DropWise wins Advanced Industrial Surfaces TechBridge Challenge

BOSTON, June 9, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE) is pleased to announce DropWise Technologies Corp. as the winner of the Advanced Industrial Surfaces TechBridge Challenge.  The Challenge prize is up to $100k of testing services from Fraunhofer to accelerate the startup's technology.

The Advanced Industrial Surfaces TechBridge Challenge called for applicants to submit novel surface technologies, coatings, manufacturing methods and other innovations to improve energy efficiency in the petrochemical processing industries, and was sponsored by ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. Forty-six applicants from around the globe were evaluated on their ability to provide scalable and cost-effective solutions to improve energy efficiency in industrial processes.

DropWise is a start-up company that is developing and commercializing ultra-thin, durable and hydrophobic surface treatments with anti-fouling and enhanced condensation heat transfer applications. "Fraunhofer CSE sees the potential for DropWise's coatings to significantly improve thermal performance in heat exchangers, addressing heat transfer and fouling issues that occur in the petrochemical industry," said Dr. Jacqueline Ashmore, TechBridge Program Lead. Fraunhofer's testing and analysis will supply DropWise with richer performance data, accelerating their commercialization work.

TechBridge Challenge is an open innovation and technology validation platform for investor and industry sponsors. Tapping into Fraunhofer's deep industry knowledge, TechBridge's targeted projects with Challenge winners move a product toward commercialization. Over the past five years, TechBridge project awards have supported 15 start-ups that have raised more than $130 million in follow-on funding to date.

The Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE is an applied research and development laboratory dedicated to building tomorrow's energy future today. Our staff's expertise in solar photovoltaics, smart energy-efficient buildings, and grid technologies provides a platform for deeply integrating distributed energy resources through collaborative R&D with private companies, government entities, and academic institutions. Fraunhofer CSE is one of seven centers of Fraunhofer USA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit contract R&D organization, a subsidiary of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Europe's largest contract R&D organization.

Launched at Fraunhofer CSE in 2010, the Fraunhofer TechBridge program identifies and de-risks promising technologies to solve industry challenges. By performing targeted technical searches and conducting validation and demonstration work, TechBridge evaluates and prepares innovative early-stage products for investors and industry.

Fraunhofer CSE Media Contact
Lindsey Dillon
Marketing Manager
Fraunhofer CSE
617-714-6512
[email protected]

SOURCE Fraunhofer USA, Inc.

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