Look at Forethought: While achieving extraordinary performance is important, management believes that being able to produce these materials repeatedly and at a low price point is the formula for success, and we have made these performance improvements while also doubling throughput and further reducing production. While we have been developing the infrastructure to support volume production, we have also explored the possibility of a licensing model and we believe there are merits to this model and we have begun to explore this as another, and possibly the best, option for the company to rapidly enter the revenue stage. (In the event a licensing agreement is determined to be the preferred route to first revenues, we will add the requisite personnel necessary to support our obligations under the licensing agreement.}
Initial Action: In January 2018 the Company engaged Canaccord Genuity to provide financial advisory and investment banking services as the Company may reasonably request. The Company believes such advisory services will be instrumental as we explore licensing, merger and JV opportunities.
Telegraphing:
- We expect to commence generating revenues from licensing agreements and/or the production of materials at the San Marcos facility in early calendar year 2018.
- The company intends to increase its development of quantum dot solar cells in 2018 and is currently considering re-establishing its solar cell development in closer proximity to strategically significant solar technology resources.
- In fiscal year 2017, we applied for and received a Low Volume Exemption (“LVE”) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) which allows us to manufacture QD quantities of 10,000 kilograms or less per year in the United States.
Competition
The commercial nanomaterials industry and more specifically, the quantum dot industry, is relatively young and undeveloped, with a number of small competitors attempting to establish themselves in different segments by employing one or more competitive strategies. Competition among these companies is based on the following factors:
* Product quality and performance characteristics: Manufacturers who will incorporate QDs in specific applications will carefully consider the quality, characteristics and physical properties of the QDs for efficacy in their targeted applications. This includes but is not necessarily limited to the following factors: the consistency of dots from batch to batch; resistance to degradation of performance characteristics by heat, oxygen, moisture, and luminous flux; brightness of emissions; purity of emissions; effective life spans; volume of dots necessary to produce the intended result; special characteristics such as dual emission capabilities; whether or not the QDs contain cadmium or other heavy metals or other hazardous compounds; the time needed to expand capacity; and the location of capacity relative to the manufacturer or ability to locate capacity nearby.
* Volume: Before a manufacturer makes the commitment and dedicates capital and marketing resources to incorporate QDs in its end product, it must be confident that the volume of QDs it can obtain from a supplier will be sufficient to meet production needs in the short term and long term, including substantial growth following a successful new product launch. The strategies employed by a quantum dot company to scale production rapidly are critical to its attracting commercial users for its product, regardless of the quality of its QDs.
* Price: The price at which QDs can be delivered for incorporation in a new product will dictate the rate at which new applications can be developed and supported. High prices have historically restricted the market for QDs to only the highest value uses such as in the life sciences, while the potential for lower prices of supply appears to be opening many new markets.
* Continuing R&D and Product Improvements: Research and industry relationships are important to ensure a quantum dot company stays on the leading edge of technological development and commercialization. R&D is supported by collaboration with academic institutions or industrial companies. The Company spent $1,006,214 and $479,908 on research and development in 2017 and 2016 respectively, an increase of $526,306. None of these costs were borne by customers.
We believe we are well positioned in all four areas described above. We believe our QDs, including cadmium/heavy metal-free QDs, meet or exceed our competitors’ current brightness and light purity specifications, and our patented continuous manufacturing process allows us to produce large volumes at competitive price points while also giving us the ability to quickly scale up capacity and locate it anywhere in the world it is needed. Lastly, our continuing relationships with universities such as Rice, University of Arizona, and Texas State University, private and public labs and our approach to joint development ventures should enable us to achieve and maintain a leading position in R&D and commercialization of new products.
Initial Action: In January 2018 the Company engaged Canaccord Genuity to provide financial advisory and investment banking services as the Company may reasonably request. The Company believes such advisory services will be instrumental as we explore licensing, merger and JV opportunities.
Telegraphing:
- We expect to commence generating revenues from licensing agreements and/or the production of materials at the San Marcos facility in early calendar year 2018.
- The company intends to increase its development of quantum dot solar cells in 2018 and is currently considering re-establishing its solar cell development in closer proximity to strategically significant solar technology resources.
- In fiscal year 2017, we applied for and received a Low Volume Exemption (“LVE”) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) which allows us to manufacture QD quantities of 10,000 kilograms or less per year in the United States.
Competition
The commercial nanomaterials industry and more specifically, the quantum dot industry, is relatively young and undeveloped, with a number of small competitors attempting to establish themselves in different segments by employing one or more competitive strategies. Competition among these companies is based on the following factors:
* Product quality and performance characteristics: Manufacturers who will incorporate QDs in specific applications will carefully consider the quality, characteristics and physical properties of the QDs for efficacy in their targeted applications. This includes but is not necessarily limited to the following factors: the consistency of dots from batch to batch; resistance to degradation of performance characteristics by heat, oxygen, moisture, and luminous flux; brightness of emissions; purity of emissions; effective life spans; volume of dots necessary to produce the intended result; special characteristics such as dual emission capabilities; whether or not the QDs contain cadmium or other heavy metals or other hazardous compounds; the time needed to expand capacity; and the location of capacity relative to the manufacturer or ability to locate capacity nearby.
* Volume: Before a manufacturer makes the commitment and dedicates capital and marketing resources to incorporate QDs in its end product, it must be confident that the volume of QDs it can obtain from a supplier will be sufficient to meet production needs in the short term and long term, including substantial growth following a successful new product launch. The strategies employed by a quantum dot company to scale production rapidly are critical to its attracting commercial users for its product, regardless of the quality of its QDs.
* Price: The price at which QDs can be delivered for incorporation in a new product will dictate the rate at which new applications can be developed and supported. High prices have historically restricted the market for QDs to only the highest value uses such as in the life sciences, while the potential for lower prices of supply appears to be opening many new markets.
* Continuing R&D and Product Improvements: Research and industry relationships are important to ensure a quantum dot company stays on the leading edge of technological development and commercialization. R&D is supported by collaboration with academic institutions or industrial companies. The Company spent $1,006,214 and $479,908 on research and development in 2017 and 2016 respectively, an increase of $526,306. None of these costs were borne by customers.
We believe we are well positioned in all four areas described above. We believe our QDs, including cadmium/heavy metal-free QDs, meet or exceed our competitors’ current brightness and light purity specifications, and our patented continuous manufacturing process allows us to produce large volumes at competitive price points while also giving us the ability to quickly scale up capacity and locate it anywhere in the world it is needed. Lastly, our continuing relationships with universities such as Rice, University of Arizona, and Texas State University, private and public labs and our approach to joint development ventures should enable us to achieve and maintain a leading position in R&D and commercialization of new products.
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