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Scipher

Scipher was formed through an MBO from EMI plc in 1996 of the Central Research Laboratories, TSSI and QED.

Advent provided £5 million of growth capital in February 1999 and the group listed on the London Stock Exchange (Symbol: SIP) in January 2000. Scipher was the largest technology development and licensing company of its type in Europe.

The company delivered value from intellectual property in two principal ways:

  1. It commercialised patent-protected products developed by its own R&D resources, through licensing or sale to high-growth markets around the world; and
  2. using its extensive expertise in intellectual property (IP) management, it created value from clients’ IP assets by providing a complete license revenue generating service.

Scipher’s impressive portfolio of advanced technology products and know-how covered the 3D Sound, Displays, Communications, Sensors, Secure Identification and Broadcast Monitoring markets. Almost two-thirds of Scipher’s revenues were earned outside the UK.