"but I have trouble beliving that a company making a puchase order would include a premium based on assume demand for a market that doesn't exist."

I think what may be important here is that Zen knows the value of what they have and the buyer know what they are planning to do presently and in the future, thus they know what they are going to need, thus they know what they have to pay for.....and before anyone else gets their hands on it.