Latest news with #Claros
Fashion United
4 days ago
- Business
- Fashion United
Claros Technologies raises 10 million USD to accelerate global PFAS destruction technology
Claros Technologies, Inc. ('Claros'), a leader in high-flow PFAS destruction and analytical technologies, has secured 10 million USD in convertible note financing, which it will use to speed up the commercial deployment of its ClarosTechUVnPFAS Destruction System. The funding comes as manufacturers face increasing regulatory pressure, prosecutions, and lawsuits over PFAS chemicals in their operations. Also known as 'forever chemicals,' per-or poly-fluoroalkyl substances ('PFAS') are a large group of industrial chemicals characterised by strong carbon-fluorine bonds, which make them resistant to breaking down. Used in a wide range of applications from waterproof raincoats, hiking pants, and yoga pants to household products such as furnishing and cookware since the 1950s, PFAS have the ability to withstand extremely high temperatures, while being highly resistant to oil and water. Today, PFAS are recognized as persistent environmental pollutants that resist breakdown and have been linked to health problems, including reproductive issues, thyroid disorders, and various cancers. Now, a growing demand for permanent, cost-effective PFAS destruction technology has driven interest in Claros' solutions across North America, Europe, and Asia. The convertible note attracted both existing investors, including Capita3, University of Minnesota, American Century Private Investments, and F.R. Bigelow Foundation, and new strategic backers, creating a diverse investor base supporting the company's growth and market position. Michelle Bellanca, CEO and Co-founder of Claros, highlighted the importance of the company's recent progress and the funding raised to support it, saying: 'Our recent pilot with Daikin America, Inc. where our ClarosTechUV PFAS Destruction System achieved 99.99 percent destruction of targeted PFAS in high-flow wastewater—was a watershed moment for industrial operations and a major milestone for Claros.' 'That pilot not only set a new benchmark for what's possible in scalable, low-cost and permanent PFAS destruction, it validated our ability to destroy all PFAS species (long, short, and ultra-short) at scale, efficiently and affordably. Interest in Claros has been building steadily as regulatory pressure intensifies and industrial stakeholders seek permanent and reliable PFAS solutions. The Daikin pilot marked a powerful inflection point, and this convertible note is not just a vote of confidence from our investors, but a critical enabler of our ability to scale quickly and meet the urgency of the moment.' Steve Sefton, the Chairman of Clearwater Equity, one of the new investors in the note, added: 'There's no denying that Claros is at the forefront of addressing one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. While PFAS will remain part of many essential industrial processes for the foreseeable future, there's no reason the waste streams involved in making and using them should continue seeping into the environment. Claros delivers a best-in-class solution that cuts PFAS off at the source, destroying them in a scalable, cost-effective way that meets today's regulatory demands while helping industry stay ahead of the environmental standards of tomorrow.' The 10 million USD convertible note brings Claros' total funding to 39 million USD since its founding, including grants and investments. The capital will be used to fund the scaling of the ClarosTechUV PFAS Destruction System, expanding pilot and installation programs globally, and building commercial operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. Summary Claros Technologies secured 10 million USD in funding to accelerate the commercial deployment of its ClarosTechUVnPFAS Destruction System, which addresses the growing problem of PFAS contamination. The ClarosTechUV PFAS Destruction System achieved 99.99 percent destruction of targeted PFAS in high-flow wastewater during a pilot with Daikin America, Inc., demonstrating its effectiveness and scalability. Claros' technology offers a cost-effective and permanent solution for destroying all PFAS species, meeting regulatory demands and helping industries stay ahead of environmental standards.
Technical.ly
13-06-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
This Virginia startup is developing tech to make data centers more energy efficient
Startup profile: Claros Founded by: Dan Kultran and Grant Verstandig Year founded: Emerged from stealth in 2025 Headquarters: McLean, VA Sector: Energy management, manufacturing Funding and valuation: $9.75 million raised. Valuation undisclosed Key ecosystem partners: Red Cell Partners, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation Founders out of Fairfax County are building tech for data centers that acts as a 'switchblade knife' for energy use. Claros, a hardware and software company, emerged from stealth earlier this year with $9.75 million in initial investment as data centers continue to guzzle power. The startup focuses on two main products: tech changing the way power is distributed to data centers to allow for multiple energy sources, and 'integrated voltage regulators' to funnel power directly to chips in servers. That's normally a complex process that eats up energy, and the second of these two products provides a more efficient way to send power, cofounder and CEO Dan Kultran explained. 'AI is going through a very fast design cycle,' Kultran, who is based near Los Angeles, told 'There's a gap between the infrastructure to support these chips, and we're the people that bridge that divide.' Virginia is home to what's dubbed Data Center Alley, where the demand for power is growing as more structures get built. This need increases in the summer months, when the hotter temperatures call for more energy to cool the centers. Loudoun County, the epicenter of that region, has 200 data centers and 117 to be built, per a white paper. Claros is headquartered in Virginia in part because of its data center concentration, per Kultran. He and his cofounder Grant Verstandig met at the defense technology startup Epirus in Redondo Beach, California, which Verstandig also founded. Kultran wanted to take what he learned at Epirus and go into AI infrastructure. 'We found that was another great purpose and great mission, to try to help, because we love solving hard problems,' Kultran said. Tech to use more renewable energy While Kultran sees a lot of discourse about generating power for data centers, he wanted to try and leverage the energy that's already available. Claros' integrated voltage regulator sits right under or next to the chips in data centers to be able to deliver power. Chips use very little voltage, but a lot of power, Kultran explained. 'Think of these as little circuits … that are helping the translation of energy from the grid,' he said, adding: 'It needs a different kind of conversion mechanism, and that's what we provide.' The startup's other product changes how power is routed to the racks inside data centers, per Kultran. Most designs for data center power operate using alternating current, while Claros' tech employs direct current power. That way, developers can better connect to multiple forms of energy, including renewables and the grid — essentially, 'whatever form of energy that's available,' per Kultran. 'Think of it like a switchblade knife, where you can now switch between wind, solar, grid — very easily into a single output that now the data center can use,' he said. The startup's customers are chip makers and data center operators and builders, Kultran noted, though he declined to name specific buyers. Manufacturing is underway, thanks to investment. Red Cell Partners, an incubation and investment firm also based in McLean, launched Claros. Verstandi, Claros' cofounder, is also the founder of the incubator. Claros additionally nabbed funding from Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation's Virginia Venture Partners, General Catalyst and Composite Capital Partners. The startup is using the cash to start the manufacturing process. Designs were sent off about three months ago, Kultran said. The staff headcount is 20 people, and that's expected to grow to 30 people by the end of 2025. Kultran credits landing the investments to opportune timing, and data center energy consumption being an 'evident' problem. 'We just happen to be at the right place, at the right time in history,' Kultran said, 'where AI is now the talk of the town.'
