Oxford Performance Materials, Inc. Attracts Equity Funding - DSM and Limburg Ventures Take Equity Position

Oxford Performance Materials Inc. (OPM) has closed a round of equity funding from a consortium of investors. New investors DSM Venturing and Limburg Ventures were joined by existing investors in the company. The investment lays the foundation for further growth of OPM’s polyketones business. The money will be used to expand the company’s business development with a focus on biomedical markets.

(PRWEB) June 23, 2006 -- Oxford Performance Materials Inc. (OPM) has closed a round of equity funding from a consortium of investors. New investors DSM Venturing and Limburg Ventures were joined by existing investors in the company. The investment lays the foundation for further growth of OPM’s polyketones business. The money will be used to expand the company’s business development with a focus on biomedical markets.

OPM has been dedicated to building a successful high performance polymer franchise since 2000 and has attracted world class customers and reputable business partners. “The investment by performance materials and life science company DSM is a strong sign that we are on the right track to become a major player in the league of high performance polymers”, said Scott DeFelice, President of OPM; “The firm’s OXPEKK® products offer real and sustainable benefits to OPM’s customers in the high performance polymers marketplace and we are very confident the market for OPM’s products will continue to grow robustly”.

In addition to DSM, OPM now also gains the support of Limburg Ventures, a regional venture capital fund in The Netherlands. OPM will be establishing a European operation at the Chemelot Campus, close to Maastricht, by the end of 2006. The OPM Chemelot facility will host business development and technical services in support of an enhanced European market initiative. The Chemelot facility offers an extensive world class portfolio of technical capabilities, which have been made fully available to OPM.

Existing investors led by Longmeadow Capital have also contributed to this financing round. The size of the round was not disclosed.

Oxford Performance Materials
Founded in March 2000, OPM has rapidly become an industry leader in the ultra-high performance thermoplastic polymers market. The firm's versatile OXPEKK® polymers are currently being used in space and defense, medical, semiconductor, and industrial markets worldwide. For additional information, please visit at www.oxfordpm.com or contact us directly at info@oxfordpm.com.

DSM Venturing
DSM Venturing, part of performance materials and life sciences company DSM N.V., is an active investor in several Venture Capital Funds and start-up companies in the field of Nutrition, Pharma and Performance Materials. DSM Venturing's mission is to explore emerging markets and technologies in order to enhance DSM's product portfolio and create value. For more information about DSM Venturing see www.dsm-venturing.com.

Limburg Ventures
Limburg Ventures is a venture capital fund which focuses on innovative businesses in the fields of advanced materials and the life sciences who wish to establish themselves in the Dutch Province of Limburg and by preference at the Chemelot Campus, close to Maastricht. The fund was founded by DSM and Limburg Development Company LIOF. In its activities, the fund seeks to link up with the region’s strengths in the fields of materials and the life sciences and to open up networks giving access to universities and the market for the companies that it finances. For more information about Limburg Ventures see www.limburgventures.com.

Chemelot
Chemelot is the independent chemical and sciences park in the Dutch part of the Meuse-Rhine Euregio. Site users find excellent manufacturing capabilities and industrial services, together with an open attitude towards innovation, high chem and performance materials developments. DSM, Sabic, Sekisui, Celanese, EdeA, LVM, Carbolim, Basic Pharma, Nanospecials and many other companies are hosted on the Chemelot site.

For more information:

Oxford Performance Materials Inc.
Scott DeFelice / Severine Valdant
Tel. (860) 698 9300
Internet: www.oxfordpm.com

Limburg Ventures BV
Casper Bruens, Investment Director
Tel. +31 (0) 45 5782552
Internet: www.limburgventures.com

DSM Corporate Communications
Nelleke Barning
Tel. +31 (0) 45 5782017      
Fax +31 (0) 45 5740680      

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