Acquisition & Directorate

IP2IPO Group PLC
09 June 2004


For immediate release                          9 June 2004

IP2IPO Group plc

IP2IPO in discussions to acquire Top Technology,
Harry Fitzgibbons to step down as Non-Executive Director


IP2IPO Group plc ('IP2IPO' or the 'Company') (AIM: IPO), the intellectual
property company that commercialises university technology, announces that it is
in discussions to acquire Top Technology Ventures Limited ('Top Technology').
Top Technology is an investment adviser and has been managing early stage
technology venture capital funds in the UK since 1986. Top Technology currently
manages two limited partnership funds.



Harry Fitzgibbons, Non-executive Director of IP2IPO, is the founder and Managing
Director of Top Technology and either directly or indirectly owns 100% of the
issued share capital of Top Technology.



Mr Fitzgibbons, who has served as a Non-executive Director of IP2IPO since
October 2001 following an investment in the Company by funds under Top
Technology's management, has today stepped down from the Board of IP2IPO. Both
Mr Fitzgibbons and the Board of IP2IPO believe that Mr Fitzgibbons's resignation
assists in the management of any possible conflicts of interest that may occur
within the context of the discussions to acquire Top Technology. The Board of
IP2IPO would like to record its appreciation for the support and commitment and
the wise advice which the Company has received from Mr Fitzgibbons throughout
the past two and a half years.



For more information please contact:


IP2IPO
David Norwood, Chief Executive Officer                      020 7071 4348

Buchanan Communications
Mark Court, Mary-Jane Johnson                               020 7466 5000



Notes to editors



IP2IPO



IP2IPO is an intellectual property (IP) company that specialises in
commercialising university technology. The Company, which was founded in 2001,
has already formed four long-term partnerships with UK universities and listed
on AIM in October 2003.



IP2IPO's first partnership was with the University of Oxford. In return for an
investment of £20 million, IP2IPO has acquired 50 per cent of the University of
Oxford's equity in spin-out companies and technology licenses based on
intellectual property created at the Chemistry Department until 2015. In
November 2003, IP2IPO created a £5 million seed capital fund for investing in
spin-out companies across the University of Oxford, not just those originating
within the Chemistry Department.



In March 2002, IP2IPO entered into a second long-term partnership with the
University of Southampton.  Under the terms of this partnership, IP2IPO is
committed to working with the University of Southampton in the identification
and facilitation of spin-out companies from across the University of Southampton
and to investing £5 million in early-stage University of Southampton spin-out
companies over a four year period in return for equity stakes in those
companies.  In addition, IP2IPO also received a 20 per cent stake in Southampton
Asset Management Limited, a company that has been formed to hold the
University's equity stakes in its future spin-out companies. The partnership has
a term of at least 25 years.



IP2IPO entered into its third long-term partnership in May 2003 with King's
College London.  IP2IPO will work with King's College London to help identify
and progress commercialisation opportunities as well as invest £5 million in
seed capital in spin-out companies from King's College London over a five year
period in return for equity stakes in those companies.  In addition, IP2IPO will
receive 20 per cent of King's College London's equity in spin-out companies and
technology licenses.  The partnership has a term of 25 years.



In October 2003, IP2IPO announced a fourth partnership with the Centre for Novel
Agricultural Products ('CNAP'), based at the University of York. CNAP is a
flagship research centre that specialises in plant and microbial gene discovery.
Under the terms of the partnership a new company, Amaethon Limited, has been
created which has the right to commercialise CNAP's IP for 25 years. IP2IPO has
committed to invest £1.15m in Amaethon Limited in return for a one third equity
stake in Amaethon Limited (the remaining equity being owned by the University of
York) and will also invest in the spin-out companies based on CNAP's IP which
Amaethon Limited creates.




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange