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Indian-American duo the one to look out for at European Inventors Award

Kripa Varanasi and David Smith of Liquiglide in Cambridge, MA on March 28, 2023. Photo by Adam Glanzman

Alongside Deep Tech, small steps create ripples in the world of technology. The Indian-US duo Kripa Varanasi and David Smith were announced as the finalists for the European Inventor Award in the ‘Non-EPO Countries’ category for their promising work. Varanasi and Smith are finalists for the European Inventor Award in the ‘Non-EPO Countries’ category for their promising work. They were selected from over 600 candidates for this year’s edition.

LiquiGlide is a revolutionary non-stick coating that allows thick, slow-moving liquids to flow with ease. The platform coating technology enables frictionless packages, allowing viscous products such as mayonnaise, lotion, or glue, to dispense completely and easily from their packaging.  The platform technology can also be used for a wide range of medical products, including catheters, implantable devices, pharmaceutical packaging, and syringes, LiquiGlide coatings can eliminate waste in multiple industries, including consumer products, manufacturing, energy, and agrochemicals, saving billions of tonnes of product wastage and billions of euros in associated equipment cleaning costs.

“We invented lubricant-impregnated surfaces to circumvent the “no-slip” boundary conditions that causes friction and sticking. Initially we were focused on reducing ice and methane hydrate adhesion and reducing friction in pipelines.  At one point, Kripa’s wife was struggling to get honey out of a bottle which prompted the idea to apply the invention to packaging, ” they pointed out.

The duo founded LiquiGlide Inc. to commercialize the technology.  The company is currently focused on consumer and pharmaceutical packaging, and a variety of medical devices. There has been a lot of interest from Indian companies and we see a significant market in India with a strong consumer interest.

 

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