Executive Summary
IP2IPO Group plc is an intellectual property (IP) company that specialises in commercialising university technology. The Company was founded in 2001 and listed on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange plc in October 2003. IP2IPO's first partnership was with the University of Oxford. In return for an investment of T?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 T?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 June 2004, IP2IPO acquired Top Technology Ventures Limited, an investment adviser to early stage technology funds. This combines IP2IPO's expertise in the creation of new ventures based on world leading university IP with Top Technology's focus on making early stage venture capital investments. In January 2005, IP2IPO acquired Techtran, a company set up in 2002 to commercialise university intellectual property under a long-term technology commercialisation contract with the University of Leeds. Under the terms of the contract Techtran receives a significant (30%) interest in spin-out companies created and technology licences negotiated, in return for the provision of technology transfer services to the University. In May 2005, IP2IPO announced the launch of LifeUK, a new subsidiary company. LifeUK, which has since been renamed Modern Biosciences, will in-license life science intellectual property created by medical researchers at universities with which IP2IPO already has partnerships, other universities in the UK and similar academic and charitable research institutions. Modern Biosciences' objective is to further develop the intellectual property which it in-licenses with a view to creating substantial value either by subsequently licensing these development programmes to the pharmaceutical industry or via the creation of new ventures. In December 2005, IP2IPO entered into its sixth long-term partnership with the University of Bristol. IP2IPO will work with the University of Bristol to help identify and progress commercialisation opportunities as well as invest an initial T?5 million in seed capital in spin-out companies from the University of Bristol over a five year period in return for equity stakes in those companies. In addition, IP2IPO will receive 13.3% per cent of in spin-out companies at the time that the company is established prior to investment. The partnership has a term of 25 years. To date,…
