apheros wins CHF 150,000 to revolutionize cooling technology with novel metal foams
24.04.2023
The ETH spin-off apheros won the third stage of the Venture Kick program, garnering CHF 150,000 to develop their novel technique for the manufacture of metal foam heat sinks. Their innovative, patent-pending products have the potential to revolutionize cooling technologies and pave the way to a more energy-efficient future.
 apheros' Julia Carpenter and Gaëlle Andreatta
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The energy needed for the cooling of electronics has a significant environmental impact. It is estimated that it will make up 6% of global energy consumption by 2030. Cooling also represents a limiting factor in the performance of many applications, from batteries to chips and motors.
The ETH spin-off apheros developed a novel manufacturing method for metal foams with exceptional cooling properties. Their unique microstructure exhibits a surface area that is 100 to 1,000 times larger than that of existing metal foam products, allowing for the release of more heat and improving the performance of applications with a high thermal load.
Metal foams also retain the basic properties of metal, such as excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, and mechanical stability. Since metal foams are ultra-porous, they are also very light and able to absorb liquids. This makes the solution suitable for uses in applications beyond cooling, such as filtration, catalysis, and energy storage. The startup is testing the latter in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science & Technology (EMPA), the University of Berlin, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology & Advanced Materials (IFAM) in Dresden.
apheros is targeting engineering companies hoping to improve their cooling solutions. The startup brokered collaborations with Maxon Motors to develop heat sinks for motors as well as the Boyd Corporation to establish proof of concept trials. The market for cooling solutions is valued at around USD 20 billion with a CAGR of 6.1%; however, metal foams are not yet established, as current manufacturing methods are costly and only viable for high-end, heat-exchanger applications. apheros' innovation promises to change that.
The startup will invest the CHF 150,000 awarded by Venture Kick in expanding its client base and upscaling its production process.
apheros' team includes Dr. Julia Carpenter, co-inventor of the technology; Gaëlle Andreatta, who accrued 15 years of experience in R&D at an Oxford spin-off and in the materials department at CSEM; and scientific advisor Prof. Dr. André R. Studart, head of the Complex Materials group at ETH.
"The coaching at Venture Kick, is absolutely fantastic," said the founder. "Knowledgeable, in-depth, and to the point. We are already looking forward to the next Kickers Camp!"
The ETH spin-off apheros developed a novel manufacturing method for metal foams with exceptional cooling properties. Their unique microstructure exhibits a surface area that is 100 to 1,000 times larger than that of existing metal foam products, allowing for the release of more heat and improving the performance of applications with a high thermal load.
Metal foams also retain the basic properties of metal, such as excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, and mechanical stability. Since metal foams are ultra-porous, they are also very light and able to absorb liquids. This makes the solution suitable for uses in applications beyond cooling, such as filtration, catalysis, and energy storage. The startup is testing the latter in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science & Technology (EMPA), the University of Berlin, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology & Advanced Materials (IFAM) in Dresden.
apheros is targeting engineering companies hoping to improve their cooling solutions. The startup brokered collaborations with Maxon Motors to develop heat sinks for motors as well as the Boyd Corporation to establish proof of concept trials. The market for cooling solutions is valued at around USD 20 billion with a CAGR of 6.1%; however, metal foams are not yet established, as current manufacturing methods are costly and only viable for high-end, heat-exchanger applications. apheros' innovation promises to change that.
The startup will invest the CHF 150,000 awarded by Venture Kick in expanding its client base and upscaling its production process.
apheros' team includes Dr. Julia Carpenter, co-inventor of the technology; Gaëlle Andreatta, who accrued 15 years of experience in R&D at an Oxford spin-off and in the materials department at CSEM; and scientific advisor Prof. Dr. André R. Studart, head of the Complex Materials group at ETH.
"The coaching at Venture Kick, is absolutely fantastic," said the founder. "Knowledgeable, in-depth, and to the point. We are already looking forward to the next Kickers Camp!"