FEATURE: GREEN BUSINESS
Technology is going green I
nnovation Birmingham Campus-based start-up Petalite is seeking £300,000 of equity investment to significantly expand operations and put its smartphone life-extending portable battery into mass production. A highly successful crowdfunding campaign on
indiegogo.com raised over $59,000 for Petalite in February 2015, with 1,000 people from across the globe pledging money to the project. Prior to that – in October 2014 – the start-up
received £9,500 from Innovation Birmingham’s Climate KIC Low Carbon Accelerator programme. The pocket- sized battery provides 2,600mAh of power, enabling the charge of any USB compatible device on the go. Once depleted, it recharges in only 15 minutes. The Petalite battery enables smartphone owners to prevent their devices from going flat, prolonging battery life and extending overall lifetime.
‘Innovation in hardware has been the big trend in the low-carbon and tech sectors this year, which Petalite perfectly epitomises’
The indiegogo funds have been used to redesign elements of the portable battery. 12 component manufacturers located in France, the USA, China and Thailand has been sourced, with the first 1,100 Petalite batteries scheduled for delivery in October 2015. Leigh Purnell, founder and inventor of Petalite said:
“Portable batteries are commonplace now, but a Petalite battery is much more efficient, as the core principle is rapid charging. This is reflected in the number of patent applications we have pending. “We were overwhelmed by the success of our indiegogo campaign at the start of the year, which raised 153 per cent of the funding goal. The premium nature of a Petalite device resonates with the target audience." A Petalite battery offers flexibility, smartphone life-
extending attributes, and the panic-free lifestyle benefits of knowing you wont run out of charge. Petalite portable batteries, together with mains-powered rapid- charging docking stations, will be available to order online later this year, priced from £20. Katharine Fuller, Innovation Birmingham’s senior
project manager for EU Projects, said: “Leigh is a natural entrepreneur, who has the ambition and determination to make a success of his invention. Although there are other products with some similarities on the market, Leigh can instantly demonstrate how the Petalite battery is so much more efficient, eco-friendly and cost-effective.
Katharine Fuller of Innovation Birmingham “Innovation in hardware has been the big trend in
the low-carbon and tech sectors this year, which Petalite perfectly epitomises. It has been one of the stand-out products across our European-wide Low Carbon Accelerator programme.” Wholly owned by Birmingham City Council, the
Innovation Birmingham Campus is actively looking to work with and bring together the public and private sectors, creating interfaces for people with ideas, people with technologies, people with expertise and experience, and people with money, to drive collaboration, thereby promoting innovation. The Innovation Birmingham Campus is a thriving
cluster of tech companies. The Campus is home to 120 companies, with specialisms including coding, software, digital gaming and low carbon technologies. An active incubation offering in the Entrepreneurs for the Future centre, EU-funded projects and a major programme of events, visiting expert sessions and access to finance all catalyse a dynamic community that is engaged with the city. The available opportunities for start-ups and SMEs
creates the best environment for growth, with over 110 ventures established in the past five years. Medium sized enterprises and large corporates find engagement with the tech entrepreneurs and businesses based at the Campus highly beneficial as a way to infiltrate their working practices with innovative thinking to create new commercial opportunities.
FEBRUARY 2016 CHAMBERLINK 47
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