Page 67 - Innovation Delaware 2018

CHEMISTRY
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
White Dog Labs, ThruPore Technologies and Chemours
STILL GOING STRONG
From early-stage companies raising capital to bigger firms expanding their footprints, chemical companies in Delaware are making moves for a 2018 focused on growth. And key players say that access to the region’s markets and companies, as well
as the high caliber of talent in the region, have supported their efforts to reach their goals.
WHITE DOG LABS
“Big picture-wise, the resources are coming together,” says BRYAN TRACY, CEO of White Dog Labs. His firm and others are innovating in the industry, and he says more companies are starting to come up and do remarkable things: “The ecosystem is building.”
For White Dog Labs, a biotech company based in New Castle, 2017 was a year for signing partnerships and joint development
DR. FRANCHESSA SAYLER
Innovation Research funding through the National Science Foundation and scale-up funding from its contract manufacturer to reach $2.3 million. Looking further down the road, Sayler says ThruPore is generating new intellectual property and is currently in the patent approval process on that front.
“The new IP is really one of the most exciting parts, because we’ve been able to do things
BRYAN TRACY
agreements, says Tracy. The company in January announced collaborations with Air Liquide as well as with Center for Aquaculture Technologies Canada (CATC). Tracy says other partnerships are in the works, and that 2018 will be “a year for performance.”
“Now, it’s heads down and working hard to make sure we deliver on everything,” Tracy says. “That will solidify these relationships further
to get us to the next point of
that other companies have failed at,” she says.
CHEMOURS
As early-stage companies make progress toward key milestones, performance chemical company Chemours is poised to continue its growth since spinning off from DuPont in 2015. The company, which specializes in titanium, fluoroproducts and chemical solutions, broke ground in December on a 312,000-square-foot facility located at University of Delaware’s STAR Campus in Newark.
“Since the groundbreaking in December, we’ve been busy,” says Chemours President and CEO MARK VERGNANO. “The building’s steel shell is well underway, and our technical team is already collaborating with the University of Delaware on applied and discovery research proposals.”
commercialization of our various technologies.”
A big focus for White Dog Labs this year will be on protein-
based products for aquaculture, with Tracy noting the significant need for high-quality protein products to feed salmon and
other animals. As part of their partnership, CATC will test the performance of White Dog Labs’ products and support the company in development and optimization.
“That will be our major commercial thrust this year, to get products across the finish line into the market,” Tracy says.
THRUPORE TECHNOLOGIES
Also taking a big step forward is ThruPore Technologies,
a catalyst company based in New Castle. In February, the company announced that it had closed on the first $540,000 in a round of seed funding. Since then, CEO DR. FRANCHESSA SAYLER says the company has raised an additional $35,000 and is on its way to surpassing the minimum $600,000 it needs to obtain its first large contract, a major milestone for the company.
ThruPore will combine those funds with Small Business
MARK VERGNANO
The state-of-the-art facility, which is slated to open in 2020, will house approximately 340 personnel who are currently located at three sites and 16 facilities, Vergnano says.
Chemours is looking ahead, with a growth strategy based on its portfolio of businesses and product lines, which are supported by partnerships that enable the company to find solutions and develop new opportunities.
“We have also set clear targets and goals for ourselves to ensure we maintain a level of performance that continues to drive growth,” Vergnano says, adding that the company has “created a smart, inclusive and dedicated global workforce that embraces our company culture and focuses relentlessly on meeting customer needs every day.” ID
INNOVATION DELAWARE 65
JIM COARSE/MOONLOOP PHOTOGRAPHY JOE DEL TUFO/MOONLOOP PHOTOGRAPHY