporate Venturing.

This operation related to our field of corporate finance invited us to analyse the nanotechnology sector, looking at the different operations of sales of companies that have recently been confirmed worldwide.

Funding round for Nanogap

Repsol Corporate VenturingRepsol's investment fund for mobility, materials and circular economy startups, has purchased a 9% from Nanogap through a financing round. We learned the news on 31 December 2018 and the amount of the transaction was €1.8 million.

Nanogap is based in A Coruña, was founded in 2006 and is dedicated to the development and manufacture of nanotechnology. Commercialises patented technology for the production and use of new nanoparticle materials. It is built on a technology platform and produces novel, high-performance nanomaterials. The company has a flexible business model, which allows it to interact with its customers through custom product development projects, product sales and licensing agreements.

Desde Repsol Corporate Venturing, por su parte, invierten en startups que desarrollan tecnología o negocios innovadores para implantarlos en Repsol. Van a destinar a strategic investment fund endowed with 85 million euros for the period 2016-2020 in six technology areas: operational reliability, circular economy, advanced mobility, energy diversification, new materials and digital technologies applied to exploration and production.

Selling companies internationally

We have seen that in the nanotechnology sector in Spain movements are emerging to promote its development and manufacture. Is the same happening in other countries? Are foreign companies investing in nanotechnology? Here is a list of the most recent sales of companies around the world:

1. Manta Instruments

Manta Instruments is a California-based company that has earned a strong reputation for its characterisation of nanoparticles. The company has achieved this success by using an innovative multispectral nanoparticle tracking technique that was developed and patented by the University of California.

The latest model of Manta's nanoparticle tracking analysis systems, the ViewSizer® 3000, emits a laser beam at nanoparticles to track them and, through image analysis, assesses size distribution, numerical concentration and aggregation. The company estimates that the market for particle characterisation instruments, to which this model belongs, will reach 2.06 billion yen in 2019 and will continue to expand at a compound average growth rate of 8.4% until 2022.

This leading developer, manufacturer and provider of nanoparticle tracking analysis systems is now a subsidiary of Horiba Instruments. On 25 January we learned of the sale operation, but the amounts involved are unknown.

This expands Horiba's particle characterisation instrument technology, which develops, manufactures and sells nanoparticle tracking analysis systems used in life sciences, semiconductor manufacturing processes and environmental processes.

2. Gatan

Gatan is a manufacturer of instrumentation and software used for improving and extending the operation and performance of electron microscopes. Gatan technologies are used in materials science, electronics and life sciences to enable electron microscopy workflows, from sample preparation and manipulation to imaging and analysis. With approximately 320 employees worldwide, Gatan is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.

On 25 June 2018 the US company was sold a Thermo Fisher Scientific for approximately USD 925 million in cash. Thermo describes itself as the global leader in serving science. With revenues of more than $10 billion, they have approximately 35,000 employees and serve customers in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic laboratories, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as in process control and environmental industries.

Dan Shine, president of Thermo Fisher's analytical instruments business, said: "Gatan has been a trusted supplier of components to the electron microscopy industry for many years. The addition of Gatan's technologies to our portfolio will enhance our customers' offerings by creating an integrated system that seamlessly connects microscope hardware, software and accessories.

3. MediWiSe

Medical Wireless Sensing (Mediwise) is a medical research and development company that is a pioneer in wireless devices for medical diagnostics and monitoring. Its patented technology (it holds 22 patents) uses metamaterials that can enable non-invasive access and analysis of diagnostic information from the human body. The company was founded in 2010 in London, England.

This success led to the sale of the company a leader in smart materials and photonics. The transaction took place on 10 July 2018, for which the official amounts are unknown.

"This is a strategic market extension for MTI, offering advanced complementary materials technology, intellectual property and new commercial opportunities. In the coming years, advanced medical equipment will be less invasive and easier to use. With our technology platform, we will enable the design and development of next-generation medical equipment. low-cost and energy-saving, said George Palikaras, founder and CEO of MTI.

4. NanoAl

NanoAl is a materials research and technology company dedicated to the design, development and commercialisation of high performance aluminium alloys. based on scientifically engineered nanostructures. It was founded out of Northwestern University's Department of Materials Science to commercialise the science of developing stronger aluminium alloys by controlling key structural features at the nanoscale.

On 20 September 2018 Braidy Industries conducted the buy NanoAl, a world leader in the science of nano-crystalline strengthening technology applied to aluminium foil. Neither party confirmed the amounts involved in the transaction.

Dr. Nhon Q. Vo, CEO, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of NanoAl said: "Our new partnership with Braidy Industries provides the opportunity to scale our research and development capabilities and become the leading innovator in light metal nanotechnology technology".