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Two new companies ANSTO established early this year have each had a boost of $80 000 following the award of competitive-based COMET grants from the Federal Government, which supports early growth in spin-off companies to commercialise their innovations.
According to Warren Bradey, the General Manager of Access ANSTO – the business development arm of ANSTO – Australian Membrane Technologies (AMT) (water recycling) and CeramiSphereTM (encapsulation and slow release technology) are both looking to raise external capital with a view to taking these unique, Australian-developed, technologies to the market.
“The COMET programme helps companies raise capital, fund strategic and business planning work, undertake market research and validity work and review of intellectual property,” said Mr Bradey. “ANSTO intends to fully capitalise on the services provided and the funds available to make these two companies commercially viable and of benefit to the Australian community.
“These two innovations are unique in what they have to offer, promising solid business opportunities to the right investor,” he said.
AMT provides a unique water recycling product that aims to revolutionise household water use through recycling, cutting consumption by 60 per cent.
The product is a nano-particulate membrane bioreactor which is described as a simple arrangement of gills that uses bacteria to operate as a lung and stomach, which literally eats waste matter and breathes air, so is self perpetuating. Patented by ANSTO, the technology is cost effective and can be made in a variety of sizes for houses, unit complexes or municipal treatment plants.
“With water management such a major issue with all governments, the community and business, the development of the AMT product is timely and the faster this happens the better for all concerned,” said Mr Bradey.
CeramiSphereTM offers new methods to deliver active compounds to produce desirable properties for building products, paint manufacturers, drug therapy, chemical, cosmetic and nutrition companies.
This is through special encapsulation and controlled release technology where a drug or chemical is captured in a molecule that is designed to release it at a set time in line with the medication regime or required result. For example, if you need paint to release biocide and/or a corrosion inhibitor over its lifetime, CeramiSphere’s technology ensures this occurs. For cosmetic companies the technology could, for example, help develop a moisturiser that lasts all day. The applications are endless.
“ANSTO is constantly evaluating its intellectual property and these two technologies currently stand out, having, we believe, great potential to change the way products work and are made, and how we manage our water and the environment,” concluded Mr Bradey.
Published: 05/04/2007