Nanoco and Marl Announce Partnership to Develop Novel Lighting Products Enhanced With Cadmium-Free Quantum Dots

Partnership Signals a New Era in LED Lighting That Meshes Bright, High-Efficiency and Long-Lasting Lighting with High Color Performance to Deliver “Light People Like”

Nanoco Group plc (AIM: NANO), a world leader in the development and manufacture of cadmium-free quantum dots and other nanomaterials, and Marl International, a pioneer of the LED lighting industry, today announced that they have entered into a partnership to bring novel LED lighting products to market. The new products will feature Nanoco’s cadmium-free quantum dot technology.

Quantum dots open up new potential for LED lighting – which currently lacks the same warmth and color performance of an incandescent bulb – and have the capacity to appeal to a new set of buyers who want the efficiency and economy of the LED, as well as the “effect” of natural light. To date, the use of quantum dots in lighting was hindered by the fact that the technology contained cadmium, a highly-regulated and toxic heavy metal. Nanoco’s quantum dot technology, made without cadmium or any heavy metal, offers a sustainable solution.

“Innovation is at the core of our partnership. With Nanoco, we’re now able to bring products to market that meet a new set of technical and commercial demands,” said Adrian Rawlinson, Marl’s Managing Director. “Moreover, we’re able to do so in a way that doesn’t compromise our standards for safety.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with a company that’s been transforming the LED industry for more than 40 years,” said Michael Edelman, CEO, Nanoco. “We commend Marl for their commitment to innovation and to sustainability. Our cadmium-free quantum dots offer a simple, effective and non-toxic solution to tuning the color and improving the quality of LED lighting. Our partnership is a key step on the path to the next era of LED lighting.”

The Nanoco and Marl technical design teams have focused initially on LED linear strips and ceiling mount flat panels – high-demand lighting solutions in professional environments that require specific correlated color temperature and specific color rendering index (CRI). Both lighting designs are currently available for customer demonstrations.

ABOUT NANOCO

Nanoco (AIM: NANO) is a world leader in the development and production of cadmium-free quantum dots and other nano-materials for use in multiple applications including lighting, LCD displays, solar cells and bio-imaging. In the display market, it has an exclusive manufacturing and marketing licensing agreement with The Dow Chemical Company.

Nanoco was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Manchester, UK. It has production facilities in Runcorn, UK, and a US subsidiary, Nanoco Inc, based in Concord, MA. Nanoco also has business development offices in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Its technology is protected worldwide by a large and growing patent estate. For further information please visit: www.nanocogroup.com.

ABOUT MARL

Marl International has specialized in the design and manufacture of visible LED indication and illumination components and systems for nearly 40 years. As UK distributor for Citizen, Lighting Science and Bivar and hub of a proactively managed international supply chain, Marl has unique access to some of the best Solid State Lighting and Electronics technology in the world. It integrates these technologies into energy efficient lighting and indication solutions. Marl International has world-class design and manufacturing facilities, staffed by 120 highly-trained and experienced specialists operating from a single site on a dedicated technology park in Ulverston, England. As a unified team, they offer agility, speed, flexibility and willingness to respond to both needs and expectations as projects evolve and mature through the entire product life cycle. Marl partners with leaders in Defense, Aerospace, Entertainment, Transportation and Lighting Industries in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia.

Marl is a quality company. It is registered to BS EN ISO 9001:2008 standard and fully RoHS and WEEE compliant.

Marl International LimitedTel: [phone]Fax: [phone] [e-mail] Media Contact:Tier One PartnersKathleen Wilson, [e-mail]