Nanostart AG, the leading
nanotechnology investment company, is raising its shareholding in Namos GmbH,
the pioneering cleantech developer based in the eastern German city of Dresden,
from 15 to 26 percent. The ERP Start Fund, which is a joint program of the Kreditanstalt
für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German government-owned development bank, and
the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, is likewise increasing
its shareholding.
Marco Beckmann, CEO of Nanostart AG, commented on the investment increase:
"The technology from Namos is nothing short of revolutionary. It substantially
reduces the consumption of precious metals, thus saving enormous costs in the
production of catalytic converters. With more than one quarter of this company
now belonging to Nanostart, we are in an extremely favorable position."
The new technology developed by Namos should enable the savings of about one
half of all precious metals currently required for the production of automotive
catalytic converters. The proprietary process from Namos is based on a bionanotechnological
coating which is applied to the ceramic substrate used in catalytic converters.
Approx. 230 metric tons of "new," non-recycled precious metals are
currently consumed each year to produce automotive catalytic converters, corresponding
to an annual value of USD 8.3 billion. Roughly half of this amount, more than
USD 4 billion, could be saved through the new technology from Namos.
The additive used in the process can be produced at minimal cost using bionanotechnology.
Because it does not remain in the finished catalytic converters, it cannot have
any negative long-term effects. It contains no harmful chemicals and has a shelf
life of several years.