12 International Companies Selected for Special Funding Session at Invest in Photonics(R) 2010

Chosen Companies Favor Leading-Edge Applications in Optical Transport, Healthcare, and Intelligent Lighting

BORDEAUX, France, March 5, 2010 - Following a two-month screening and selection process led by
an international panel of photonics industry experts and venture capitalists,
12 emerging technology companies from Europe and North America have been
chosen to participate in funding opportunities at the Invest in Photonics(R)
International Partnering Convention 2010, March 18 - 19.

Invest in Photonics is an investment-networking and market
development event that facilitates meetings between entrepreneurs and
management of emerging companies in photonics with investors and analysts.
This is the second year that a Selection Committee, comprising
representatives of the most prominent players in the photonics and investment
fields, has selected emerging technology firms offering the most potential
for future success.

12 out of 24 applicants from Belgium, Canada, Germany, and the
Netherlands, including seven firms from various regions in France, made the
final selection to seek funding in the region of EUR 30 million
(approximately USD 40.5 million). The median seed capital investment sought
is less than EUR 2.5M.

"Invest in Photonics is actively working with all the players
in key areas of photonics to attract investments and to help in the building
of successful companies", says Bernard Couillaud, chairman of the Invest in
Photonics organizing committee. "As a result of the selection process, the 12
companies will benefit from a unique opportunity to increase their exposure
to potential partners and investors, thus increasing their chances of future
success."

These seed, expansion and later stage small- and mediums-sized
companies (SMEs) are active in addressing applications in optical transport,
laser material processing, medical, imaging, metrology and intelligent
lighting.

During the 2-day program at Invest in Photonics, there will be
other opportunities for attending entrepreneurs or management of photonics
companies to network with investors and set-up one-to-one meetings.

About Invest in Photonics(R)

Invest in Photonics(R) was created in 2008 by the ALPhA
technology cluster (Aquitaine Laser Photonique et Applications), CEA (French
Atomic Energy Commission and the largest government-funded technological
research organization in France) and the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce for the
purpose of facilitating meetings between investors and emerging companies in
photonics, addressing business issues in photonics, as well as increasing the
visibility of the industry.

Website: www.invest-in-photonics.com/

    Press contact:
    Andrew Lloyd & Associates
    Carol Leslie / Juliette dos Santos
    Tel: +33-1-56-54-07-00
    carol@ala.com / juliette@ala.com

Press contact: Andrew Lloyd & Associates, Carol Leslie / Juliette dos Santos, Tel: +33-1-56-54-07-00
carol at ala.com / juliette at ala.com