Graphene-Info: the graphene experts

Versarien has shared updates on its progress across several key sectors and markets, reporting a growing pipeline of opportunities, rising from £1.6 million (over USD$2 million) in October 2023 to £4.7 million currently (over USD$6,100,000), with £1.6 million (over USD$2 million) in commercial opportunities and £3.1 million (over USD$4 million) in grants. The Company said it continued to focus on developing advanced materials, especially graphene, through manufacturing-light operations and technology licensing.

In the construction sector, the company said it had placed orders for equipment to enhance its in-house construction testing capabilities following a July fundraising. The equipment would support the development of graphene-based products, such as Cementene. Versarien said it had also signed its first significant 3D construction printing (3DCP) contract with Building For Humanity CIC for a project in Accrington, UK. The Company anticipated on-site activities to begin in 2025.

Carbon Waters has announced a major milestone with the installation of its first production unit at its facility in Pessac.

Since its inception, Carbon Waters been active in the field of graphene-based performance additives. In 2022, it launched the recurring production of high-performance and ready-to-use additive range, Graph‘Up. These additives are dedicated to anticorrosion paints, mechanical reinforcement, and thermal property optimization of polymers and composites. Summer 2024 marked the arrival of Carbon Waters' first production unit. This investment helps Carbon Waters to multiply its production capacity by fifteen, a major step forward in meeting growing industrial demand.

Versarien has announced that it has signed an agreement with Balfour Beatty Group to develop a range of low carbon, graphene-infused, 3D-printable mortars suitable for civil construction.

This will include formulating three types of mortar: one based on local materials, and two enhanced with Versarien's graphene admixture, Cementene. Additionally, efforts will focus on establishing a UK-based supply chain, involving identifying local suppliers, integrating the graphene admixture, implementing quality control protocols, and creating distribution channels and sales frameworks for both domestic and international markets.

The UK semiconductor industry has received a significant boost as Innovate UK, a part of UK Research and Innovation, has announced an investment of £11.5 million spread across 16 innovative projects. This funding is aimed at scaling up semiconductor manufacturing, improving supply chain resilience, and fostering new collaborations between industry and academia.

Among the award winners is Paragraf, a company with a vision to establish the first 2D materials device foundry in the world, focusing on graphene technology. Paragraf, in collaboration with the universities of Glasgow and Birmingham, aims to scale up its graphene growth technology from 2” wafers to 6” wafers, making strides in manufacturing and device reliability testing that have never been attempted before.

Innovate UK has announced a £3.2 million (around USD$4.2 million) investment in seven projects to further advance the decarbonization of the domestic concrete industry. This funding forms part of the agency's broader effort to foster sustainable practices and reduce carbon emissions within the construction sector.

Among the recipients is Cemex UK Operations, that intends to use the investment to further the development of CoMLaG, a combination of micronized limestone and graphene, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

Versarien has announced the completed sale of its wholly-owned subsidiary AAC Cyroma to Harper Bennett for £0.55 million (around USD$734,000).

Versarien said the sale aligned with its strategy to focus on its core graphene technology and divest its more mature businesses. It said the consideration would be paid in 16 equal quarterly instalments of £34,375, starting three months after completion. To safeguard the transaction, Versarien would retain a charge over AAC Cyroma's assets and those of Harper Bennett until all payments were completed.

INBRAIN Neuroelectronics has announced the world’s first human procedure of its cortical interface in a patient undergoing brain tumor resection. INBRAIN’s BCI technology was able to differentiate between healthy and cancerous brain tissue with micrometer-scale precision.

This milestone represents an advancement in demonstrating the ability of graphene-based BCI technology beyond decoding and translating brain signals, to become a reliable tool for use in precision surgery in diseases such as cancer, and in neurotechnology more broadly. The study was sponsored by the University of Manchester, and primarily funded by the European Commission’s Graphene Flagship project. The clinical investigation study was conducted at Salford Royal Hospital.