Synoptics Receives Prestigious Business Recognition

Cambridge, UK: Synoptics, a world leader in the development and manufacture of innovative digital imaging systems for scientific applications, is pleased to announce it has been included for the first time in an elite technology league: The Sunday Times ARM Tech Track 100.

Synoptics, consisting of three distinct imaging divisions - Syngene, Syncroscopy and Synbiosis - was chosen from a database of one million private UK companies after extensive research by Fast Track - the company that compiles the Tech Track 100. This is the UK’s only league table of fast-growing unquoted technology companies in which Synoptics was ranked 79^thbased on a sales growth of 67 per cent per year between 1999 and 2001.

As part of the award, Synoptics was included in the ARM Tech Track 100 listing published in a colour magazine as part of the September 29^th issue of The Sunday Times. In addition, Synoptics will also receive an award at a prestigious prize giving ceremony in November this year.

Each division within Synoptics supplies products for specific life science markets. Syngene, the largest Synoptics division produces advanced systems to analyse and document information from DNA or protein gels. Synbiosis and Syncroscopy, the company’s other divisions, specialise in digital imaging solutions for microbial and microscopy applications respectively.

Phil Atkin, Managing Director of Synoptics commented: ”We were delighted to be nominated as one of the Tech Track 100 companies and to actually be awarded a place on this exclusive listing is a great privilege. Winning this accolade shows we have been recognised as a highly professional, forward-thinking company. It has also been a huge boost to the staff at Synoptics to realise that the tremendous efforts of the team and consequent success of our imaging instruments have not gone unnoticed.”

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Jayne Arthur, Synoptics Ltd, Beacon House, Nuffield Road, Cambridge, CB4 1TF, UK.

Note to Editors

About Synoptics

Synoptics, based in Cambridge, UK is a world-leader in the development and manufacture of innovative digital imaging systems for a range of scientific applications. The Company has three divisions, Syngene, Syncroscopy and Synbiosis of which Syngene is the largest.

Syngene produces advanced systems for molecular biologists to analyse and document information from gels. Synoptics’s other divisions - Syncroscopy and Synbiosis - specialise in digital imaging solutions for microscopy and microbial applications respectively. The Company founded in 1985 currently employs 50 people in its UK and subsidiary operation in Frederick, USA. It has profitable revenue of over £6 million and continues to grow rapidly.

Compiled by Fast Track and published in September, The Sunday Times ARM Tech Track 100 is the UK’s only league table of fast growing unquoted technology companies. Those considered for the 2002 league have to be a technology company (as defined by London Stock Exchange's techMARK), unquoted, registered in the UK and have sales of at least £100,000 in 1999 and at least £1 million in 2002. They are nominated by venture capitalists, trade associations and industry experts. The companies picked for inclusion in the final listing have been subjected to intensive desk research and telephone or face-to-face interviews.