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QMB signs up another tenant: Imperial spin-out Duvas Technologies
Press Release: 27th October
(“QMB” or “the Innovation Centre”)
QMB recruits Duvas Technologies to the Innovation Centre
Air Quality Management technology firm joins London’s fastest growing life science, healthcare and technology hub
Queen Mary BioEnterprises (QMB) Innovation Centre, London’s newest high-specification incubator facilities for start-up and early stage life science and technology businesses, is pleased to announce that Duvas Technologies, a provider of real-time air quality sensing and monitoring systems to improve human health and security, has signed a lease to become the Innovation Centre’s fourth tenant.
Duvas Technologies, is a technology company, spun out of Imperial College in 2008 by Verdetech Investments Limited and Imperial Innovations. The Company produces a proprietary multi-species gas analyser based upon proven Ultra Violet spectroscopy with proprietary technology and know-how. The product’s initial market is addressing Air Quality Management (AQM), although it also has applications in security/emergency response and oil and gas. The Company recently raised £915,000 of additional equity and loan capital from existing and new shareholders, including South East Seed Fund, managed by Finance South East (FSE) and Gulfvest Limited.
Simone Reid, Business Development Director of QMB commented: “I am delighted to welcome another tenant to the QMB Innovation Centre. Duvas Technologies is a really innovative and progressive company, who we are confident will complement the existing roster of companies already housed here. We are looking forward to meeting the whole team at Duvas and helping them evolve at QMB.”
Jacqui Nelson, CEO at Duvas, said: “Duvas Technologies is delighted to be moving its operations to the state-of-the-art facilities at the QMB Innovation Centre. We believe that the facilities on offer, and the location of QMB very close to the City of London, will provide a great platform for Duvas as it moves into its next stage of commercial development.”
For more information on QMB Innovation Centre please visit: www.qmbioenterprises.com
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For further information
Queen Mary BioEnterprises (QMB) Innovation Centre
Simone Reid, Business Development Director
simone.reid@qmul.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 8950
Media Enquiries
Abchurch Communications
Adam Michael / Oliver Hibberd
oliver.hibberd@abchurch-group.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 7398 7714
Notes to Editors
About Queen Mary Bioenterprises Limited (“QMB” or “the Innovation Centre”)
The QMB Innovation Centre provides state of the art, customisable laboratory and office space within minutes of The City of London.
QMB provides business incubation support for new ventures and aims to become a hub for science and technology entrepreneurs in London. It provides all its clients with access to the wide range of professional services required when spinning a company out of academia and supports them through the critical phases of their development. The Innovation Centre’s proximity to the City of London means that it is well placed for clients to meet with the UK investment community and other advisers.
The 39,000 square foot facility comprises three floors of high specification work space for start up science and technology businesses. Lab designs are based on varied write up / laboratory split, and have been designed with a sophisticated air filtration system to house both microbiological safety cabinets and chemistry fume cupboards. This makes QMB an ideal location for both very early stage start ups as well as more established companies looking to expand. The Innovation Centre has a 120 seat lecture theatre and regularly hosts seminars and conferences which aim to promote the growth of the biotechnology industry in the UK.
QMB’s keystone tenant is Retroscreen Virology Ltd, a virology contract research organisation, whose bespoke facilities in the Innovation Centre include laboratory space and capacity to run clinical trials. QMB has recently this year signed its second and third tenants, iGene and MediWiSe, who are currently housed on the first floor. Duvas will join both MediWiSe and iGene and take up occupation on the first floor of the building. The QMB Innovation Centre has 39,000 square feet of building capacity.
The QMB Innovation Centre is a wholly owned company of Queen Mary, University of London. It is the culmination of a four-year capital investment partnership between Queen Mary and the London Development Agency.