Tempronics

Tempronics, founded in 2006 by Dr. Tarek Makansi, operated from Tucson, Arizona, as a developer of thermoelectric technology. Dr. Makansi, who served as the Chief Technology Officer, earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and had a 21-year career at IBM, where he held executive positions and is the inventor of over ten patents. The company focused on creating energy-efficient heating and cooling systems for surfaces like seats and beds.

The core of Tempronics' business was the development and application of solid-state thermoelectric devices. This technology is based on the Peltier effect, where passing a current through a junction of different materials transfers heat from one side to the other. The company developed a patented product called the Climate Ribbon™, a flexible and distributed thermoelectric system that could be integrated into various products without altering their structure or feel. This system provided direct conductive heating and cooling to the user, a more energy-efficient method than convective systems like traditional HVACs. Tempronics' technology consumed less than 100 watts, a significant reduction compared to the 1 to 10 kilowatts used by conventional vehicle HVAC systems.

The business model centered on partnering with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to integrate its technology into their products. Key markets included the automotive industry, home and office furniture, medical, and aviation. In a significant milestone, Tempronics entered into a strategic partnership with Lear Corporation in 2016, a major automotive seating supplier, granting Lear exclusive rights to the technology for automotive applications and securing a minority equity interest for Lear. Tempronics also sold an aftermarket product, the PCS-200 Personal Climate System, directly to end-users such as fleet operators and professional drivers, which could be attached to most vehicle seats. The company raised a total of $22.7 million in funding over eight rounds, with investors including Lear Corporation, Nth Power, and Arizona Tech Investors. Despite its developments and partnerships, the company is now listed as deadpooled.

Keywords: thermoelectric cooling, personal climate control, solid-state heating, automotive seating technology, energy-efficient HVAC, Climate Ribbon, conductive cooling, personal microclimate, Tarek Makansi, Lear Corporation partnership, seat heating technology, surface cooling, thermoelectric devices, advanced thermal management, vehicle thermal comfort, medical device cooling, furniture climate control, aviation seating, work truck climate control, aftermarket seat cooler