ALIAD, the venture capital investor of the Air Liquide group, continues to invest in technology start-ups with a new stake in the start-up INTACT, which develops 3D ultrasound equipment quality control tests, and in Inopsys, a water treatment specialist. Since its creation in 2013, ALIAD has made more than 35 investments worldwide for a total of around 100 million euros in the energy transition, health and digital sectors.
ALIAD has just invested in INTACT alongside Ekoscan, a French manufacturer specialised in equipment for ultrasonic quality control. Ekoscan has worked with Air Liquide since 2015 in integrity testing of production units of its Large Industries and Industrial Merchant activities. INTACT develops 3D ultrasonic non-destructive quality control testing for metal or composite equipment (pipelines, aircraft hulls, etc.). It relies on a unique technology, developed by Ekoscan in partnership with Air Liquide, for 3D modelling of cracks detected during ultrasonic testing. INTACT’s solutions, which apply to the engineering, inspection and management of the mechanical integrity of assets through connected technologies, enable predictive maintenance in order to achieve operational excellence while also improving safety.
ALIAD has invested in Inopsys, a Belgian start-up, whose mission is to develop and operate the on-site treatment of wastewater, complex toxic waste and solvent flows from the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries, where the treatment of waste is subject to strict requirements. Inopsys’s solution relies in particular on high oxygen consumption for AOP (Advanced Oxidation Processes) applications and on water pH testing with CO2 injection. Inopsys has also developed solutions for recycling certain valuable components such as zinc and palladium. The use of Inopsys’ solutions could be extended to chemical markets and other waste-generating industries requiring special treatment.
Emilie Mouren-Renouard, Member of the Air Liquide Executive Committee, in charge of Innovation, Digital and IT, Intellectual Property and Global Markets & Technologies World Business Unit, said:
“These new investments by ALIAD in technology start-ups are part of our ecosystem innovation strategy. Our objective is to identify disruptive technologies relevant to our activities in order to develop synergies and accelerate the Group’s innovation. This approach also enables each start-up to benefit from Air Liquide’s industrial and technological experience and a unique access to potential customers around the world.”
