Mayaterials turns ag byproducts into fridge insulation, plans for hires in '11

Wednesday, December 15, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

Mayaterials hopes to become a player in higher-end refrigerators by making them more energy efficient. That sounds easy enough on the surface, but the Ann Arbor-based company specializes in the not-so-easy details of making that happen, with terms like vacuum panels and nano silica.

The 9-year-old firm specializes in nano silica products, taking agricultural byproduct and turning it into vacuum insulation panels. These panels have a rigid core encapsulated in a gas-tight envelope, creating a thin layer that holds heat into a space. The bottom line lies in creating organic insulation that makes refrigerators much more energy efficient.

"We're taking other people's waste and turning it into gold," says Richard Laine, CEO and CTO of Mayaterials. "The end cost to the consumer is a few hundred dollars."

Mayaterials recently made the semifinals of the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition. It's also in the process of moving to a new facility on the south side of Ann Arbor so it can begin filling a $1.3 million backlog of orders. Right now the seven-person firm is filing for the rest of its patents and plans to fill out its staff in 2011.

Source: Richard Laine, CEO and CTO of Mayaterials
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.