Nanosono, a new materials deep tech company based in Israel, has developed a nanotechnology based platform that is designed to provide instant and continuous antimicrobial action, eliminating up to 99.9999% of bacteria, viruses and fungi. Potential customers include pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies, manufacturers of paints and coatings, wound dressings, and textiles, as well as producers of plastics and polymer-based products.
The startup, which operates seven advanced laboratories in Northern Israel, says its nanotech platform can be used to prevent or treat everything from run-of- the mill annoyances like acne, toenail fungus, dandruff, and diaper rash to prevention of serious life-threatening infectious diseases such as Covid. “
“The world is grappling with infectious diseases, global pandemics and antimicrobial resistance and a growing concern about hygiene,” says Nanosolo CEO Ori Bar Chaim. “We are providing a robust, long-lasting solution to fight against harmful microorganisms. Our goal is to become the best antimicrobial technology in the world and ensure that any company that has issues or problems that need an anti microbial solution will contact us.”
QUACTIV is the first antimicrobial platform of Nanosono. QUACTIV applications are being divided into four segments: Q-Derma, to address dermatological problems, Q-Paint, Q-Fabric and Q-Poly.
Nanosono is already collaborating with cosmetics and pharmaceutical companies. It is developing formulations such as face and body creams, body wash, shampoos, conditioners, hand sanitizer and ointments infused with its patent-protected antimicrobial technology, says Bar Chaim.
Nanosono envisions making footwear insoles embedded with its technology worn by soldiers in the field or athletes and eventually infusing textiles used to make clothing to avoid odor and maintain freshness for a long period of time.
The Israeli startup is already working with a large manufacturer in India to make antimicrobial socks and with four European universities and research institutes– three in Poland and one in Spain– on using the technology for advanced wound dressing. That project, which will potentially be financed soon by a grant from the Polish government, is researching how Nanosono’s technology could be embedded in wound dressings equipped with sensors that would both speed up healing and allow medical staff to monitor the level of infection and humidity, avoiding the need to regularly, and painfully, remove and replace bandages.
Other use cases include infusing the paint on the walls inside hospitals, as well as bedside curtains and bed sheets and pillowcases and surgical gowns, masks, and gloves with strong, lasting antimicrobial protection to avoid cross contamination, a common problem in hospitals. According to the World Health Organization the majority of infections can be avoided through infection prevention and control programs. One potential future use case is coating breast implants that are used in re construction surgery for cancer patients to avoid the life-threatening infections. Surfaces in public places like door handles or tray tables on airplanes could also be protected with Nanosono’s antimicrobial coatings along with children’s toys at childcare centers. There are lots of possibilities, says Bar Chaim.
The technologies advantages include the fact that it is “always on”, with no need to recoat or reapply. Competitors use silver ion, the most common, current way of adding antimicrobial functionality. Nanosono uses copper and zinc oxide based nano composite, which has many advantages over silver ion technologies: It is cheaper, is nontoxic, requires only a low concentration, further lowering costs, has a higher efficacy rate and it can easily be integrated into a variety of products because it can be coated, sprayed, extruded, or compounded, Bar Chaim says,
So how does it work? :The QUACTIV exerts bactericidal activity mainly through two mechanisms: Electrostatic interaction, causing the disruption of the bacteria membrane permeability, and the simultaneous Generation of ROS – Reactive Oxygen Species that locally trigger a severe oxidation stress within the cell’s structure, leading to the death of microorganism. The technology department of Nanosono is headed by Dr. Raj Sanguramath, who has many years of working experience in the fields of chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology.
The company’s intellectual property includes six families of patents for compositions, manufacturing processes, applications, and modifications of the technology.
Nanosono’s business model follows the “Intel inside” concept, says Bar Chaim. It seeks partnerships with brand owners and end-product manufacturers of paints and coatings, fabrics, cosmetics, and plastics companies. It generates revenue from sales of QUACTIV and revenue share of end-products as well as co-development of customized antimicrobial products.
The company plans to expand into India and then APAC and the rest of world, says Bar Chaim, a seasoned executive with experience in the cybersecurity, defense, and emergency management sectors. India is a target market for Nanosono due to the importance of fighting infectious diseases there and the large domestic market, its manufacturing facilities and capabilities and the low cost of production of end products, says Bar Chaim, who has experience doing business there. It is also a good springboard to other markets, he says.
The company’s current investors include private investors from the U.S., Israel, Thailand, Singapore and Israel’s largest chemical and logistics company, Gadot Chemicals. It is currently raising a $15 million Series A round from strategic and financial investors.
To access more of The Innovator’s Startup Of The Week articles click here.
This article is content that would normally only be available to subscribers. Sign up for a four-week free trial to see what you have been missing.
