10170492Portable prototype development for patented electronic-nose sensor based on novel high potential semiconductorClosedFast Start ResponseInnovate UKWorldwide, 1/5th of food is lost due to spoilage before it ever reaches the consumer. In the UK, this amounts to a cost of £9.5B of the £63.4B UK food import and distribution market. This food contributes 2% of the entire UK emissions in energy lost due to freight and has an impact on food scarcity. Current identification methods are prone to human error and are often too late to prevent loss. Our solution is an alarm system for food spoilage based on a distributed wireless sensor network. The core IP is a patented electronic-nose sensor from the University of Cambridge which achieves performance advantages through exploiting the conduction behaviours that can be created in a novel material, laser-induced graphene. The sensor can recognise larger, compositionally similar molecules and at lower concentrations than our portable competition and can unlock new applications. Our company mission is to integrate odour recognition into every aspect of life, starting with tackling food waste. The funding will support us in transitioning from TRL4-6; we will be able to build the portable, wireless prototypes necessary to take our sensor out of the lab and allow it to begin collecting real world data with customers. Eventually, we plan to move circuit design entirely to our novel material which we will realise in a highly portable, low power and compact form. It will support growth of the first company based around this novel material which has vast potential in wearables and as a low carbon-cost semiconductor when bandgap engineered. Chemical fingerprints in the air around us contain information about much more than just food waste. Our platform technology has recognised airborne biomarkers signifying problems relating to healthcare, agriculture and public safety problems. We aim to branch outwards and welcome outreach from interested parties.