http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2008/04/27/3411382.htm
[April 27, 2008]
(Spokesman-Review, The (Spokane, WA) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Apr. 27--If Moscow-based Ivus Industries rocks the world with its smart ultracapacitor technology, the flash point for that success will come later this year, in the form of a 12-inch, 1-pound flashlight.If you don’t have a telecommuting program, how much revenue is your business losing? Learn more, download free white paper.
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The company calls the flashlight, for now, the Lightning-180. If it's as successful as they hope, it will deserve to be called The Two-Minute Wonder for its quick recharge time.The company, with an office staff of four, plans to introduce the flashlight this year. Investors and others who have seen the flashlight say it's a breakthrough use of technology that should land Ivus plenty of contracts.
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It uses ultracapacitors instead of standard batteries. The first target customer group is law enforcement and public safety workers, who rely on flashlights but can't afford to carry many extra batteries or interrupt work to recharge a unit.But the people running Ivus say flashlights will be just the start of what they say would be a series of green-technology products that could eliminate many of the batteries we throw into landfills today.In the company's crowded workshop and office, tucked into a Moscow business park, company CEO David Alexander grabs one of the prototype Lightning-180s and turns it on. It uses three high-grade, low-power LEDs, producing a stream of solid white light."When this runs out (after 110 minutes), you plug it into a recharger, and you're back and fully charged in less than two minutes," explained Alexander, a mechanical engineering Ph.D. from the University of Idaho.Companies like Mag Instrument also produce high-end rechargeable flashlights, using internal batteries. That firm's widely sold Maglite flashlights take two hours or so to recharge.Ultracapacitors are the kernel of Ivus technological innovation. Instead of relying on chemical interactions to produce electricity, ultracapacitors use carbon material spread over thin layers of metal electrodes, all rolled up into many layers, like a tightly wound electron-saturated Hostess Ho Ho.Because the ultracapacitor has low resistance, recharging is quicker than for standard batteries. Its main drawback is that it won't hold as much power as traditional batteries."One big advantage is the ultracapacitor can be recharged a million times before it has to be replaced," Alexander said.Rechargeable batteries have a lifespan of 300 to 1,000 cycles, meaning they can be recharged that many times before they no longer hold a charge.If "green" technology is the goal, Ivus fully qualifies, said John Overby, director of client services for Spokane's business-incubator Sirti. Ivus's technology, if it's extended to other uses, could eliminate millions of batteries dumped in landfills, replacing them with a power-storage unit that can last 10 years or more.Ultracapacitors are being tested in many industries. They're used in some digital cameras to operate the flash units or zoom controls. Utilities are using larger versions on some wind-energy turbines to adjust the blade angles for maximum velocity. Other companies are trying to add ultracapacitors to hybrid car energy-storage systems.Alexander became involved in the physics of ultracapacitors while at the UI, researching the economics of developing hybrid vehicles. Almost four years ago, he and another UI engineer, Erik Cegnar, formed a company that might find ways to use ultracapacitors in vehicles.In 2005 the two Moscow engineers were contacted by two Seattle-area business consultants who said they wanted to help develop a company with the same idea.Then reality struck. They realized that trying to introduce that technology into the U.S. automotive industry would take more money and time than their startup could afford."We decided we needed something that would prove the concept, and the flashlight was the right way to do that," Alexander said. That decision, said Cegnar, came as they noticed how the LED lighting industry continued improving their product designs. LEDs were being produced with high luminosity and low-power consumption â�" the ideal condition for an ultracapacitor that would weigh in this case less than one pound.Alexander, Cegnar and the two Seattle partners, David Atwell and Alan Portugal, took their prototype, the "blue tube," to two business school competitions. Their team took third in both.That success persuaded them to push on, develop the idea and start looking for financing.One key meeting was an investors' forum hosted in Spokane by Connect Northwest. Alexander made the standard investors pitch and held up the prototype of the flashlight, showing the room how it worked.Michael Strasser, president of Ponderosa Capital, came away impressed. "It really helped that they can show off the flashlight," said Strasser, whose firm became the lead investor last year to help push Ivus toward production of its first product."They made a good impression," he said. "The cool thing about the L-180 (flashlight) is that it's an intuitive product. You can literally put your hands around it."Strasser was introduced to Alexander by Sirti's Overby, who has looked over dozens of startup companies in the area over the past two years.Sirti also worked with Ivus to sharpen its business plan and polish marketing strategy, Overby said. "What they're sharp on is their technology, but we were able to work with them to improve those other areas that needed help," he added.Other investors joined with Ponderosa, including Spokane-based Win Partners. The Ivus management team estimates it has raised $700,000.Two more key steps helped push Ivus closer to producing the first batch of the Lightning-180.In 2006, Atwell and Portugal showed the concept of the L-180 to Mark Blumenthal, the president of Seattle's Blumenthal Uniforms. That company has extensive dealings with law enforcement departments along the West Coast.Company Vice President Roger Heldman talked to the people he knew at the Seattle Police Department, who told him the flashlight idea had strong appeal.Blumenthal Uniforms decided the idea was worth investing in, said Heldman, who said the stake that the company took in Ivus was roughly 2 percent."Most police officers on patrol carry two flashlights to have a backup," said Heldman. "This system will allow them to rely on just one."Heldman estimated the annual law-enforcement market for flashlights comes to roughly $15 million. Heldman expects Ivus to grab about $4 million in sales, selling 20,000 units with a price tag between $150 and $200 per flashlight.Ivus officials know that is a price point roughly double what most law enforcement people pay for a standard or rechargeable flashlight.Even so, Heldman said, the product's advantages should help them sell at least 20,000 flashlights within two years.The next key step was following the suggestion to find a distribution partner for the flashlight. Steve Gevurtz, a Spokane business consultant and former CEO of Itronix, suggested the Ivus team form a relationship with 5.11 Tactical, a California company considered a leader in making and selling products to public safety agencies.Gevurtz liked the Ivus technology enough that he also invested in the company.Alexander and Cegnar hooked up with representatives from 5.11 Tactical this winter and have a deal to start producing the Lightning-180s together.Heldman and Strasser agreed the decision to partner with 5.11 Tactical did two things: gave Ivus a chance to reach a global market, and took advantage of the larger company's established success in selling to the public safety market. "It allows Ivus to focus on their technology and develop it, and lets 5.11 use its connections and resources for production and marketing," said Heldman.Strasser, who moved Ponderosa Capital from Arizona to Spokane two years ago, said the Lightning-180 could be the start of something very large."Their technology is a game-changer. If you think of all the things that use batteries, this has the potential to replace all those batteries in a large number of areas," he said.The obvious next options include building and vehicle emergency lights, replacing batteries on music players or cell phones, and power supplies for tools.Cegnar said he and his partners are looking down the road. "We'll apply our technology in lighting in a lot of different areas. We'll definitely explore that fertile ground of lighting for a while.
"We have some more tricks up our sleeve."
At a glance
What it is: Quick-recharging flashlight
Likely price: $150-$200
When available: End of 2008
Web: www.lightningflashlights.com
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