LIQUIGLIDE : PAVING THE WAY TO A SMOOTHER FUTURE
with potential throughout the food production supply chain from start to finish . “ Anywhere you can think of a viscous liquid ., there is a potential application for liquid impregnated surfaces ,” says Smith . LiquiGlide is also seeking out opportunities in the agriculture industry , allowing for better flow and reduced cost and water usage for acrochemicals like herbicides and pesticides , as well as applications in food manufacturing . “ Materials have to be pumped through pipes and tanks , and they stick to the equipment and need to be cleaned up from time to time — that cleaning takes a lot of time , a lot of labor , a lot of materials , cost , and a lot of water is used in the cleaning process ,” says Smith , relating LiquiGlide to the food processing and manufacturing industry . “ There are a lot of benefits that LiquiGlide can provide from a cleaning and waste point of view . It also can allow for materials to be pumped through pipes with much less energy , as the products can easily slide through the pipes .”
Even a bright idea with limitless potential can be lost without capital backing to propel that theoretical potential toward practical reality . This year , LiquiGlide reached a milestone in its history by achieving just that vote of confidence — in March , the product secured $ 7 million in funding from Roadmap Capital , a cash infusion allowing LiquiGlide Inc . to move into a state-of-the-art laboratory and take its growth to the next level .
“ We see the inherent value that LiquiGlide ’ s technology can bring to the world – from saving consumers money to cutting manufacturing costs and even saving lives – and we confidently stand behind the company , which we truly believe is changing the way liquids move ,” said Stephen Ireland , Principal at Roadmap Capital , in a press release announcing the partnership .
This development paves the way for substantial growth , of which LiquiGlide is keenly aware . Potential partnerships are in the works with food brands , with the company hoping to make an official announcement by the end of the year , and introduction into manufacturing plants seems similar close at hand .
Living in a world where one can easily extract ketchup from a bottle will be a strange one , for a time . But it ’ s a welcome one .
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