HeiQ securing investment round

HeiQ Materials secures funding through strong Swiss investment partners

PRESS RELEASE 2 0 0 8 – 10 – 22

Bad Zurzach, Switzerland, October 22, 2008 — HeiQ Materials AG, the leader and inventor of medical silver composite additives and high performance sustainable textile finishes today, announced the securing of funding from CC Private Equity Partners Ltd and Zurich Cantonal Bank (ZKB). The funding will be devoted to commercializing the company's high performance silver additives and formulations.

Silver is well known to be harmless to the human body at antibacterial efficiency levels and does not encounter the problem of microbial cross-resistance. Thanks to HeiQ’s unique technology platform, effective and sustainable antimicrobial silver products are offered maximizing the capabilities of silver. HeiQ’s microcomposite silver allows for antimicrobial effect already at low concentrations yet with long-lasting effect thanks to its controlled release mechanism.

“We are delighted with the commitment of our new investors CC Private Equity Partners and Zurich Cantonal Bank and are now able to reach out to the market faster and more efficiently with our products”, says Carlo Centonze, CEO HeiQ Materials.

HeiQ has already secured strong partnership with leading producers of medical devices, textile effect vendors and sports brands and sees a strong demand for antimicrobial silver products from the market.

"Core Capital Partners recognizes the value of making antimicrobial medical devices and high performance textiles. HeiQ is strongly positioned to make a significant near term impact in infection prevention in medical devices and healthcare as well as an increased comfort in high performance textile apparel. We are excited to support HeiQ’s commercialization strategy", says Martin Gloor, CEO Core Capital Partners.

“ZKB has been following HeiQ since its inception. HeiQ has been a very promising investment opportunity for us since our first investment into the ETH spin-off company in 2006. Since then HeiQ has been delivering on its promises and we are happy to continue to support them and their unique product range”, says Erika Puyal, Head of ZKB Start-up Finance.


For further information:

HeiQ Materials AG
Carlo Centonze, CEO HeiQ Materials
Phone +41 56 250 68 50

Core Capital Partners AG
Martin Gloor, CEO +41 44 488 80 00

Zurich Cantonal Bank, ZKB
Erika Puyal, Head of ZKB Start-up +41 44 293 93 93


About HeiQ: HeiQ Materials AG is a Swiss company manufacturing medical additives as well as high performance and sustainable textile effects for the most demanding functionalities. The company’s goal is to mimic nature’s effects and transfer these to textile fabrics, making them naturally performing. HeiQ’s products are characterized by high efficiency coupled with long-lasting performance, yet with a minimum impact on the environment. Being a young and innovative company, HeiQ has already received several awards for its state-of-the-art technologies. www.heiqmaterials.com


About Core Capital Partners AG: Core Capital Partners AG is an exclusive boutique in the private equity business. Core Capital’s investment focus is directed towards the biotechnology, medical technology and life science sectors as well as a variety of industrial fields. There is a geographical emphasis on Switzerland and neighbouring countries. www.corecapital.ch


About Zürcher Kantonalbank: As a major Swiss bank and banker to the people of Zurich, ZKB aims to be the leading financial service provider in the greater Zurich area. With total assets of over CHF 100 billion, ZKB is the largest cantonal bank and the leading financial services provider in the greater Zurich area. At a national level, ZKB is one of the leading banks for medium and large companies, banks, institutional investors and public-sector organisations. www.zkb.ch