We know from our ongoing search for nano developments and early opportunities that commercial applications are being launched worldwide. But our ears perked up when we heard that Samsung, a South Korean industrial conglomerate, had earned an estimated $779 million in revenue since its nano additive's 2003 launch.
Being Foolish investors, however, we compare that claim to what we know about publicly quoted American "nano" companies. Any group of 10 together would be hard-pressed to muster even $100 million in revenue from their nano products in the past year.
Consider Nanophase Technologies
Nano toolmaker FEI
The companies above are not direct comparisons or even in the same nano sector, but their performance further highlights the giant strides Samsung claims to have made. A company can move the research of nano applications into the commercial arena and gain huge revenues from it.
Samsung's nano sales are too insignificant for such a large company to interest investors. But it reminds us that nano products are being developed worldwide and that we must stay on top of evolving events.
Just as eBay
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Carl Wherrett owns Nanophase stock, and John Yelovich owns shares of eBay. You can reach them by email.