FGR to acquire Ionic Industries, geotextile coatings technology

First Graphene Limited (FGR) has entered a binding Asset Purchase Agreement to acquire all manufacturing, intellectual property and development assets of Ionic Industries Inc. and its subsidiary Imagine Intelligent Materials.

The acquisition represents a highly strategic and cost-efficient opportunity to integrate advanced graphene coatings technologies developed over more than a decade of research and commercialization activity, FGR said in a news release announcing the acquisition.

Under the Agreement, FGR will acquire production infrastructure, intellectual property and established sales and distribution channels for a total consideration of AU $250,000. Of primary interest, company officials said, is Ionic’s revenue-generating graphene coatings formulations technology, and their application to geotextiles to improve both barrier and conductivity properties.

“Successful acquisition of Ionic and Imagine represents a highly attractive opportunity to accelerate our growth in graphene geotextile coating formulations,” said FGR managing director and CEO Michael Bell.

In addition to the geotextile coatings technology, the acquisition includes the full suite of intellectual property developed by Ionic and Imagine across a broad range of industry segments. This portfolio spans advanced graphene enabled solutions in areas including environmental remediation, water treatment, energy storage, sensing technologies and functional coatings.

“We are acquiring proven technologies, established applications and a pathway to revenue, all of which complement our PureGRAPH^® platform and existing capabilities,” Ball said. “This positions First Graphene to more rapidly deliver advanced material solutions into large, global markets where performance and sustainability are increasingly critical.”

Anticipated to settle within 90 days, the acquisition also includes an existing supply and client base, which FGR will look to restructure and strategically rebuild to assist continuity of supply into the marketplace.

“We see significant upside in integrating these technologies with our scalable production and expanding distribution network, particularly within the fast-growing geotextile and environmental infrastructure sectors,” Ball said.