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The only time I think about the insulation in my home is when it’s too hot in the summer and it’s keeping too much heat in.

But a range of businesses could benefit from having it on their mind. More effective insulation could be a big win for their bottom line.

The thermal insulation market is big and growing, so how is Nanoplume taking it on? Read on to find out…

– Martin

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Nanoplume is developing what could be the next generation of insulation

In a world where energy efficiency is more important than ever, insulation can be an effective way of saving money.

But common materials used to create insulation don’t necessarily meet today’s needs as well as they could. For example, mineral wool is getting on for 200 years old, and is still widely used in insulation products.

Nanoplume is a Cambridge-based startup developing a product to counter ineffective, space-hungry insulation that can often be made from environmentally-unfriendly or hazardous materials.

“We realised that we're really in need of better materials… The thermal insulation space is growing into $100 billion industry by 2030 and we think the whole space, especially the high-volume markets, has not kept up with our modern living conditions and climate change,” explains Nanoplume CEO Theresa Hoffmann.

Nanoplume’s solution to this problem is a bio-aerogel, which Hoffmann says is three times as insulating and 60% lighter and thinner than conventional materials, while being environmentally friendly and non-toxic.

The product is an evolution of conventional aerogels, which have been around for almost a century.

“Aerogels are one of the best insulating materials out there… they have been used by NASA in niche applications, even on Mars, so they're proven to be highly effective, but they have been difficult to commercialise for various reasons. One is cost, another is brittleness, and the third is scalability.”

Nanoplume’s alternative has been developed using bio-feedstock, which Hoffmann says allows an unconventional manufacturing process that reduces production costs by up to 75% and creates a stronger, low-density material. The scalability issue is addressed by a plan to work with contract manufacturers or licensing partners.

“We want to first manufacture it in small volumes and ship it directly to customers. And then midterm, we want to shift to contract manufacturing, ideally close to customers, so we can reduce logistics and supply chain risk and scale up quicker, and then start selling to either direct or also to material distributors. And then long term we’ll sell via licensing,” Hoffmann explains.

The bio-feedstock that is the basis of the startup’s product draws on biopolymers and natural minerals, and in the future they plan to use waste such as recycled cardboard as a source.

Nanoplume is targeting the cold chain and buildings as key markets for its insulation.

“In the cold chain, we are starting with smaller volumes, like smaller shipping boxes for first likely pharmaceutical shipments, and then also later on food. And then we would scale up from there to cold-chain truck insulation,” Hoffmann says.

Meanwhile in buildings, Hoffmann sees use cases such as the potential to increase the liveable space in newbuilds, because insulation can take up less space.

The story so far

Hoffmann grew up in a part of Germany dominated by steel production. Seeing the pollution and deforestation this industry caused, she says she was 19 when she decided there should be better ways to create materials.

With an educational background in materials and mechanical engineering, she eventually took part in the Carbon13 venture builder (read more about Carbon13 in our interview), where she met Tara Love. Together, they explored use cases for biodegradable, super absorbent aerogels for nappies and hygiene products.

Then with Tafadzwa Motsi, they explored use cases in insulation, which is how the three came to co-found Nanoplume.

The startup is based at a lab in Cambridge, although Hoffmann usually lives in New York, allowing the team to take a transatlantic approach to business and fundraising early on.

Nanoplume’s first products are already being tested in the field, and Hoffmann says the startup has signed eight letters of intent with potential customers so far.

“We’re running a trial with a company that is developing actively cooled shipping boxes to ship blood samples. With our material, we can make the whole box lighter, and also increase payload, because it's a thinner, lighter material,” Hoffmann says.

Back in the lab, work is underway to scale up the product for a wider range of use cases, with an aim to reach technology readiness level 5 next year.

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