NoPo Nanotechnologies

NoPo Nanotechnologies, a Bengaluru-based deep-tech firm established in 2011, operates at the forefront of advanced materials science, specializing in the production of high-quality, small-diameter Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs). The company's genesis is tied to founder Gadhadar Reddy's passion for space exploration and the goal of creating materials to make humanity a space-faring species. This ambition led him to the work of Nobel laureate Dr. Richard Smalley and the HiPCO (High-Pressure Carbon Monoxide) process for creating SWCNTs. Reddy, an electrical engineer with a Master's in Nanotechnology, collaborated with Dr. Robert Kelley Bradley, who was a PhD student under Smalley and worked on the original HiPCO reactors. Together, they founded NoPo to scale this technology, a feat that took over six years of intensive research and development. The founding team also includes Arunima Patel as CBO and Anto Godwin as COO.

NoPo Nanotechnologies has developed a proprietary, patented, and highly modified HiPCO process that enables the consistent, industrial-scale production of SWCNTs. This continuous-flow, gas-phase chemical vapor deposition system is one of the few operational HiPCO reactors globally. A key feature of their process is its potential for a circular economy, as it uses carbon dioxide to generate the necessary carbon monoxide, thereby sequestering carbon. The company's core business involves manufacturing and selling these SWCNTs, which are cylindrical molecules of single-layered carbon atoms, 10,000 times thinner than a human hair and over 100 times stronger than steel. These nanotubes possess exceptional electrical and thermal conductivity, making them a transformative material for numerous industries.

The firm segments its clientele into three primary markets: polymers, automotive batteries, and semiconductors. For polymer manufacturers, NoPo's SWCNTs act as additives to create conductive plastics used in OLEDs, sensors, and medical devices. In the electric vehicle (EV) sector, the nanotubes are critical for enhancing the performance of silicon anode batteries, improving stability and energy density by preventing the silicon from cracking during charge-discharge cycles. NoPo is currently supplying evaluation materials to major global battery producers. In the electronics and semiconductor space, the company's materials are used in infrared sensors and are being developed for next-generation transistors, a development that could be crucial for the future of quantum computing. The company generates revenue by selling its range of SWCNT products, including raw, battery-grade, and semiconductor-grade nanotubes, with pricing varying from $25 to over $100,000 per gram depending on purity and application. Having raised a total of $3.36 million over six funding rounds, including a significant $3 million pre-Series A round in 2024, NoPo is scaling its production capacity to meet global demand.

Keywords: Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, SWCNT manufacturer, HiPCO process, advanced materials, nanotechnology, Gadhadar Reddy, carbon nanotube production, EV battery materials, silicon anode, semiconductor materials, conductive polymers, deep tech, materials science, quantum computing materials, carbon sequestration technology, aerospace materials, water filtration nanotubes, infrared sensors, nano-additives, high-strength composites, electronics components, energy storage materials