Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Hitoshi Ochi, hereinafter “MCHC”) announced today that Diamond Edge Ventures, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of MCHC, hereinafter “DEV”) has invested in Fluence Analytics Inc. (Head office: Louisiana, US, CEO: Alex Reed). Fluence Analytics is a startup spun-off from Tulane University in 2013 that provides real-time analytics solutions called “ACOMP” (Automatic Continuous Online Monitoring of Polymerization), an online monitoring system for chemical reactions such as polymer synthesis.
In general, the kinetics of substances in the polymer synthesis reaction are determined by drawing samples from the reactor at fixed intervals, measuring them with an analytical instrument, and analyzing the data using an analysis software, etc. However, the limited timing of sampling does not necessarily mean that important instantaneous data to indicate changes in the kinetics are available. In addition, for reasons such as the large number of manual operations, the availability of measurement values is often one step behind, while the synthesis reaction of polymers proceeds. ACOMP can extract samples directly from the reactor enabling continuous real-time monitoring of the physical properties of polymers in the reaction process. Real-time data obtained with ACOMP is combined with operation conditions data obtained from other sensors and then analyzed and predicted to optimize reaction systems, which make it possible to improve operational excellence and product quality. In R&D, it is expected that the use of detailed polymeric data will lead to greater efficiency, such as reducing the number of experiments, and to the development of new materials.
ACOMP already has good track records in monitoring of a large number of polymers, including acrylamide and methacrylate. MCHC will advance development for a wider range of polymer applications with Fluence Analytics, with the aim of promoting IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) in the chemical industry.
MCHC established DEV in Silicon Valley in the United States in July 2018 to create strategic partnerships with start-up companies possessing technologies and business models that can promote new business growth for the MCHC Group. This partnership with Fluence Analytics is the second investment by DEV.
“Diamond Edge Ventures is pleased to partner with Fluence Analytics and enable its growth,” noted
Patrick Suel, President of DEV. “We expect significant benefits from real-time polymer analytics to improve operational efficiency and product quality while generating long-term insights from these advanced datasets at MCHC Group.”
“We are very excited to add a strategic investor with a shared vision for real-time analytics,” said Alex
Reed, CEO of Fluence Analytics. “We look forward to the continued deployment of our technology for manufacturing optimization and accelerating R&D for next generation materials.”
MCHC will continue to pursue partnerships with startups that offer new growth opportunities for the MCHC Group’s businesses through DEV.
[Fluence Analytics]
Company Name: Fluence Analytics, Inc.
Year of Establishment: 2013
Head Office: New Orleans, Louisiana, US
CEO: Alex Reed
URL:https://www.FluenceAnalytics.com/
For further information, please contact:
Public Relations and Investor Relations Office,
Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation
Tel: [+81] (0)3-6748-7140
or
Diamond Edge Ventures, Inc.
info@diamondedge.vc