Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc. and UTEK Corporation Sign a Strategic Alliance Agreement.

MINNEAPOLIS & TAMPA, Fla. -- UTEK Corporation (AMEX & LSE-AIM: UTK), a specialty finance company, and Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc. (OTC BB: AOGS), an oil and gas company engaged in the acquisition of oil and gas producing properties with multiple enhancement opportunities, announced today that they have signed a strategic alliance agreement.

Kent Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer of Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc. said, "We are very pleased to form this alliance with UTEK. We believe it will provide promising new technology acquisition opportunities for us. Our alliance with UTEK should enable us to develop a portfolio of new technologies for the oil and gas industry."

"UTEK looks forward to working with Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc. to identify potential technology acquisition opportunities that fit its strategic vision," commented Clifford M. Gross, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of UTEK Corporation.

About Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc.

Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc. is an independent domestic oil and natural gas producer. The Company's strategy is to generate stable cash flows and production by acquiring a portfolio of oil and gas leases, to use efficient reservoir maintenance and innovative technology to generate asset growth, and to deliver a sustainable rate of return for our shareholders. For more information on Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc., please visit its website at www.avaloninc.com.

About UTEK Corporation

UTEK(R) is a specialty finance company focused on technology transfer. UTEK enables companies of all sizes to acquire innovative technologies from universities and research laboratories worldwide. UTEK facilitates the identification and then finances the acquisition of external technologies for clients in exchange for their equity securities. This unique process is called U2B(R). In addition to its U2B(R) service, UTEK offers both large and small capitalization companies the tools to search, analyze and manage university intellectual properties. UTEK has operations in the United States, United Kingdom and Israel. For more information about UTEK, please visit its website at www.utekcorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements 

Certain matters discussed in this press release are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such because the context of the statement will include words, such as UTEK or Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc. "expects," "should," "believes," "anticipates" or words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe UTEK's or Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc.'s future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including the financial performance of UTEK or Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc. as appropriate, and the valuation of UTEK's investment portfolio, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. Although UTEK and Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc. believe the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they cannot give any assurance that their expectations will be attained. Shareholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating any forward-looking statements. Certain factors could cause results and conditions to differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements, and some of these factors are discussed below. These factors are not exhaustive. New factors, risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time that may affect the forward-looking statements made herein. These forward-looking statements are only made as of the date of this press release and both UTEK and Avalon Oil and Gas, Inc. do not undertake any obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

UTEK's operating results could fluctuate significantly due to a number of factors. These factors include the small number of transactions that are completed each quarter, the value of individual transactions, the timing of the recognition and the magnitude of unrealized gains and losses, UTEK's dependence on the performance of companies in its portfolio, the possibility that advances in technology could render the technologies it has transferred obsolete, the loss of technology licenses by companies in its portfolio, the degree to which it encounters competition in its markets, the volatility of the stock market and the volatility of the valuations of the companies it has invested in as it relates to its realized and unrealized gains and losses, the concentration of investments in a small number of companies, as well as other general economic conditions. As a result of these and other factors, current results may not be indicative of UTEK's future performance. For more information on UTEK and for a more complete discussion of the risks pertaining to an investment in UTEK, please refer to UTEK's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.