The FT reports that Inframat, NanoOpto, NanoFilm, Nanoink and Nanodynamics may see exits this year, and speculates about possible IPOs. It’s not too far off the mark, we have seen a lot of M&A interest recently as increasing numbers of nanomaterials companies fail to cross the chasm and start looking for alternative exits.
While much of the report is idle speculation, I particularly enjoyed the rather succinct summing up:
Pundits consider nanotechnology, a field dealing with substances smaller than a micrometer for applications as diverse as medicine, semiconductors and cosmetics, interesting research but bad business. Five years ago nanotechnology enthusiasts touted these miniscule particles as a means to alter mankind by creating nanobots to manipulate DNA and shaping atoms into new substances. But venture capitalists, burned by the tech bubble, showed reserved interest. Since then, some entrepreneurs have found nanotech useful in such mundane products as paint, insulation and golf balls.