OTTAWA , Oct. 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Grafoid Inc., a global leader in industrial scale graphene application development, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Vassilis G. Keramidas as Technical Advisor with responsibilities for managing its Intellectual Property Assets. His appointment is effective October 3, 2017.

Dr. Keramidas holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering, a Master’s Degree in Physics, and a Ph.D. in Solid State Science (Applied Physics).

A renowned scientist and consultant for some of the world’s leading corporations, Dr. Keramidas has extensive experience in guiding the development of new technologies, and the transferring of technologies from the research stage to production.

He is currently the Managing Director of Keramidas International Associates LLC., a firm he founded in 2003, which provides consulting services in: (a) strategic research planning and technology commercialization projects, and (b) the generation, management, commercialization and disposition of Intellectual Property.

Dr. Keramidas began his career at Bell Laboratories in 1973, where, as a member of the technical staff and as Director, he made substantive materials and device contributions in projects related to the emergence and growth of fiber optics communications. Upon the breakup of the Bell System, in 1984, he joined Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), as a founding member. He served there as Director and Executive Director from 1984 to 1997, and as Vice President of Formative Technologies from 1997 to 2003, all in the applied research area.

For his contributions and technical leadership in his field, Dr. Keramidas has been elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

In 1995, following his impressive technical career, he focused his attention to the challenging field of commercialization of Intellectual Property assets. He founded a P&L entity within Bellcore and launched the Intellectual Property Commercialization program of IP assets. He started with IP assets invented in his own divisions and later expanded his efforts to a number of Bellcore and Telcordia invented technologies, bringing millions of dollars in revenue via worldwide licensing programs, patent sales, spin-offs, equity investments in start-ups and patent donations. The pioneering Bellcore Plastic Lithium-ion (PLiON) Battery Technology alone, invented in his Division, was licensed to 22 Corporations worldwide in Asia and Europe.

Among his many corporate affiliations, Dr. Keramidas has served as a director of Twenty First Century Battery Ltd., of India. He is also on the Board of Pleiades Battery Research Inc., with R&D facilities in China, and is Chairman of the Board of Valence Technologies Inc., a global leader in the development and manufacture of intrinsically safe, long-life lithium iron magnesium phosphate (LiFeMgPO4) advanced energy systems.

“The addition of Dr. Keramidas to our management team comes at a pivotal time for Grafoid as we move toward the commercialization of our next generation graphene energy, graphene coatings and graphene polymer applications,” said Gary Economo, Grafoid CEO and Founding Partner.

“His skills, global experience, expertise and history dovetail with our expansionary business development and commercialization agenda,” Mr. Economo said. “We are very fortunate to have Dr. Keramidas advising our management team.”

About Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid is a privately owned, global graphene application development and technology licensing company, focused on the commercialization of its novel Mesograf™, Grafenex and GPURE product innovations for next generation energy applications, composites, coatings and membranes for industrial applications.

The company provides expertise as well as product and processes for transformative, industrial-scale graphene applications in partnership with leading corporations and institutions around the world.

A Canadian corporation, founded in 2011, Grafoid invests in graphene applications and economically scalable production processes for graphene and graphene derivatives from raw, unprocessed graphite ore. Focus Graphite Inc. holds a significant interest in Grafoid Inc.

Grafoid’s research is supported through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council of Canada, and, on February 20, 2015, Grafoid received an $8.1 million investment from the SD Tech Fund™ of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to develop a technology that will automate Mesograf™ graphene production and end-product development. SDTC is mandated by the Government of Canada to support clean technology companies as they move their technologies to market.

For more information about Grafoid, please visit http://www.grafoid.com

Contact:

Mr. Gary Economo
Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner
+1 613-238-7417
[email protected]