Not a month goes by without another amazing application discovered for the wonder material graphene. From producing the world’s thinnest light bulbs to building better body armor, the future of graphene is a fascinating frontier for innovators and scientists.
Investors are also taking note of the explosive growth of this one-atom thick layer of graphite, whose applications seem truly world-altering. Here are four reasons why investors should get it the graphene game before it’s too late:
1. Wonder Properties
Graphene is stronger than diamond, more conductive than copper, and more flexible than rubber. Given the applications of those three materials, it’s safe to bet that graphene is going to be a major game changer in industries ranging from electronics to automobiles. Investing in the research and development of graphene ensures that you’ll stay ahead of the curve when its real world applications are actualized.
2. Worldwide Attention
The global science community is keenly aware of graphene’s potential, and the European Commission has taken note with a major 10 year investment in graphene research and development. In 2013 the European Commission chose the Graphene Flagship as one of Europe’s first 10-year FET flagship programs, with an investment of over 1 billion USD. The Graphene Flagship’s goal is to take graphene from 2-dimensional potential to a 3-dimensional reality with real world applications. In 2014 the chancellor announced a further 74 million to be allocated to a graphene innovation center over the next five years.
Meanwhile in the U.K., the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester (pictured above) opened earlier this year, to the tune of 92 billion USD. As Britain hopes to gain a foothold in graphene innovation, governments are funding the research that will align their countries for success in an increasingly technological world.
3. A Risk Worth Taking
Graphene has only been around since 2004, and in that time, it has already spawned over 25,000 patents worldwide. Successful investments require some inherent level of risk, and a material this promising is a risk worth taking. Even if graphene doesn’t end up revolutionizing one sector these patents hope to transform, there are enough other applications that graphene will likely change the world in some ways, if not every way.
4. Funding Starting to Flow
Companies working to bring graphene’s applications to the consumer market are starting to attract ample funding, but the area is still under-invested compared to many other tech sectors. Angstron Materials, for instance, is a U.S. based company working to bring graphene to market via thermal management applications for electronics. Angstron recently secured $5 million in capital, following news that Angstron’s graphene sheets have been qualified for use by a major mobile company. As overheating remains a major problem for mobile tech, this application signals a huge sector for growth.