Fluence Analytics

Yokogawa Fluence Analytics provides real-time analytics and process control solutions for the polymer and biopharmaceutical industries. The company originated as a spin-out from Tulane University, founded in 2012 under the name Advanced Polymer Monitoring Technologies (APMT) by Alex Reed, Professor Wayne Reed, Michael Drenski, and Dr. Bill Bottoms. The founding was the culmination of research by Professor Wayne Reed, who developed the core ACOMP technology in his lab in 1997 to make polymer production more efficient and improve product quality. His son, Alex Reed, who had been involved with the lab's work from a young age, brought his business acumen to commercialize the technology. The company rebranded to Fluence Analytics in 2017 to better reflect its focus on continuous process analytics. A significant milestone was its acquisition by Yokogawa Electric Corporation on February 2, 2023, after which it became Yokogawa Fluence Analytics.

The business operates by selling combined hardware and software solutions directly to manufacturers and researchers in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. Its two primary product lines are ACOMP and ARGEN. ACOMP, which stands for Automatic Continuous Online Monitoring of Polymerization, is a smart manufacturing system. It continuously extracts material from a reactor, performs real-time measurements using multiple detectors, and provides data on polymer properties like molecular weight, viscosity, and monomer conversion. This allows clients, including manufacturers of elastomers, adhesives, and paints, to optimize production, enhance yields, reduce waste, and improve safety. One client was able to reduce batch cycle times by an average of 17% using the system.

The second product, ARGEN, is a laboratory instrument for the biopharmaceutical industry. It uses static light scattering technology to measure the stability of biopolymers such as proteins and peptides. The instrument features 16 independent sample cells that can subject biologics to various thermal, mechanical, and chemical stresses, providing crucial data for formulation development, stability monitoring, and shelf-life determination. This helps researchers accelerate the development of new biotherapeutics by understanding how different stress factors impact their stability. Following the acquisition, the company continues to be led by CEO Jay Manouchehri, who joined in 2022.

Keywords: real-time analytics, process control solutions, polymer manufacturing, biopharmaceutical industry, ACOMP, ARGEN, polymerization monitoring, smart manufacturing, process optimization, polymer properties, biopolymer stability, continuous analytics, laboratory instruments, chemical manufacturing, digital transformation, process analytical technology, molecular weight analysis, viscosity measurement, reaction kinetics, biotherapeutic development