Toumaz secures funding

IP2IPO Group PLC 01 March 2004 For immediate release 1 March 2004 IP2IPO Group plc Toumaz Technology Limited, one of the companies in IP2IPO's portfolio, secures £1.5 million funding IP2IPO Group plc (AIM: IPO) ('IP2IPO'), the intellectual property company that commercialises university technology, is pleased to announce that Toumaz Technology Limited ('Toumaz') has raised £1.5 million from a trade investor at a significant premium to previous financing rounds. IP2IPO acquired an interest in Toumaz when Beeson Gregory Group plc (IP2IPO's former parent company) transferred its stake to IP2IPO in August 2001. In line with its business model, IP2IPO did not subscribe for new shares at this financing round. Toumaz, a spin out company from Imperial College London, is based on the research of Professor Chris Toumazou, who has world-leading expertise in analogue and mixed signal semiconductor design. The Company develops technology for wireless communications and very low power electronic devices with numerous applications. This round of finance is structured in two tranches of £1 million and £0.5 million. Following completion of the £1.5 million funding, Toumaz will be capitalized at £8.5 million and IP2IPO will hold a 5.4% shareholding. For more information contact: IP2IPO (www.ip2ipo.com) David Norwood, Chief Executive Officer 020 7071 4348 Buchanan Communications Tim Anderson, Mark Court, Mary-Jane Johnson 020 7466 5000 Toumaz Keith Errey, Chief Executive Officer 01865 408308 Notes to editors IP2IPO IP2IPO is an intellectual property (IP) company that specialises in commercialising university technology. The Company has already formed four long-term partnerships with UK universities and listed on AIM in October 2003. IP2IPO's first such collaboration 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 licences based on intellectual property created at the Chemistry Department until 2015. In March 2002, IP2IPO Limited 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 Limited 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 Limited entered into its third long-term partnership in May 2003 with King's College London. IP2IPO Limited will work with King's College London to help identify and progress commercialisation opportunities as well as invest £5 million in King's College London's spin-out companies over a five year period in return for equity stakes in those companies. In addition, IP2IPO Limited will receive 20 per cent. of King's College London's equity in spin-out companies and technology licenses. The partnership has an initial 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 Limited 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

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