Fusion IP (AIM: FIP), the university commercialisation company which turns university research into business, is pleased to announce that Sheffield based Phase Focus Ltd ("Phasefocus"), the portfolio company that is revolutionising microscopy and imaging with its lens-free Phasefocus Virtual Lens® technology, has announced the following changes to its board of directors.

Paul Atherton has been appointed Chairman of the Board. Paul is a successful serial technology entrepreneur. He co-founded Queensgate Instruments and was Managing Director from 1988 until its sale for more than £200 million in March 2000. Paul is also Chairman of Infinitesima, NanoVentures and Nexeon, and was Chairman of C2V and Midaz Lasers until their respective acquisitions by Thermo-Fisher in 2009 and Coherent in 2012. Paul is a board member of Imperial Innovations and was involved in its £200 million AIM flotation. He earned a PhD in Physics from Imperial College and an MBA from the London Business School (of which he was a Governor for 6 years) and has extensive expertise in photonics, electronics, mechanics and nanotechnology.

Paul said, "I am delighted to be taking on this role. Phasefocus has already made some excellent progress and I am very much looking forward to working with the team to build on these achievements."

Charles Holroyd has also been appointed as non-executive director. For the last three years Charles has been Group Business Development Director of Oxford Instruments, a £350 million p.a. LSE-listed manufacturer of high technology instrumentation, with responsibility for (among other things) acquisitions, divestments and joint ventures. Previously, Charles was Managing Director of the Oxford Instruments Analytical business unit, as well as being responsible for Oxford Instruments' commercial activities and brand development in Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Martin Humphry has been appointed director and Chief Technology Officer. An inventor on a number of Phasefocus' patent applications, Martin has assumed successively higher levels of responsibility since he joined the Company in 2009, including oversight of all of its product development and R&D activities.

After five years of service with the Company, Neil Loxley will be resigning as non-executive director, due to his recent appointment as CEO of Ibex Innovations, a developer of advanced X-ray detectors.

David Baynes, CEO of Fusion IP plc and Phasefocus' outgoing Chairman, will remain a non-executive director. Commenting on the appointments, David said, "I am delighted to welcome Paul, Charles and Martin to the board. Together, these new directors will bring a wealth of technical, marketing, operational and strategic experience to our board, which will be most welcome and valuable at this important juncture in the Company's history."

Ian Pykett, CEO of Phasefocus, said, "Paul and Charles bring tremendous experience in highly relevant markets, and in growing and realising value from venture capital-backed high-technology businesses. That we have been successful in attracting their world-class skills and experiences is testament not only to the success that we have achieved to date, but also to the vision that they share with us of a potentially very bright future for Phasefocus.

"I am equally pleased that we will continue to benefit not only from Martin's considerable technical knowledge, but also from the strategic insights and business development instincts that he brings to the board. 

distributed by