Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 17, 2023 49 Allen's advertising pivot aims to bolster iCleanse's growth prospects By Norman Bell Hartford Business Journal Contributor I n 2020, as it was becoming clear the world was in for a long fight with COVID-19, Avon serial entrepreneur Chris Allen saw an opportunity. He had recharged after selling iGrill and iDevices to Hubbell Inc., the Shelton-based manufacturer of electrical and elec- tronic products. Along the way, he'd been an advisor to ReadyDock, the first chemical-free device disinfectant system. He bought the company in 2020 and rebranded it — naturally — as iCleanse. His vision was to focus on disin- fecting mobile phones. They're as filthy as they are ubiquitous, he explains. We use them while we eat and in the bathroom. The result is an astonishing 26,000 bacteria per square inch. Who could pass up a chance to disinfect one in 15 seconds? As solid as that plan sounded in 2020, by the time the Swift UV units were ready to ship in May 2021, that landscape had changed. Vaccines had arrived and COVID fatigue was setting in. When Allen announced the product on his LinkedIn account, some of his connections smelled an April Fool's prank. He assured them it was a real product. But it was soon time to pivot. The iCleanse units had to offer more than a clean phone. The answer, Allen decided, was to incorporate a digital advertising component. The concept is similar to the video news and advertising clips that entertain motorists while they fuel their cars. Much like the driver monitoring refu- eling, the phone owner isn't going to walk away while the iCleanse works its magic — Allen recognizes that captive consumer has value. And 15 seconds is the "sweet spot" of advertising, Allen said. In a retail setting, for example, a merchant could point out specials in the store and share in the unit's ad revenue, all in exchange for about a square foot of floor space. Hotels, restaurants and airports are other target areas, Allen said. The revenue model depends on building the number of eyeballs watching the screens, and that means expanding from an anticipated 2,200 units in 2023 to 4,400 in 2024. At that rate, Allen anticipates surpassing 15,000 units in 2026 and that should be enough to unlock national advertising dollars. Capital application Today, iCleanse units are in operation at the Connecticut Science Center, St. Francis Hospital and District New Haven. They debuted at Bradley International Airport in early March. As much as Allen's focus is on the digital advertising aspect of the business, he said iCleanse has disinfected 5 million devices and is gaining traction in medical facilities, from doctor's offices to neonatal units. He reports being in early talks with Kaiser Permanente about bringing iCleanse units to the national hospital network. There's also an international market to grow. Allen said units are already at work in the United Kingdom and in Italy. In addition to the Swift UV, iCleanse makes four larger units designed for disinfecting multiple phone and tablet devices simul- taneously in an office or industrial setting. He said all the iCleanse units are sourced with American parts — many from Connecticut — and assembled in Deep River. The units use UV-C light that kills 99.9% of pathogens, yet is safe for the device. The light source has an expected life of five years. For 2023, the challenge will be maximizing capital application, which means making sure there's a strong return for every dollar invested in building the product, Allen said. ICleanse has been largely self funded, but Allen said he had to borrow some money last fall. He'd like to raise more from venture inves- tors, but not in the current market conditions. That could be a possi- bility by the fourth quarter, Allen said. He declined to disclose revenue figures. Nearing shift to production, Infinity Fuel Cell & Hydrogen sees major opportunities in commercial space market By Norman Bell Hartford Business Journal Contributor F or more than 20 years, Infinity Fuel Cell & Hydrogen has been supplying power for unforgiving environments. It has built prototype power units for the lunar rover and space station, for use on the battlefield and under the sea. But a September flight aboard the Blue Origin spacecraft provided an unexpected chance to show the resilience of the company's products. About a minute after the New Shepard rocket lifted off from the Van Horn, Texas, launchpad, the first- stage booster suffered what is being called "an anomaly." That triggered the emergency escape system and the unmanned capsule separated. That left the fate of the capsule and its cargo of 36 scientific projects to the Infinity Fuel Cell unit that was supplying the capsule's power. No problem. The capsule landed safely in west Texas, producing smiles among the Infinity Fuel Cell team and setting in motion a series of inquiries from other commercial space compa- nies looking for fuel cell products. Only Elon Musk's SpaceX remains committed to batteries, explains Rick Mullins, Infinity's business development director. Development to production William Smith, CEO of Infinity Fuel Cell & Hydrogen, makes no secret of his love for aerospace. As co-founder of Proton Energy, he disagreed with the Wallingford company's decision to prioritize commercial markets over aero- space. So, in 2002, he led a band of Hamilton Standard alums in forming Infinity Fuel in Windsor and started doing work for NASA. A series of development projects with NASA, the Marines and other government agencies allowed Infinity Fuel Cell the opportunity to fine-tune its technologies. The Proton Exchange Membrane serves as the core of its products. The fuel cell is not dependent on access to air, works in zero gravity and provides long life. There is also a regenerative fuel cell that produces hydrogen and oxygen. The XStorra Regenerative Fuel Cell System combines power generation and energy storage for remote locations. Its two modules can be pulled by a Humvee, giving the system both military and civilian applications in remote operations. One unit deploys a solar array that can deliver 5 kilowatt-hours of power, while the other module can store 30 kWh of energy and produce 5 kWh of power with a fuel cell. To this point, Smith said he's been able to refrain from raising capital, but that's about to change as Infinity shifts its focus from development to production. Just what that might look like remains a corporate secret. The company is looking to grow its employee base by about 40% and expand its 15,000-square- foot facility this year as it works to capture commercial opportunities. Aerospace — both with NASA and emerging commercial space oper- ators — will remain at the forefront of Infinity's plans. But exploiting the unique uses of its technologies has opened a wealth of opportunities, Smith and Mullins said. The same features that make its technologies attractive for use in space also make it a leader in powering undersea vessels. Whether servicing underwater cables, hunting sunken treasure or inspecting the underwater structures of oil platforms or wind turbines, a fuel cell that doesn't need air and provides long life is ideal, they said. The company's lightweight fuel cells could position it for use in both military and civilian unmanned aircraft. And it's working on powering a new gener- ation of laser weapons and missiles. Mullins is also enthusiastic about the potential for using the XStorra system in providing communities with power during natural disasters. William Smith is CEO of Infinity Fuel Cell & Hydrogen. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Chris Allen TECH COMPANIES TO WATCH ICLEANSE Industry: Technology Top Executive: Christopher Allen, CEO HQ: 136 Simsbury Road, Avon Website: iCleanse.com Contact: 800-969-1166 INFINITY FUEL CELL & HYDROGEN INC. Industry: Fuel cell technology Top Executive: William Smith, CEO HQ: 431A Hayden Station Road, Windsor Website: InfinityFuel.com Contact: 860-688-6500 An iCleanse unit at Bradley International Airport. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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