Investing in public graphene stocks

The University of Birmingham and Paragraf, a UK-based company focused on graphene electronics, are eorking together to scale graphene production and explore its application in quantum computing. Supported by two awards totaling £3.4 million (approximately $4.2 million)–£1.4 million from Innovate UK and £2m UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship–the partnership intends to address key challenges in graphene manufacturing as well as explore its potential as a material for quantum technologies.

Graphene magnetic sensors, a focal point of this collaboration, operate with high precision at ultra-low temperatures. Such sensors could support quantum computing through precise magnetic shielding and control required for qubit stability and operation. But, the cryogenic behavior of practical graphene devices requires further systematic exploration before such an innovation could exist.

Clean TeQ Water has announced it has received the Commonwealth Simple Grant under the BRII: Renewables and Low Emissions Round – Feasibility program. This grant, facilitated by the Department of Industry, Science, and Resources, provides AU$80,000 (around USD$630,000) to support Clean TeQ Water’s innovative efforts to revolutionize drinking water treatment for remote communities. The grant will fund a feasibility study to assess the potential of NematiQ Graphene Membranes as a solution for drinking water treatment.

The project, “Graphene Membranes: Revolutionizing Drinking Water for Remote Communities”, will explore the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of the Graphene Membrane technology. It aims to improve water quality in underserved and remote areas, demonstrate the scalability and environmental benefits of Graphene Membranes, and lay the groundwork for a potential proof-of-concept phase, where up to AU$1M of funding for real-world field trials and pilot implementation is expected to be available for the projects deemed most feasible.

Haydale Graphene Industries has announced that it has completed a comprehensive business review and unveiled a strategy aimed at achieving near-term profitability while focusing on high-growth opportunities. Haydale said the review, initiated by a reconstituted board following the company's £3.1m funding raise in October, identified key areas for improvement, operational streamlining, and resource reallocation.

Haydale has reportedly decided to focus on two core business lines - heating ink-based energy efficiency products, and carbon capture technology.

Westlake Innovations, Inc., a subsidiary of Westlake Corporation (NYSE: WLK), has announced it has invested in Universal Matter, who aims to become the leading supplier of high-quality and sustainable graphene and advanced materials to help decarbonize the planet. Westlake’s action builds upon the company’s commitment to helping develop a more sustainable future through continuous improvement its own manufacturing as well as strategic investments in innovative technologies and startup firms.

Universal Matter has pioneered and patented Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology that allows for cost-effective, industrial-scale upcycling of carbon waste streams into high-quality graphene and graphitized carbon. First developed at Rice University, Universal Matter’s FJH technology creates graphene that is tunable across 1D, 2D, and 3D morphologies, granting superior properties that are critical for large industrial applications.

Versarien has announced that its 90%-owned subsidiary Gnanomat has been awarded a €0.8 million (around USD$840,000) grant to support a two-year project focused on next-generation energy storage devices. 

Versarien said that the grant was expected to be received in a single payment before the end of 2024. It said the funding would cover 70% of Gnanomat's anticipated costs for the development of GnanoCaps, an energy storage device leveraging the company's proprietary hybrid nanomaterials platform. GnanoCaps was designed to combine the high power and rapid recharge capabilities of supercapacitors with improved energy delivery, enhanced safety, and the use of clean electrolytes, eliminating explosion risks associated with lithium-ion batteries.

HydroGraph Clean Power has announced the closing of a non-brokered private placement. Pursuant to the upsized and subsequently oversubscribed offering, the total aggregate gross proceeds amount to $3,828,800 (over USD$2,690,000).

Net proceeds from the offering will be used to further commercial activity for the Company’s differentiated graphene products via application development at the GEIC (Graphene Engineering Innovation Center) and other direct customer relationships, production upscaling, business development and general working capital purposes.

Zentek has announced a strategic partnership with Al-Ramez International Group, facilitated through Saudi Excellence Holding Company. The partnership aims to foster innovation and commercialization of advanced technologies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Zentek will contribute its intellectual property, product licensing, and research and development expertise. In turn, Al-Ramez International Group will provide marketing support, investor relations, financing, and market access within KSA and MENA. The collaboration seeks to achieve several objectives, including the development of a graphene production facility in KSA, a commercialization hub for Zentek's graphene technologies, and the expansion of biotechnology research. The agreement also aims to secure strategic investment in resources to support the North American supply chain for advanced materials and establish a research and development center for aptamer technology in conjunction with a Saudi university.

UK-based Graphene Innovations Manchester (GIM) has entered into a deal for the commercial production of carbon fiber enriched with graphene in Saudi Arabia. Graphene Innovations Manchester has agreed to construct a factory in the Gulf state to manufacture the material for use in the kingdom's plans to build futurist eco-cities in the desert.

The factory will be built in Saudi Arabia with the backing of investors. Image from: BBC

Reports suggest that about £250 million could be invested in building a research and innovation hub in Greater Manchester as part of the deal and more than 1,000 jobs could be created.

HydroGraph Clean Power has announced an increase in its non-brokered private placement to CAD$3.5 million (around USD$2,475,000) from its previously announced offering on November 26, 2024, due to strong investor demand. 

The proceeds will fund application development at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Center (GEIC), production upscaling, business development, and working capital. 

Scientists from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Argonne National Laboratory are collaborating on new electron microscopy techniques to allow the imaging of chemical reactions at the atomic scale. The Center for Multimodal Observations for Single Atom Imaging of Chemistry, or MOSAIC, was funded this fall through a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation. 

The collaboration, part of the NSF Centers for Chemical Innovation program, will create “liquid cells” that allow scientists to set up, control and measure chemical reactions under a microscope. The researchers will use powerful, state-of-the-art electron microscopes at UIC to capture these reactions in motion, providing fresh insight into atomic and molecular dynamics.