As a Graphene Laboratories spinout company, Graphene 3D Lab was started to focus exclusively on developing materials and technology capable of turning the superhard material graphene into an additive manufacturing super material. Officially launched in 2013, the new independent company was seen as a bit of a risk considering at the time they only had potential products but no proof of concepts. But in less than a year they had developed a 3D printed battery, their Conductive Graphene 3D printing filament, attracted major investors and went public, quickly being valued at over 40 million dollars.

As spinout businesses go, Graphene 3D Lab was a roaring success. And that success has only continued to expand, so rapidly in fact that they have now announced that they will be acquiring all of the issued and outstanding shares of Graphene Laboratories Inc., their former parent company. Graphene Laboratories was originally founded by a group of researchers who were already experts in dealing with what, at the time, was still a highly experimental material. Their original purpose was to develop the superhard material comprised of an atomic-scale lattice of carbon atoms into a multi-use material suitable for a wide variety of applications, including consumer electronics, batteries, data storage and even as a drug delivery agent.

It didn’t take long for Graphene Laboratories to quickly become a major player in the science of manufacturing graphene. As the potential uses for graphene expanded, their client list grew to be a who’s who of the world’s most successful tech companies, including NASA, Ford Motor Co., GE, Apple, Xerox, Samsung and IBM. They initially offered their expert analytical services to companies working with graphene, but also began developing prototype materials of their own and offered consulting services for businesses who wanted to use graphene in their products. They also launched the successful Graphene Supermarket selling various grades and types of graphene all over the world and becoming one of the largest graphene markets in the industry.

Not only will Graphene 3D Lab acquire an extensive existing client base and profitable retail operation that they will continue to run, but they also will hold the provisional patent for a low-energy, chemical-free graphene manufacturing process. This will join the four US patent applications that Graphene 3D Lab currently has pending for its graphene technology. The desire for Graphene 3D Lab to own all of these patents indicates a high probability that they are close to developing highly desirable 3D printing technologies and materials. They most likely see a much greater future in 3D printing than Graphene Laboratories’ existing business model.

The proof of concept for Graphene Laboratories’ graphene manufacturing process was designed to achieve high-grade graphene materials at what they expect to be an industry leading low manufacturing cost. Graphene Laboratories had already begun planning for a two-phased program to develop their patented manufacturing process from a working prototype into a large-scale manufacturing operation, and Graphene 3D Lab is expected to continue that program.

Both Graphene 3D Lab and Graphene Laboratories are controlled and managed by Daniel Stolyarov and Elena Polyakova, so there is no expected change in the board of directors of the Company. However Polyakova will be appointed as the Co-CEO alongside Graphene 3D Lab’s current President & CEO. Graphene Laboratories in expected to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graphene 3D Lab. It may seem odd for a spinout company to purchase the company that they spun out from, but it is actually quite a clever move if the spinout is expected to outperform the original company.

The deal itself is essentially a stock trade between both companies leaving Stolyarov with 18.8% and Polyakova with 18.9% of the stock in Graphene 3D Lab. The terms are still set to be confirmed by an independent business valuator and Graphene Laboratories will still need to be audited. However as of the last fiscal year the company was cash flow positive and they also carried no no material debt, only trade creditors, it seems likely that the deal will successfully be closed. Let us know how you think this move will impact the future of graphene 3D printing on our Graphene 3D Lab Acquires Graphene Laboratories forum at 3DPB.com.