West London startup, Aeropowder, whose innovative solutions made from surplus feathers offer a sustainable alternative to single use plastics and other harmful materials, has secured a £150,000 investment from British Design Fund.
The cash injection will be used to support the launch of the company’s thermal packaging product, ‘PluumoPlus’, which is designed for the life sciences industry and cold chain logistics.
Traditionally, plastic materials, such as expanded polystyrene, have been relied upon for the storage and movement of temperature-sensitive goods. Aeropowder’s patented solution is able to maintain an internal temperature of between 2-8°C for over 72 hours, even when external temperatures average 30°C for the period.
Co-founder and biologist, Dr Ryan Robinson, first began working on the innovation while completing his PhD at Imperial College London. He joined a research project exploring novel uses for feathers that harness their natural properties, while reducing waste. An estimated 3 million tons of waste feathers are generated every year in Europe alone, which are either incinerated or turned into low-grade animal feed.
Ryan explained: “The world needs more novel materials, processes and solutions to combat the pressing environmental and economic challenges that we face. Looking at natural ecosystems for inspiration, which inherently are more sustainable and resilient, it’s clear that concepts such as the circular economy have a massive role to play – essentially, how we minimise or repurpose waste streams in more productive ways”.
He added: “The investment from the British Design Fund is going to be instrumental in our ability to manufacture our first units of PluumoPlus and get them into the hands of our existing waiting list, which includes some of the largest pharmaceutical and life science logistics companies in the world. The next 12 months will see us focused on optimising production and further product development, based on client demand”.
Nature-inspired solutions form the core of Aeropowder’s vision, with future product developments set to include acoustic panels and other building insulation materials. The company’s second patent focuses on oil absorption materials, designed to help clean up environmental spillages without resorting to plastic foams.
Damon Bonser, CEO at the British Design Fund, said: “Aeropowder ticks all the boxes for us. They are a creative and ambitious team, developing an innovative range of products that have the potential to make a positive impact across the world. Innovations such as this, which support the transition to sustainable materials, are so important and we look forward to working closely with the team to help bring their ideas forward”.
British Design Fund is a leading early-stage British manufacturing investor. The Fund works with ambitious product start-up enterprises who are ready to scale-up and build thriving stand-out businesses. Alongside capital investment, BDF provides expert mentoring to support such companies to accelerate their growth plans.
We recently caught up with Ryan, co-founder of Aeropower, to find out more about the idea behind his business and the company’s ambitions for the future. You can watch it by – clicking here.
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