What's Happening in Durham, NC…

Durham-based Phononic has developed technology that displaces heat sinks, compressors and fans with nontoxic refrigerants and solid-state technology that will provide more precise refrigeration while allowing for 40% additional storage space.

Phononic, a manufacturer of semiconductors, started in 2009 selling medical refrigerators, including the kinds used in hospitals and labs. A partnership last year with Thermo Fisher Scientific has resulted in an increased demand for the technology. Phononic’s solid-state refrigeration and freezer items used in health care are now exclusively supplied by Thermo.

According to Tony Atti, the founder and CEO of Phononic, the refrigerator units his company make are virtually silent and compared to a traditional refrigerator, require approximately 25% less energy. Such features are seen as advantageous to food and beverages companies.

Brochure printing provides a way for companies to educate all potential stakeholders when introducing new technology.

In 2018, one of biggest distributors for Pepsi, Pepsi Bottling, installed Phononic refrigerators close to registers and at the end of aisles in some convenience stores and supermarkets in North Carolina. Sales were compared at these stores to those beverages were near the back of the store in large refrigerators. Sales were better at the stores using the Phononic refrigerators and Pepsi Bottling is utilizing them across the country.

With its 140 employees, Phononic has raised almost $160m from Venrock Associates, Oak Investments, and Tsing Capital, as well as others. The company hopes to eventually expand into residential and commercial cooling.