3M BIC tenant Kromek Group is gearing up for a strong year after recently raising £13 million to help accelerate the commercialisation of its automated bio-detection system for detecting airborne pathogens.
It comes after the company secured £1.25 million in government funding in January to customise and productise new Covid-19 detection equipment. The Group’s automated bio-detection system detects and analyses airborne pathogens using DNA sequencing, thereby also enabling testing for mutations in real-time. The solution is set to be deployed in high footfall locations, such as airports, hospitals, retail outlets and entertainment venues.
Kromek, which specialises in radiation detection technologies, has also won multiple new contracts over recent weeks in its core markets, a sure sign of commercial activity beginning to recommence. In March alone, the Group won two contracts worth $750k in the medical screening and security sectors as well as an expansive nuclear detection deal worth $960k to incorporate its cutting-edge CZT technology into a new radiation detection product in Asia.
The strength of Kromek’s detection technology has already seen it expand from its existing UK bases in Durham and Huddersfield, opening new operations in the US and now serving customers right around the world. The Group enables digital colour x-ray and gamma ray detection for medical imaging OEMs as well as customers in the security screening and civil nuclear markets.
Kromek’s Neutron Research and Development Centre is based at the 3M BIC and focuses on the development of new sensor technology for Kromek’s handheld detectors, primarily used in security applications and developed in a programme sponsored by the US Department of Defense. Encouragingly, these operations have seen minimal impact from the pandemic as operations continued throughout.
In March, the Group also beat a competitive shortlist of companies to win the Manufacturing Innovation Award at the prestigious Made in The North East Awards. Hosted by Business Insider, the award recognises a manufacturing company that has generated a substantial financial return and had a significant impact at local, national, or international level through an innovative product or process designed and manufactured in the region. Kromek was selected for its patented production technique for the manufacture of CZT, a semi-conductor used to develop high-performance sensor detection products.
Arnab Basu, CEO of Kromek Group said, “This has been an excellent start to the year for Kromek as we continue to execute on our strategy to become the de-facto standard for CZT-based radiation detection. Our transformative detector technology continues to position us as a global force within both our core sectors and fast-growing markets such as biosecurity.
“Applying this technology to the global medical, nuclear and security markets has been an exciting process for Kromek and our technologies address multi-million-dollar markets. As commercial activities recommence in earnest, I am confident that we will continue to go from strength to strength as a company, championing the North and British business as we do so.”
For more information on the Kromek Group, click here.
