17 June 2020
The European Commission announced last week that Kastus, a spin-out company of TU Dublin Hothouse, would receive a grant worth over €1.6m. Kastus was one of 36 European companies selected for their pioneering work which will contribute to the fight against the coronavirus.
Kastus received the funding via the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Pilot for its Spyglass project - a disruptive antimicrobial coating for the protection of glass surfaces and designed to tackle the emergent crisis of resistant microbes and viruses. Testing conducted by a leading global test house last month confirmed its effectiveness against the coronavirus that has led to the pandemic.
Kastus is the culmination of twelve years of research at the Centre for Research in Engineering Surface Technology (CREST) at TU Dublin. Kastus licensed technology from the University through TU Dublin Hothouse allowing them to sell coating and additive technology that can provide a 99.99% reduction in harmful bacteria and fungi on a range of products made from glass, metallic and ceramics, with no toxic residues. Kastus is currently an incubator client of TU Dublin Hothouse in the Greenway Hub on the University's flagship campus at Grangegorman.
Welcoming the announcement, Dr James Kennedy, Chief Technology Officer at Kastus Technologies, said, "We are delighted to be awarded the EIC accelerated pilot grant to combat the coronavirus pandemic. This funding and support provide us with the opportunity to expand our technology and grow the company into new, exciting areas in the coming years. The technology has its origins from TU Dublin and working with the dedicated teams within the University, Enterprise Ireland, and SFI has been synergistic in the continued success of Kastus."
Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: "The enormous talent and breakthrough ideas of innovative European companies give us hope. Our increased support to the European Innovation Council will unlock their potential so that we can better tackle the coronavirus and support our recovery. The EIC responded quickly to the coronavirus crisis and demonstrated the agility and impact of EU funding."
Source TU Dublin