Verenium Receives CLARUS Award at MDB Capital's Bright Lights Conference 2011

SAN DIEGO, May 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verenium Corporation (Nasdaq: VRNM), a leading industrial biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of high-performance enzymes, today announced that it received the CLARUS Award presented by MDB Capital Group at the second annual Bright Lights Conference in New York City on May 10th.  The Bright Lights Conference is the only conference with an exclusive focus on publicly-traded companies possessing disruptive and market changing IP, providing institutional investors with a venue to discover the largely unrecognized value of embedded IP.

"Verenium was the top company in its industry with the highest Tech Score and number of patent grants, and we are honored to recognize their achievements in driving IP as an asset class and the impact they are making on innovation in America," commented Christopher A. Marlett, CEO of MDB Capital Group.

Verenium's technology was selected from MDB's 2011 group of "Best and Brightest" small-cap companies, a group that is advancing some of today's most innovative and market-leading intellectual property (IP) and advanced as one of the 40 public companies ranking in the 90th percentile for its respective technology leadership from more than 1,500 small-cap companies with granted U.S. patents, as rated by PatentVest, MDB's proprietary IP business intelligence platform. Verenium was recognized for its innovation leadership and achieving the highest Tech Score and number of patent grants.

"We are honored to have received the CLARUS award, further affirmation of the strength of Verenium's intellectual property and core technology platform," said James Levine, President and Chief Executive Officer at Verenium.  "Verenium's proven proprietary technology enables the rapid discovery and evolution of uniquely tailored enzymes optimized for performance in challenging industrial environments giving Verenium's enzyme products a distinct, competitive advantage."

About Verenium

Verenium, an industrial biotechnology company, is a global leader in developing high-performance enzymes.  Verenium's tailored enzymes are environmentally friendly, making products and processes greener and more cost-effective for industries, including the global food and fuel markets.  Read more at www.verenium.com.

About MDB Capital Group

MDB Capital Group, LLC is an institutional research and investment banking firm focusing exclusively on small and micro-cap companies possessing market changing, disruptive intellectual property.  For more information on MDB Capital Group, visit:  http://www.mdb.com  

About PatentVest

PatentVest® is a proprietary intellectual property (IP) business intelligence platform developed by MDB Capital Group. PatentVest quantifies the appropriate valuation of IP and enables the emergence of IP as an investible asset class. For more information on PatentVest please visit: http://www.patentvest.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking" and involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty.  These include, but are not limited to, statements related to Verenium's lines of business, operations, capabilities, commercialization activities, corporate partnerships, target markets and future financial performance, results and objectives, all of which are prospective.  Such statements are only predictions, and actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements.  Factors that could cause or contribute to the differences include, but are not limited to, risks associated with Verenium's strategic focus, risks associated with Verenium's technologies, risks associated with Verenium's ability to obtain additional capital to support its planned operations and financial obligations, risks associated with Verenium's dependence on patents and proprietary rights, risks associated with Verenium's protection and enforcement of its patents and proprietary rights, the commercial prospects of the industries in which Verenium operates and sells products, Verenium's dependence on manufacturing and/or license agreements, and its ability to achieve milestones under existing and future collaboration agreements, the ability of Verenium and its partners to commercialize its technologies and products (including by obtaining any required regulatory approvals) using Verenium's technologies and timing for launching any commercial products and projects, the ability of Verenium and its collaborators to market and sell any products that it or they commercialize, the development or availability of competitive products or technologies, the future ability of Verenium to enter into and/or maintain collaboration and joint venture agreements and licenses, and risks and other uncertainties more fully described in Verenium's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Verenium's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and any updates contained in its subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.  These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Verenium expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Verenium Corporation