Ionech, an Oxford-based tech firm that can harness clean energy from ambient air, has received £2 million in a seed investment from Elbow Beach, alongside a grant from Innovate UK. It converts the thermal energy of ambient air into electricity using high voltage pulses and field electron emission. The funding will be used to scale the technology from lab-scale development to real-world pilots.
The investment supports Ionech’s plans to integrate its technology into high-energy demand products, including commercial fridges, air conditioners and ventilation units, which it said account for over a quarter of global energy consumption.
The technology generates superoxide ions to convert ambient air into electricity, aiming to reduce reliance on the grid, lower energy consumption and cut emissions across energy-intensive applications.
Ionech is working on partnership projects, including with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, to reduce the carbon footprint of drinks coolers, and is advancing its technology towards deployment across HVAC systems and data centres.
