PORTLAND, Maine — An Orono-based firm using nanotechnology to make ceramic filters has gained a spot in a 12-week Silicon Valley program that the company’s founder hopes will allow it to get a foot in the door with investors and potential clients around the world.
Cerahelix said in a news release that it will take part in a program to help early-stage businesses get off the ground at Plug and Play Ventures in Sunnyvale, California.
Susan MacKay, the Maine company’s founder and CEO, said in a news release that admission to the program comes at an opportune time, as the company is seeking out other companies to pilot its ceramic filters.
It claims the product can filter water three times faster and remove particles 10 times smaller than competing ceramic filters, with applications in a range of industries where it claims it can help reduce waste in the manufacturing process. It has a patent on its technology for using DNA to create its ceramic filters.
“It seems like a long way to go from Maine to California, but it is worth the trip because Plug and Play brings people from all over the world into their tech center,” MacKay said in a news release.
She said the program will help make connections with potential participants for its pilot program and set up meetings with potential investors, too. Plug and Play itself invests in more than 100 businesses a year, according to the statement from Cerahelix.
The 5-year-old Orono startup was selected from more than 100 companies nominated by the program’s corporate partners. From there, 20 are selected to pitch their concepts, and a smaller group is selected to come back for the 12-week program.
For Cerahelix, based in Orono’s business incubator called the Target Technology Center, MacKay said the program will give it an immediate reach beyond the East Coast as it works to bring its product to market.
“This gives us a chance to reach beyond the East Coast — their network is global,” MacKay said.
Cerahelix will take part in the business accelerator program from July 28 through Oct. 26.