UB-backed startups awarded a combined $82,564 from FuzeHub

BUFFALO, N.Y. — University at Buffalo-backed startups will receive funding from a statewide commercialization competition organized by FuzeHub, a nonprofit organization that assists small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies in New York State.

The awardees are working to improve display screens on smartphones, televisions and electronic devices, as well as wearable cooling devices that could improve the safety and well-being of soldiers, firefighters, athletes and others.

Cooling device

Shenqiang Ren, PhD, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, as well as UB’s RENEW Institute, has partnered with two Buffalo companies — Coolnomics LLC and Quality Solutions Group Technologies — to develop the cooling device.

With $50,000 from FuzeHub, the team will work to develop materials and clothing that keep people from overheating.

The team says the technology will enhance physical and mental endurance by helping prevent overheating among endurance athletes, soldiers, workers in the construction trades, firefighters, first responders and more.

Better display screens

The laboratory of Luis Colón, PhD, A. Conger Goodyear Professor of Chemistry, in partnership with Rochester-based Molecular Glasses, Inc. was awarded $32,564 from FuzeHub.

The team will develop a new environmentally benign purification process for the manufacturing of novel organic light emitting diode materials (OLED) that are used in displays on smart phones, tablets and flat screen TVs. The process is based on supercritical fluid chromatography, a technology that provides scale-up purification capabilities with the added benefit of minimizing the use of organic solvents.

The new method aims to improve manufacturing consistency and reduce costs.

About FuzeHub

The FuzeHub Commercialization Competition is supported by the Jeff Lawrence Manufacturing Innovation Fund, which supports activities designed to spur technology development and commercialization across New York State. FuzeHub administers this fund as part of FuzeHub’s role as the Empire State Development-designated statewide Manufacturing Extension Partnership center.