Press Release
Crawley-based Powerlase, a spin-out from Imperial College in London, has helped bring down the cost of flat-screen TVs in the past two years, by selling its advanced laser equipment to TV manufacturers in Korea.Dr Mike Mason, Powerlase VP of Technology, explains: "Until we introduced our technology to the market a couple of years ago, flat screen TV manufacturers were still using conventional wet-etch photolithography to create pixel patterns. This was an expensive six-stage process with poorer yields compared to the simple two-stage process of rapid laser patterning (RLP). As a result of using Powerlase's patented technology, companies such as Samsung and LG are now achieving a lower cost. This helps benefit consumers, who pay around 30 per cent less now for high-quality plasma screens than they would have done in 2005."
High-power Powerlase lasers are also replacing established industrial processes in several other industries – including aerospace and automotive – but it is the flat screen TV market where the company has rapidly achieved market leadership. Thanks to its export sales success in the sector, the company has recently been able to double its manufacturing capacity in Crawley.
The technology was initially developed by a small team of researchers working in the Chemistry Department at Imperial College, London. Imperial is well known for its commercial approach to new technology and its early stage research work into high-power lasers was soon the subject of several patent applications.
When Powerlase was first spun out of the university, via Imperial College Innovations, getting the IP strategy right was a top priority. In 2001 Powerlase directors appointed patent attorneys Kilburn & Strode to advise and assist. Powerlase now has eleven principal IP groups and has filed patent applications in all the major markets for its technology.
Kilburn & Strode patent attorney Gwilym Roberts who leads the team that looks after Powerlase's IP interests says: "Having a strong IP portfolio is a huge factor in attracting investment capital into a business. We work with Powerlase to try and ensure they have a sound basis on which to build their future."
According to Dr Martin Greenaway, a member of Kilburn & Strode's Powerlase team, "Over the past three years, five leading venture capitalists have all put money into Powerlase. They wouldn't have done this unless they were confident they were going to achieve a good return, which certainly wouldn't happen if Powerlase's technology was unprotected against "me-too" competitors.""It's not just the existing patents the investors are interested in," Martin Greenaway continues, "they also need to be reassured that the company has a new technology pipeline and a sound IP strategy. Operating in a fast-moving area of technology such as Powerlase does, we aim to be proactive and provide them with forward-thinking advice. We work closely with their management to maintain and develop an IP portfolio which is robust enough to support their business as it grows."
Powerlase's approach to its IP and to its worldwide marketing has won the company a string of accolades, including a UK government Smart Award for its technology in 2003, and the mantle of 'fifth fastest-growing venture capital-backed company in the UK' in April 2006, with an annual growth rate of 233 per cent. Powerlase has continued this trend with a growth of 400 per cent between 2005 and 2006.
Powerlase continues to invest heavily in new technology and the associated IP. It has doubled its R&D facilities in Crawley, where it now has a team of 25 researchers working on the next generation of products. The additional space is giving the company the room it needs to expand its manufacturing capacity by 300 per cent during 2007. The company also has recently opened customer support centre in Korea and announced a partnership agreement with Japan Laser Corporation to strengthen its position in Japan.
