Directorate Change

IP2IPO Group PLC 01 September 2004 For immediate release 1 September 2004 Dr Steven Lee becomes Chief Executive Officer of VASTox Limited IP2IPO Group plc ('IP2IPO' or the 'Company') (AIM: IPO), the intellectual property company that commercialises university technology, announces that Dr Steven Lee is to become the full-time Chief Executive Officer of VASTox Limited ('VASTox'), a company in which IP2IPO has a 20% shareholding. Steven Lee, who joined IP2IPO in 2001 and became a director of the Company in September 2002, has resigned from the Board of IP2IPO with immediate effect. VASTox provides sophisticated discovery and toxicology services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries by identifying drug targets for human disease and drug prototypes that modulate the target in a rapid and simultaneous way. The company was formed in March 2003 by Professor Steve Davies, from the University of Oxford's Department of Chemistry. Professor Davies was the scientific founder of the chemical services company Oxford Asymmetry, which floated on the London Stock Exchange before being acquired by Evotec for £316 million in 2000. Dr Lee was instrumental in the formation of VASTox and has worked closely with the company ever since. VASTox has now reached a very exciting point in its development and the recruitment of an executive of Dr Lee's quality is a testament to its ambitions. David Norwood, Chief Executive Office of IP2IPO, commented: 'Together with the Board of IP2IPO I would like to thank Steve for his contribution to the IP2IPO business to which he devoted enormous energy and drive. He is ideally suited to taking VASTox to the next level and, as major shareholders of VASTox, we wish him every possible success.' For more information please contact: IP2IPO David Norwood, Chief Executive Officer 020 7242 9900 VASTox Steven Lee 07766 913 898 Buchanan Communications Mark Court, Mary-Jane Johnson 020 7466 5000 Notes to editors About IP2IPO IP2IPO is an intellectual property (IP) company that specialises in commercialising university technology. The Company was founded in 2001 and listed on AIM in October 2003. IP2IPO's first partnership was with the University of Oxford. In return for an investment of £20 million, IP2IPO has acquired 50 per cent of the University of Oxford's equity in spin-out companies and technology licenses based on intellectual property created at the Chemistry Department until 2015. In November 2003, IP2IPO created a £5 million seed capital fund for investing in spin-out companies across the University of Oxford, not just those originating within the Chemistry Department. In March 2002, IP2IPO entered into a second long-term partnership with the University of Southampton. Under the terms of this partnership, IP2IPO is committed to working with the University of Southampton in the identification and facilitation of spin-out companies from across the University of Southampton and to investing £5 million in early-stage University of Southampton spin-out companies over a four year period in return for equity stakes in those companies. In addition, IP2IPO also received a 20 per cent stake in Southampton Asset Management Limited, a company that has been formed to hold the University's equity stakes in its future spin-out companies. The partnership has a term of at least 25 years. IP2IPO entered into its third long-term partnership in May 2003 with King's College London. IP2IPO will work with King's College London to help identify and progress commercialisation opportunities as well as invest £5 million in seed capital in spin-out companies from King's College London over a five year period in return for equity stakes in those companies. In addition, IP2IPO will receive 20 per cent of King's College London's equity in spin-out companies and technology licenses. The partnership has an initial term of 25 years. In October 2003, IP2IPO announced a fourth partnership with the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products ('CNAP'), based at the University of York. CNAP is a flagship research centre that specialises in plant and microbial gene discovery. Under the terms of the partnership a new company, Amaethon Limited, has been created which has the right to commercialise CNAP's IP for 25 years. IP2IPO has committed to invest £1.15m in Amaethon Limited in return for a one third equity stake in Amaethon Limited (the remaining equity being owned by the University of York) and will also invest in the spin-out companies based on CNAP's IP which Amaethon Limited creates. In July 2004, IP2IPO acquired a strategic 20% stake in Techtran Group Limited ('Techtran'). Techtran has a long-term technology commercialisation contract with the University of Leeds. Under the terms of the contract Techtran receives a significant (30%) interest in spin-out companies created and technology licences negotiated in return for the provision of technology transfer services to the University. In June 2004, IP2IPO acquired Top Technology Ventures Limited, an investment adviser to early stage technology funds. This combines IP2IPO's expertise in the creation of new ventures based on world leading university IP with Top Technology focus on making early stage venture capital investments. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Companies

IP Group (IPO)
UK 100

Latest directors dealings