Durham Scientific Crystals (DSC)
Since summer 2004, Cenamps has been working closely with Durham Scientific Crystals (DSC) to source venture investment to catalyse the firm’s business expansion. Cenamps tapped into its venture finance network, opening the door to some 20 different private investment firms. As a result, in a period of approximately nine months, DSC has successfully secured an offer for venture finance from a US investor. Furthermore, DSC won the Technology Award at the North East Business Awards 2005 – the region’s biggest business awards in May 2005.
As a spin-out from the Physics Department of the University of Durham, DSC has gone through the product development phase and is now based at NetPark, the prestigious Science Park facility near Sedgefield in the North East of England.
DSC specialises in the innovative production of compound semiconductors cadmium telluride and cadmium zinc telluride in single crystal form. Their technological expertise and patented processes are the result of over 30 years of semiconductor research in this area at the University.
These opto-electronic materials have significant applications as detectors of x-rays and gamma rays, in markets such as medical imaging, security screening, space exploration and non-destructive testing. DSC is already working with several large blue-chip corporations and organisations including the European Space Agency (ESA).
Arnab Basu, Chief Executive Officer of DSC comments - “From the company’s formation in April 2003, to the present day, DSC has had backing from a number of agencies. The most important, however, has been the continuous enthusiasm and guidance by Cenamps. Cenamps has provided support and advice to the management team of DSC in sourcing venture capital finance, market characterisation and strategic networking. As a result of this we hope to make an announcement soon about a major financing deal from a US venture investor that Cenamps identified and approached for us”.