Nanotube Business 101

Another nano news item has me reaching for my notebook today, this one from Intel and Zyvex. Intel is figuring out how to keep computers cool, using carbon nanotube material from Zyvex. Zyvex CEO Tom Cellucci told me about this impending deal a few weeks ago and discussed the business strategy behind peddling a nanotube process rather than the tubes, themselves. Cellucci was the guy who was brought on board about a year ago to transform Zyvex from a science project into an actual business. So, the first thing he did was try to figure out what the unsatisfied needs were. The company placed nanotech into three different "buckets" -- "tools, materials and structures." We looked at materials and we saw a plethora, in fact too many, carbon nanotube production companies and we made a decision very early on – and stuck with it and glad we have – not to get involved in the production of carbon nanotubes. It's already, quite frankly, commoditylike because everyone's trying to sell it. We're interested in the processing of carbon nanotubes to make things like composites and things of this nature, to get closer to the application. That was a good move. And we've produced something called the ZPM, Zyvex Processed Nanotubes, which have done quite well for us." OK. Write that down, nanobusiness students: Spewing tubes won't get you an appointment anymore, but scraping them up and figuring out who needs them and why just might get you a deal with Intel. Discuss You Click, You Buy Science and Application of Nanotubes Science of Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes Carbon Nanotubes