Swisscanto Private Equity, ALIAD and existing investors have contributed CHF 8.3 million to Distran’s Series B financing round. With the CHF 2.5M innovation project grant secured through the Swiss Accelerator program supported by Innosuisse, the startup is well-positioned to accelerate its growth and expansion.
Distran is a pioneer and leading manufacturer of portable ultrasonic cameras for gas leak detection in industries such as Oil and Gas, the Chemical Industry, Power Generation, and Composites Manufacturing. Distran Ultrasonic Cameras combine an integrated microphone array with an optical camera to pinpoint all gas leaks from far distances, without contact with the gas, and in unexpected locations. Inspection times are up to 10 times shorter than with other techniques.
The company's growth has proliferated since launching the first ultrasonic camera in 2013. Besides establishing Acoustic Leak Imaging as an innovative alternative to traditional approaches, it has acquired global industry leaders as customers. Customers in more than 40 countries use the portable ultrasonic camera for gas leaks, and in the Space sector, NASA has been using the ultrasonic camera Distran Ultra Pro since December 2020 to search for air leaks in the International Space Station (ISS) in order to prevent the risk of major incidents.
Distran has also continued to see upward growth internally. It today counts more than 50 employees at its headquarters in Switzerland and its offices in Germany, France, Denmark, the USA, and Bahrain. It has also built a network of distributors worldwide to expand its reach.
The closing of the series B financing round will strengthen the company’s foundation as it enters a new growth phase. Led by Swisscanto Private Equity, the round attracted ALIAD, the venture capital fund of the Air Liquide Group, and existing investors, including the Smart Energy Innovation Fund from Energie 360° and Zürcher Kantonalbank. In addition to the secured CHF 8.3 million, Distran obtained CHF 2.5M as an innovation project grant through the Swiss Accelerator program supported by Innosuisse.
Explaining the use of funds, Florian Perrodin, co-founder and CEO at Distran, said, “This successful financing round enables us to expand our global commercial network even faster. We will also launch new products with enhanced reliability, safety, and reduced environmental footprint for industrial plants. Distran’s goal is to save over 100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMtCO2e) by 2026. This amount is equivalent to about 10% of the global aviation industry’s emissions.”
“Air Liquide is using Distran equipment for gas leak detection at different production units, considering it a valuable asset for the safety and reliability of our plants. Our support aims to foster the development of Distran’s next-generation innovations, benefiting our two companies. Effective detection and prevention of gas leaks enable us to minimize operational risks and help us reduce gas emissions”, says Séverine Adami, General Manager of ALIAD Venture Capital.
(Press release/RAN)
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