Zernike (UK) Limited

The Dutch based Zernike Group is a dynamic international company in the field of technology transfer, facility management, patenting and licensing, engineering, and consultancy (accounting, financing, marketing and sales). The development of Zernike Group was initiated in 1992 by the management of the Zernike Science Park. Nine years earlier in 1983, the University of Groningen, regional authorities and the Ministry of Economic Affairs had created a commercial / academic organisation in the form of a science park in order to synergise science and business. However, over the years, the development of the Zernike Science Park led to many new ideas about the best way of commercialising scientific development. As a result, the activities of the Science Park changed significantly.

The Zernike Science Park now offers seed capital via the Zernike Seed Fund, Zernike Ventures and STIF as well as a methodology for protecting and selling developments, commercial marketing and sales of high-tech products, accounting and tax support, and business accommodation in three different buildings. These changes were made to achieve one main goal, which is to become self-sufficient by carrying out activities in technology transfer that are commercially worthwhile.

Zernike Group BV has now grown substantially from its base in Groningen. Since 1996, the Zernike Group has also managed the Amsterdam Science Park and seed capital funds in Amsterdam (TIFAN BV), Alkmaar (ROF) and IJmond (IMKBIJ) as well as the three funds mentioned above. The Group is also active in consultancy for the European Union and the United Nations (e.g. Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia) in the field of technology transfer, training and business development. Zernike Group has over Euro125m in start-up funds under management. It is an active co-investor with banks and the international venture capital industry.

The organisation has over 100 staff and has a growing number of joint ventures around the world - currently in Australia, Germany, Italy, Finland, Portugal, USA, Latin America and, of course, the UK. Zernike is flexible, innovative and market driven.

The core businesses of Zernike Group BV are:

facility management and technology transfer
real estate development
feasibility and evaluation studies
business advisory services including financial, fiscal, innovation and patenting and licensing advice and marketing and sales of high-technology products and technologies
provision of risk capital.

A critical aspect of Zernike Group's business development methodology is that it undertakes the evaluation of technology by first considering the market potential and rapidly helps new companies generate cash from their first customers. This approach has seen Zernike Group help establish over 500 successful start-ups in the past decade. Some 45% of these start-ups have been in the ITC sector. The Group defines a successful start-up as one which is sufficiently viable to attract the next appropriate level of funding. Over the past five years, zero stage funds or seed fund managed by Zernike have achieved an average annual return of 12% compared to the European Union average of minus 4%.

Subsidiaries of Zernike Group BV

IDEA Centres BV (Facility Management)

The Zernike Group runs science parks in the Netherlands and elsewhere. Facility Management is responsible for:

facilities, including maintenance, cleaning and security
common services, including secretarial help, copy services, printing, reception and telephone
other services, including conference organisation and catering services.

Business Innovation Centre Noord-Nederland (BIC NN)

Since 1994, the Northern part of the Netherlands has had a Business & Innovation Centre ("BIC"). The BIC was a concept framed by the European Union to stimulate regional activity and there are now 150 BICs in Europe. BIC NN creates innovative and internationalising projects, and advises particularly on financial grants for business creation.

Zernike Sales & Marketing BV

Zernike Sales & Marketing ("ZSM") is an international sales and marketing organisation that serves as an agent or distributor for companies world-wide. ZSM provides commercial marketing and sales support for small and medium sized companies. For firms with an innovative product but without a suitable sales and marketing organisation, ZSM can provide an entry into world markets.

Seed Funding

Long experience has shown that new, commercially promising, technologies often get stuck at an early stage, due to the lack of risk-bearing capital and a proper market approach. This means that important innovations have often been lost. The conventional sources of finance (banks, etc) are not keen on providing capital in the pre start-up phase of highly innovative businesses. Start-up funds managed by Zernike cover this gap in an efficient and business-like way.

The main objective of these funds is to create technological and innovative industrial businesses by providing both risk bearing capital and management support. The funds operate exclusively as seed capital organisations. For example, the Zernike Seed Fund ("ZSF") not only participates from the start of a new company but also provides intensive management support, thus increasing the chances for success of the new-born enterprise.

Further details of the funds managed by the Zernike Group are provided at the end of this profile. They include:

Zernike Seed Fund, linked to the University of Groningen with £4.4 million for equity and loans up to Ł150,000
Technologie-en Industriefonds voor Amsterdam en Noord-Holland (TIFAN) BV with £4.4 million is one of three seed capital funds initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs ("MEA") in order to provide early stage capital to high-technology start-ups. Since 2005 TIFAN BV has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Zernike Group.
Biopartner³ is a start-up venture fund with £14.5 million, established by MEA, which Zernike has been appointed to manage. It offers risk capital for life science start-ups, investing in shares and loans in the range £30,000 to £150,000
venture funds for several regions throughout The Netherlands.

International University of Entrepreneurship BV

A joint venture to set-up an International University where post-graduate students have the opportunity to evaluate and work on real projects. It provides them with the experience required to start their own businesses having gained both theoretical and practical knowledge.

	Zernike Company Profile
	The Grove, High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ, UK Telephone / fax +44 (0) 1223 528980 Email: info@zernikeuk.com
Home Zernike (UK) Limited UK management Zernike Group BV International Centres managed Funds managed Clients Group management	Zernike Group BV The Dutch based Zernike Group is a dynamic international company in the field of technology transfer, facility management, patenting and licensing, engineering, and consultancy (accounting, financing, marketing and sales). The development of Zernike Group was initiated in 1992 by the management of the Zernike Science Park. Nine years earlier in 1983, the University of Groningen, regional authorities and the Ministry of Economic Affairs had created a commercial / academic organisation in the form of a science park in order to synergise science and business. However, over the years, the development of the Zernike Science Park led to many new ideas about the best way of commercialising scientific development. As a result, the activities of the Science Park changed significantly. The Zernike Science Park now offers seed capital via the Zernike Seed Fund, Zernike Ventures and STIF as well as a methodology for protecting and selling developments, commercial marketing and sales of high-tech products, accounting and tax support, and business accommodation in three different buildings. These changes were made to achieve one main goal, which is to become self-sufficient by carrying out activities in technology transfer that are commercially worthwhile. Zernike Group BV has now grown substantially from its base in Groningen. Since 1996, the Zernike Group has also managed the Amsterdam Science Park and seed capital funds in Amsterdam (TIFAN BV), Alkmaar (ROF) and IJmond (IMKBIJ) as well as the three funds mentioned above. The Group is also active in consultancy for the European Union and the United Nations (e.g. Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia) in the field of technology transfer, training and business development. Zernike Group has over Euro125m in start-up funds under management. It is an active co-investor with banks and the international venture capital industry. The organisation has over 100 staff and has a growing number of joint ventures around the world - currently in Australia, Germany, Italy, Finland, Portugal, USA, Latin America and, of course, the UK. Zernike is flexible, innovative and market driven. The core businesses of Zernike Group BV are: facility management and technology transfer real estate development feasibility and evaluation studies business advisory services including financial, fiscal, innovation and patenting and licensing advice and marketing and sales of high-technology products and technologies provision of risk capital. A critical aspect of Zernike Group's business development methodology is that it undertakes the evaluation of technology by first considering the market potential and rapidly helps new companies generate cash from their first customers. This approach has seen Zernike Group help establish over 500 successful start-ups in the past decade. Some 45% of these start-ups have been in the ITC sector. The Group defines a successful start-up as one which is sufficiently viable to attract the next appropriate level of funding. Over the past five years, zero stage funds or seed fund managed by Zernike have achieved an average annual return of 12% compared to the European Union average of minus 4%. Subsidiaries of Zernike Group BV IDEA Centres BV (Facility Management) The Zernike Group runs science parks in the Netherlands and elsewhere. Facility Management is responsible for: facilities, including maintenance, cleaning and security common services, including secretarial help, copy services, printing, reception and telephone other services, including conference organisation and catering services. Business Innovation Centre Noord-Nederland (BIC NN) Since 1994, the Northern part of the Netherlands has had a Business & Innovation Centre ("BIC"). The BIC was a concept framed by the European Union to stimulate regional activity and there are now 150 BICs in Europe. BIC NN creates innovative and internationalising projects, and advises particularly on financial grants for business creation. Zernike Sales & Marketing BV Zernike Sales & Marketing ("ZSM") is an international sales and marketing organisation that serves as an agent or distributor for companies world-wide. ZSM provides commercial marketing and sales support for small and medium sized companies. For firms with an innovative product but without a suitable sales and marketing organisation, ZSM can provide an entry into world markets. Seed Funding Long experience has shown that new, commercially promising, technologies often get stuck at an early stage, due to the lack of risk-bearing capital and a proper market approach. This means that important innovations have often been lost. The conventional sources of finance (banks, etc) are not keen on providing capital in the pre start-up phase of highly innovative businesses. Start-up funds managed by Zernike cover this gap in an efficient and business-like way. The main objective of these funds is to create technological and innovative industrial businesses by providing both risk bearing capital and management support. The funds operate exclusively as seed capital organisations. For example, the Zernike Seed Fund ("ZSF") not only participates from the start of a new company but also provides intensive management support, thus increasing the chances for success of the new-born enterprise. Further details of the funds managed by the Zernike Group are provided at the end of this profile. They include: Zernike Seed Fund, linked to the University of Groningen with £4.4 million for equity and loans up to Ł150,000 Technologie-en Industriefonds voor Amsterdam en Noord-Holland (TIFAN) BV with £4.4 million is one of three seed capital funds initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs ("MEA") in order to provide early stage capital to high-technology start-ups. Since 2005 TIFAN BV has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Zernike Group. Biopartner³ is a start-up venture fund with £14.5 million, established by MEA, which Zernike has been appointed to manage. It offers risk capital for life science start-ups, investing in shares and loans in the range £30,000 to £150,000 venture funds for several regions throughout The Netherlands. International University of Entrepreneurship BV A joint venture to set-up an International University where post-graduate students have the opportunity to evaluate and work on real projects. It provides them with the experience required to start their own businesses having gained both theoretical and practical knowledge.