Nanotech venture to take on climate change

AirNatech Holdings Ltd has a nanotechnology solution that could make heating, ventilation and air conditioning units at least 50 per cent more efficient.

Its technology could play a significant part in combating climate change.

With £250 million in funding commitments, the firm has set up an office in Cambridge.

Practical support for US investor

AirNatech Holdings was formed when US investment banking group Bridgehead Group invested in UK company Airnacon Ltd and Danish company NIL Technology ApS.

UK Trade & Investment’s Global Entrepreneurs programme, which specialises in cross-border venture capital, helped Bridgehead Group with planning, structuring and financing to enable AirNatech to become a UK headquartered company.

AirNatech is expected to be a $1 billion capitalised company by the end of 2007.

Strong support for emerging technologies

"We are very pleased to have helped Bridgehead form a cohesive and pioneering global technology group that that will create substantial value for all the components by capitalizing on the synergies between them," commented Derek Goodwin, Head of UK Trade & Investment’s Global Entrepreneurs Programme (GEP).

"We believe that emerging technologies, especially those that are working towards advanced ways to conserve energy, should be supported by governments,” Goodwin added.

Maximising global reach

Chairman of AirNatech and Bridgehead’s CEO Jeppe Hansen believes Global Entrepreneurs’ support has helped AirNatech to gain “far more commercial and investment traction than a purely private company.”

“Basing this global group in London will provide numerous advantages that other countries cannot offer, such as a superior strategic global reach and more favourable protection of the group's intellectual property,” he said.

The GEP will continue to assist the AirNatech team as it executes the next phases of its commercial growth plans.