Plasmon Data Systems of Melbourn, Hertsfordshire is to receive UKP2m of development capital from investors including Rothschild Ventures, Agfa Gevaert Investment Fund, The Growth Fund, Newmarket Venture Capital, Norwich Union Venture Capital, Foreign & Colonial Ventures, County NatWest Ventures, and Baronsmead Venture Capital. Plasmon which makes 5.25 write-once optical media to fit IBM and Matsushita Electric’s Panasonic brand optical drives will use the capital lump sum to upgrade equipment at its manufacturing site in Melbourn and to expand the company’s marketing and technical support programmes. The company currently manufactures 200Mb, 400Mb, 470Mb and 940Mb disks for the IBM 3363, Panasonic LF5000 and Panasonic LF5010 high-capacity drives, as well as for the Panasonic jukebox. All Plasmon’s disks have a patented moth eye microstructure that operates on similar optical principles to a moth’s eye at night. The disks are coated with platinum for extra stability, and, under test, have an expected lifespan of 30 years or more, although none have been around anything like that long to demonstrate or gainsay the point.
