Chalmers Innovation invests in nanotechnology

Porenix is a company that develops and manufactures high-performance membrane filters, using modern nanotechnology. Their research-based technology has been developed at Chalmers University of Technology.

 “Our product is at present used in biosensors and sold at a limited scale within the research community, but we now want to expand our activities by introducing new applications,” says Marcus Thorin, CEO of Porenix.

The membranes developed by Porenix are made from silicon nitride, a ceramic material which is stable in both chemically harsh environments and high temperatures. This makes them suitable for applications where e.g. polymer-based membranes cannot be used. The surface of the filters is flat, which simplifies the use of microscopy. The pores of the filters are very uniform in regard to roundness and size, which results in a high selectivity and integrity separations of, for example, larger bio-molecules, viruses or bacteria. In addition, the membranes do not catch any substance inside the pores, which makes it possible to recover almost everything that is being filtered. This, of course, is a great advantage when working with expensive substances.

 The membrane can be produced with a thickness of only 50 nanometers and with a pore diameter of 30–500 nanometers. The fact that the membranes are extremely thin enable very high filtration flow-rates, which, for example, reduces time and energy consumption. In addition, this makes the membrane transparent to light and electrons and makes it possible to study the filtered substances directly, using advanced microscopy such as TEM.

 ”Our technology have many advantages and the challenge for us, at this time, is to find the exact applications,” says Marcus Thorin.

Possible applications are, among others, separation and analysis of viruses, cultivation and analysis of cell co-cultures, different TEM applications, emulsification of nano-colloids and analysis of particles in air in order to find contaminations.

 At Chalmers Innovation, which has chosen to invest in Porenix, there is a strong conviction that the company will find a market for its product.

 ”Our first analysis of the company shows that they have a potential business idea that we believe strongly in. The company’s basic technology is quite unique, and it gives the membrane filters unique properties as well. Now they have to find applications and customers that can make good use of these advantages,” says Olle Stenberg, CEO of Chalmers Innovation.

For additional information, please contact:

Olle Stenberg, CEO of Chalmers Innovation, +46 31 772 8047
E-mail: olle.stenberg@chalmersinnovation.com,

 Marcus Thorin, CEO of Porenix, +46 762 13 38 83
E-mail: marcus.thorin@porenix.com

 More about Porenix
Porenix uses modern nanotechnology to develop and manufacture high-efficiency membrane filters. The membranes are ideal for applications that demand high filtration speeds and high accuracy. The technology was developed by Sarunas Petronis, researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, who is also the founder of the company. www.porenix.com

 More about Chalmers Innovation
Chalmers Innovation identifies, develops, and funds technology-based growth companies. Since 1999, Chalmers Innovation has been involved in the launching of 102 companies. In 2010, these companies had a total turn-over of approximately 43 million Euros (400 million Swedish kronor) and 400 employees. The accumulated investment in these companies, over the years, is approximately 150 million Euros (1.37 billion Swedish kronor). These results make Chalmers Innovation the leading investor and company incubator in Sweden. Chalmers Innovation has been chosen to be part of regional and national incubator ventures by Innovationsbron and Region Västra Götaland. www.chalmersinnovation.com