Kristin Marshall

Accelerating Materials Innovation More...

February 28, 2020

Tethis

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) from starch-based feedstock

Uses reactive extrusion to convert charge-modified starch to superabsorbent polymers (SAPs); can tune the resulting SAPs for varying performance requirements and claims its SAPs are biodegradable and have improved properties over other starch-based SAPs Uses petroleum-based charged modifiers, so the... read more.
Company Profile

Xiao Zhong

Accelerating Materials Innovation More...

February 28, 2020

What is the difference between chemical informatics and materials informatics?

While we highlighted some of the questions clients ask the most in materials informatics in a recent insight, here we would like address another one: the difference between chemical informatics and materials informatics. Many clients have asked this question, and we thought this write-up could ... read more.

Analyst Insight

Joshua Haslun

Agro Innovation More...

February 28, 2020

N2 Applied

Nitrogen enrichment of organic wastes with nitric oxides for agriculture inputs

Takes electricity, air, and an organic fracture in liquid form and enriches and stabilizes that content with nitrogen, fixed from the atmosphere The process not only enriches the final product with double the nitrogen but also decreases ammonia volatilization, methane production, and nitrous oxide ... read more.
Company Profile

Mia Lu

Emerging Ecosystems in Agrifood and Health More...

February 28, 2020

Industrial Phycology

Nutrient removal and recovery from wastewaters using microalgae

The company was founded by CEO Dan Murray, an environmental scientist experienced in working with algae. So far, the company has raised about $2.6 million, including a recent venture round of about $900,000 led by Mercia's MEIF Proof-of-Concept & Early Stage Fund and the University of Bristol ... read more.
Company Snapshot

Yuan-Sheng Yu

Alternative Fuels More...

February 27, 2020

Global airlines ramp up decarbonization efforts with near- and long-term strategies

In the grand scheme of global CO2 emissions, the aviation sector is a minor contributor, with an approximate 2% share. Within the transportation sector, aviation is also dwarfed by its passenger vehicle and heavy-duty vehicle counterparts. However, the outlook in the coming decades is drastically ... read more.

Case Study

Abhirabh Basu

Owning the Energy Transition More...

February 27, 2020

Phyn

Smart water monitoring systems

Phyn is joint venture between Finnish plumbing giant Uponor and Belkin; started in 2016, the company has commercialized a smart water system that identifies and tracks water usage and prevents bursts, leaks, and other forms of pipe damage Its core technology is a patented pressure sensor that ... read more.
Company Profile

Josh Kern

Autonomous Systems 2.0 More...

February 27, 2020

Ready Robotics

Graphical user interface for industrial robot programming

So far, the company has raised about $41.8 million over three rounds, with investors including Canaan Partners, RRE Ventures, Eniac Ventures, Emerald Development Managers, and Drive Capital. The company makes a graphical programming interface for industrial and collaborative robotic arms, along with... read more.
Company Snapshot

Arnold Bos and Carlos Gonzalez

Accelerating Materials Innovation More...

February 27, 2020

Graphenea

Single-layer graphene oxide and CVD-grown graphene films

Sells graphene oxide (GO) and reduced GO dispersions and powders, in addition to graphene films on silicon, copper, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), quartz, gold, alumina, silver, and sapphire substrates Produces GO through chemical exfoliation; also grows graphene films from a methane precursor ... read more.
Company Profile

Danielle Bradnan

Digital Health and Wellness More...

February 27, 2020

Litesprite

Mental health app that gamifies different mental health management techniques

Litesprite offers a mental health app that leverages gamification strategies to teach and strengthen skill to manage mental illness The app is world-driven and allows users to explore via an avatar called "Socks the Fox" as the user practices skills The company is still in beta/research stages and ... read more.
Company Profile

Joshua Haslun

Agro Innovation More...

February 27, 2020

Lavie Bio

Agriculture biologicals subsidiary of Evogene

Lavie Bio is a subsidiary of Evogene, and Corteva Agriscience owns a 28% equity stake in the company It maintains database of 130,000 strains connected to plant phenotype and environmental data, which it uses along with publicly available strain information to identify functional attributes ... read more.
Company Profile

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Organizing for Digital

Coverage Areas: Digital Transformation

Planned Publication Date: Q2 2020

Many companies are trying to embark on their digital transformation. However, success rates are not that high; estimates indicate that more than 80% of digital transformation projects fail. While there are many determining factors for success, one of them is the structure of the organization and the culture within an organization. Interestingly, with the arrival of digital, companies also need to re-imagine their traditional structures. How can companies organize themselves to ensure success in their digital transformation efforts? What type of a culture should they build? With the arrival of digital, what should the org structure look like to ensure success in the future?

The Future of the Composites Industry

Coverage Areas: Accelerating Materials Innovation More...

Planned Publication Date: Q2 2020

The composites industry is growing rapidly with the development of new technologies and market applications, but still remains very small compared to other incumbent materials like steel or aluminum. This report will take a holistic view on the state of the composites industry — encompassing both glass and carbon fiber alike — identifying key drivers and challenges and discuss strategies to grow the overall industry pie rather than simply competing over current markets.

How to organize for materials informatics

Coverage Areas: Accelerating Materials Innovation More...

Planned Publication Date: Q2 2020

The potential of materials informatics (MI) to change the way R&D is done within chemical and material companies — and by their customers — is becoming increasingly clear. Lux has highlighted potential MI strategies and the importance of consortia or other collaborations to increase acess to data, but having the right internal organization to make strategic use of this data, and the new business models and MI can enable, can be just as critical. This report provides a guideline on how to form an internal MI strategy, laying out the key steps and questions to ask, as well as the potential pitfalls to avoid.

Will 3D printing replace conventional manufacturing?

Coverage Areas: Accelerating Materials Innovation More...

Planned Publication Date: Q2 2020

Dental, medical, and aerospace industries are among the first adopters of 3D printing technologies for final part production -- and new applications are emerging in industries like footwear and automotive. This report summarizes the most promising 3D printing applications in these industries and highlights the most suitable materials, 3D printing technologies, and business models for each application. It highlights the impact on the 3D printing market size, and discusses the unmet needs of the current systems to serve for these areas

Diversification of the Pulp & Paper Industry

Coverage Areas: Accelerating Materials Innovation More...

Planned Publication Date: Q2 2020

Decades ago, graphic paper was a powerhouse, its global demand growth consistently outpacing GDP growth. Things have changed: The majority of inefficient paper mills have already been shut down, and others are now seeing a shift towards packaging and specialty products. In this report, we will explore new innovation needs and opportunties in the modern pulp and paper industry, from diversification into flexible paper packaging and nanocellulose products to progress on converting long-standing biomass waste sources like lignin.

The Future of Automotive Lightweighting

Coverage Areas: Accelerating Materials Innovation

Planned Publication Date: Q2 2020

Lightweighting is one of the most promising routes to improved automotive fuel efficiency and can play an enabling role in vehicle electrification. This report surveys the lightweighting options from materials to design, assesses which will have the greatest commercial impact, and evaluates how they will interact with other critical auto industry trends like vehicle autonomy, connectivity, and novel ownership models.

Do digital healthcare models lead to more cost savings than traditional healthcare models?

Coverage Areas: Consumer IoT More...

Planned Publication Date: Q2 2020

Digital technologies in healthcare are expected to increase in scope and to affect ever more parts of the healthcare system, as Lux has postulated previously. It is, however, vital to examine if new digital methods and innovations provide monetary value compared with traditional models of care. Technology for technology’s sake without evidence of being less costly in the long run, especially in a climate where healthcare costs are becoming unsustainable, can be catastrophic to all stakeholders. Through different models and projections, this report will evaluate if digital transformation of healthcare will indeed be less costly in the long run compared to traditional healthcare models.

Ultra-wideband radar sensors

Coverage Areas: Consumer IoT More...

Planned Publication Date: Q2 2020

Ultra-wideband (UWB) radar is a promising technology for the detection of humans and moving objects, through-wall imaging, and search and rescue applications due to its high-resolution and high-accuracy features. With the progressive development of miniaturized, energy-efficient, and low-cost radar sensors, the applications expand to personal electronics, IoT devices, health care products, and robotics. This report will outline the landscape of the technology, reveal the challenges that need to be overcome, and provide outlooks on the future roles of the UWB radar sensors.

Technologies and Strategies for Scaling AI

Coverage Areas: Digital Transformation More...

Planned Publication Date: Q2 2020

Many companies understand the value of AI and have gotten started with numerous AI projects. However, far fewer companies have successfully scaled up these AI projects across their organization to create a significant return on investment. This report will highlight both the technologies and strategies needed to bridge this gap by addressing the key challenges of scaling up.

Autonomous Vehicle Cost Model 2020

Coverage Areas: Autonomous Systems 2.0 More...

Planned Publication Date: Q3 2020

As the cost of sensors, processors, and batteries go down, the overall cost of an autonomous vehicle is starting to approach feasible levels for ride-hailing and logistics customers. While fleets operating businesses in those industries will almost immediately realize cost-effectiveness, through a cost modeling analysis, we'll explore when other industries and consumers will be able to afford this emerging technology.