QuantumSphere
2905 Tech Center Dr.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
Tel:
714-545-NANO (6266)
Visit our Web site
www.qsinano.com
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O.C.’s Future Innovation is NOW
The Orange County Register, Oct. 24, 2005
By: Jan Norman
In the past, Orange County innovators have helped produce spacecraft,
artificial heart valves and Botox. Today, local researchers and
entrepreneurs are developing the county’s next generation of
innovations.
To celebrate this flow of technological and scientific
improvements – and to stimulate more of it – several groups are
promoting Oct. 26 through Nov. 3 as Orange County Innovation Week. It
comes at a time when the county’s business, education and investment
leaders are making new attempts to build a support system for
innovation after years of falling short in venture investments and
commercialization of university research.
“Every time I turn on my computer, talk on my cell phone or send
e-mails through my Blackberry, I am using a product that was once
science fiction,” said Orange County Supervisor Lou Correa. “We need to
do more to encourage that type of vision and originality here in Orange
County.”
Here’s a look at four groundbreaking local companies that are
developing products that Correa, his fellow Orange Countians and the
world soon may be using. They illustrate the type of work Orange County
Innovation Week wants to encourage.
QUANTUMSPHERE INC., SANTA ANA
Leader: Kevin Maloney, chief executive
Type of business: QuantumSphere makes super-fine metallic
nanopowders (consisting of particles three to five atoms in width) for
such uses as small batteries and fuel cells, coatings and inks. Powder
with particles that small has different properties from normal powders.
Nanotechnology has the venture world abuzz the way dot-coms did in the
1990s. While many other nanotech companies dwell in the
still-theoretical world of cancer cures, QuantumSphere makes such
products as nano-nickel/cobalt alloy that behaves like platinum but is
80 percent cheaper. Since platinum is 40 percent of the cost of small
batteries and fuel cells, QuantumSphere’s alloy could greatly reduce
the cost of batteries for laptops, cell phones, digital cameras and
hearing aids. Fortune 200 companies are coming to QuantumSphere for
various product partnerships. Most of QuantumSphere’s 11 employees are
scientists. So far, the company has grown without venture capital. It
has started selling its products this year and could possibly break
even in 2006. QuantumSphere was recently selected for a 2005 Technology
Innovation of the Year award by research organization Frost &
Sullivan.
On innovation: “I get fired up each morning because we have
potentially disruptive technology that could change the way things are
done. And we haven’t scratched the surface.”
Read about all of the companies featured in this article
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