WHO'S WHO: 3 Houston innovators to know this week

University of Houston's Dr. Seamus Curran. Photo courtesy of University of Houston

InnovationMap has shared Three Houston Innovators to know this week which includes Integricote CEO, Prof. Shay Curran.

Across industries, Houston innovation leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators are coming up with creative solutions for the coronavirus or its subsequent challenges — from digital resources to reliable face masks.

Water beading (green food color added for demo) on an ordinary mask coated with Integricote Premium Hydrophobic Coating (right) and uncoated mask (left)

Seamus Curran is well-known for his work commercializing nanotechnologies, and he is pulling from his past to deal with a future demand. The professor is using a hydrophobic coating he developed nearly 10 years ago to improve the ability of surgical masks to protect against transmission of the virus.

The world is in dire need of more face masks, and Curran notes that standard masks are "somewhat porous, and especially if they get wet, they can allow the virus to penetrate." People infected with the virus, he adds, could spread it even through a mask, while people who aren't sick could still become infected, despite wearing a less-protective mask.

Curran is hoping his solution can prove to be much more effective at preventing the spread of the disease. Click here to continue reading.

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Seamus Curran Honored with Silicon Valley 50 Award

It’s an immensely proud moment for us to announce that Integricote CEO, Prof. Shay Curran, has been honored with Irish Technology Leadership Group’s Silicon Valley 50 Award at Stanford University. This award recognizes Irish or Irish-American tech leaders “who are driving the most disruptive and groundbreaking work in technology today.”

Congratulations, Dr. Curran!

A snippet from the original article:

Jeannie Kever
jekever@uh.edu
713-743-0778

Irish Technology Leadership Group Chooses 50 Technology Executives For Award 

University of Houston physicist Seamus Curran will be receiving the Irish Technology Leadership Group’s Silicon Valley 50 Award at Stanford University later this year.

The group’s 13th annual Silicon Valley 50 recognizes Irish or Irish-American technology leaders “who are driving the most disruptive and groundbreaking work in technology today.”

The awards were scheduled for March 12 but have been postponed due to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A new date for the event has not yet been determined by the group.

The purpose of the Irish Technology Leadership Group is to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and economic success across a global Irish network of technology leaders. Other 2020 honorees include executives at Amazon, Bayer AG and Enterprise Ireland.

“I’m very much flabbergasted,” said Curran of the recognition. “I’m in awe of a lot of these folks. They’re bright, creative; they’ve started businesses that have launched billions upon billions of dollars of revenue for their companies.”

(Read more…)

UH Nanotech Startup Enters the ‘Green’ Energy Market

Huge congratulations to our CEO, Prof. Shay Curran, for being featured in the UH Media.

Sealer Protects Clean-Burning Wood Pellets from Water Damage

Original article by-

Jeannie Kever
jekever@uh.edu
713-743-0778

Global energy demand is growing as developing nations expand electric service, prompting efforts to find a readily available source of fuel that is more environmentally friendly than coal.

A nanotechnology company based at the University of Houston’s Technology Bridge research park has a suggestion.

Countries in Europe and Asia already are using wood pellets – a form of biomass made up of compressed sawdust and other wood waste – to fuel power generating stations in an effort to cut fossil fuel emissions.

There are drawbacks, including the fact that the pellets disintegrate easily if exposed to water or even high humidity, raising the cost of storage and transportation. Using solid wood pellets can help, but that raises the cost substantially.

Seamus “Shay” Curran, a physicist at UH and CEO of Integricote, said researchers have discovered that a nanotech coating can protect the composite pellets from degradation without affecting how they burn or the amount of energy they can produce.

The company launched in late 2013, marketing a water- and stain-repellant coating developed by Curran. It later changed its name to Integricote and now offers products to seal and stain wood, masonry and concrete. They work by penetrating the surface of the material and forming a protective barrier below.

The pellets don’t burn as hot as coal, so more pellets must be burned to produce an equivalent amount of energy. But Curran said the pellets are a green energy solution because they produce fewer emissions than either coal or larger chunks of wood and can be produced from wood waste.

“It makes sense to use this,” he said. “We have issues with coal, so could we change our coal-fired plants to use something else?”

Wood pellets are produced in the United States and Canada, making them a domestic energy solution, Curran said.

Integricote markets its sealers and stains under the name CaraPro and produces them in facilities at the UH Technology Bridge (formerly known as the Energy Research Park) on the Gulf Freeway.

They are available on the East Coast through a distributor and are also sold through the website.

The coating for pellets would be the company’s first industrial product; Curran said Integricote is currently looking for a partner to produce the treated pellets.

“I got into this thinking I could solve a problem,” he said. “We don’t have to shut down every coal plant to be thinking green.”

- Jeannie Kever, University Media Relations

Integricote CEO featured on the front page of Houston Chronicle Business Journal

We are proud to share that Integricote CEO, Prof. Shay Curran, was featured on the front page of Houston Chronicle Business Journal published today. In this article, he shares his 27 years long experience of doing basic science to the establishment of startup company based off self-cleaning coating for solar panels in 2009 (C-Voltaics, Inc. ), and then a successful operation of fully-cultivated nanotechnology company that manufactures water-resistant sealers/stains for wood, masonry, and concrete (Integricote, Inc.).

In these 27 years, he published more than 100 peer-reviewed journals, 31 issued and pending US patents, 40 international patents, and received many academic and entrepreneurship awards. He has recently been named a fellow of National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the field of nanotechnology.

Photo Courtesy: Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer

Congratulations, Prof. Curran!

(Read more…)

Integricote CEO, CTO, and COO honored with INVENTOR PATENT AWARDS 2019

It is a truly proud moment for us to share the news that Integricote CEO, Prof. Seamus (Shay) Curran, CTO, Dr. Kang-Shyang (Shawn) Liao, and COO, Mr. Alexander Wang are honored with INVENTOR PATENT AWARDS 2019 during a ceremony organized by Division of Research, University of Houston. The event was held on Thursday, March 07, 2019. The awards were given to the individuals in the recognition of two US patents they acquired in the year 2018, specifically US Patent No. 9790336 (Graphitic Nanocomposites in Solid State Matrices and Methods for Making Same) and 10053388 (Multifunctional Composites and Material Laminates with Graphitic or Other Nanomaterials ).

Congratulations Prof. Curran, Dr. Liao, and Mr. Wang!

Starting from left COO (Mr. Alex Wang), CEO (Prof. Shay Curran), and CTO (Dr. Shawn Liao) holding their respective patent awards.

Startup Pains: What I Wish I Knew

Integricote CEO & UH Professor of Physics, Dr. Seamus Curran, will be presenting his experience of the journey of Integricote, Inc. from its inception to the current stage where business has become profitable. The talk will be held on Friday, March 8, 2019, 4:00 -5:00 PM CST at Innovation Center, UH Technology Bridge, Building 4, Floor 2, 5000 Gulf Freeway, 77023. It is a free event and we encourage you all to attend. Please register in the given link below if you plan to attend the event.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-pains-what-i-wish-i-knew-tickets-56072381001

“Startup Pains” is a monthly talk organized by Division of Research, Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation at University of Houston. The researcher-turned-entrepreneurs will share their experience about starting a company and their transition from scientist to business owner.

Date And Time

Fri, March 8, 2019

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM CST

Location

Innovation Center

UH Technology Bridge, Building 4, Floor 2

5000 Gulf Freeway

Houston, TX 77023