Kyma Named A North Carolina Company To Watch

Kyma Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of ultra-high purity crystalline gallium nitride (GaN) and aluminum nitride (AlN) materials and related products and services,  has been named one of 25 North Carolina Companies to Watch by CED, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes entrepreneurial efforts in North Carolina.

The inaugural class of North Carolina Companies to Watch represent growth-stage entrepreneurial companies that demonstrate high performance in the marketplace, exhibit innovative products or display other unique qualities that make them “worth watching.”

Kyma and the other honorees represent a powerful economic engine for North Carolina.  During 2005-2007, there were more than 47,000 second-stage, or growth-stage companies in the state.  Those companies employed more than one million workers, approximately 37.5 percent of the jobs created by companies headquartered in North Carolina.

“Kyma Technologies exemplifies the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that lead to success in the marketplace and in the future,” said CED President Joan Siefert Rose.  “CED is proud to recognize the accomplishments of all our 25 winners and their significant contributions to our state’s economy.  Kyma is certainly worthy of watching, and we look forward to seeing continued growth and achievement.”

The North Carolina Companies to Watch were selected from an initial pool of 190 nominees from across North Carolina.  They are privately held companies of between 6-99 employees and $1 million to $50 million in annual revenue or funds raised from grants, investors or partnerships. The winners represent the geographic regions of the state as well as different sectors of the economy.

“It is gratifying to be recognized for our accomplishments in areas such as job creation and market presence,” stated Kyma CEO and President Keith Evans.  “However, it ‘takes a village’ to support a small company’s growth.  We owe much to CED and many others in North Carolina for their growing help and support.”

Heather Splawn, Kyma Director of Business Development, added:  “It is an exciting time for Kyma, and we are excited and proud to have been selected for this award.”

North Carolina Companies to Watch is presented in partnership with the Edward Lowe Foundation and is made possible through the support of title sponsors Cherry Bekaert & Holland and Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton. This new program, which will become an annual event, recognizes the impact that growth-stage, or second-stage, entrepreneurial companies make on the marketplace and on the economy.  This year’s 25 winners will be honored at an awards ceremony September 23rd at the Raleigh Marriott City Center.

Additional sponsors for North Carolina Companies to Watch are Hosted Solutions, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Business Wire, Clean Design, Cisco, Hughes Pittman & Gupton, Forma Design, Financial Directions, First Citizens Bank, Monaghan Group, First Bank, Ernst & Young, Capitol Broadcasting Corporation, The Research Triangle Park, v4 Production Group and Progress Energy. Other partner organizations include: Business Innovation & Growth (BIG), the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the North Carolina Board of Science and Technology, the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) and the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC).

About Kyma Technologies

Kyma is a leading supplier of crystalline gallium nitride (GaN) and aluminum nitride (AlN) materials for a broad range of high performance nitride semiconductor device applications.

The market for nitride semiconductor devices is expected to surpass $30 billion over the next decade. The combined addressable market for GaN and AlN substrates is ~$500M this year and expected to reach $3B over the next decade.

For more information about Kyma Technologies, visit www.kymatech.com, e-mail info@kymatech.com, or call the company directly at 919.789.8880.

Kyma is a registered trademark of Kyma Technologies, Inc.

About CED

CED (formerly The Council for Entrepreneurial Development) is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1984 to identify, enable and promote high-growth, high-impact companies and accelerate the region’s entrepreneurial culture.  Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, CED is the oldest and largest entrepreneurial support organization in the nation, with more than 5,500 active members.  CED provides know-how, networking, mentoring and capital formation resources to new and existing high-growth entrepreneurs through annual conferences, programs and web-based resources.  CED has helped entrepreneurs, investors, service partners, researchers and public policy makers in diverse emerging industries and at all stages of development – from high-tech, production-based organizations to service companies, from one-person start-ups to 1000-person businesses.  Visit www.cednc.org for more information.

About the Edward Lowe Foundation

Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through research, recognition and educational programs, which are delivered through entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs). The foundation focuses on second-stage companies — those that have moved beyond the startup phase and seek significant, steady growth. The foundation also encourages economic gardening, an entrepreneur-centered strategy providing balance to the traditional approach of business recruitment. Headquartered in Cassopolis, Michigan, the foundation was established by Edward and Darlene Lowe to "champion the entrepreneurial spirit."  Visit www.edwardlowe.org for more information

About Companies to Watch

Companies to Watch is a unique awards program that recognizes and celebrates the contribution, innovation and energy of diverse second-stage companies in a state or region. These companies work behind-the-scenes generating the bulk of new, sustainable jobs and are a powerful economic force underpinning the high quality of life most Americans enjoy. Created and managed by the Edward Lowe Foundation, Companies to Watch is one of the foundation's initiatives to celebrate the achievements of second-stage companies.