A business idea with revolutionary innovation and global ambition is going to raise eyebrows. Add to that the potential for providing life-saving refrigeration in remote parts of the world without electricity and it’s easy to understand the appeal of Sure Chill.
Ian Tansley was a product designer with great experience in emerging technologies and sustainable development. His Eureka moment came in 2008, while out walking in the Snowdonia National Park. He passed a frozen lake and reflected on the physics that allowed fish to continue swimming happily beneath the surface.
Sure Chill’s Chief Technical Officer went on to conceive a breakthrough refrigeration system that can operate without power for over two weeks. In 2014, the company received a $1.5 million award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the development of a passive vaccine cooler that works in some of the remotest places on the planet.
Sure Chill technology is now used in over 40 countries. As well as providing an environmentally-friendly solution in hostile environments, the company’s innovation also provides solutions in sustainable energy storage, breaking cold-chain barriers in food distribution and providing new opportunities for global drinks brands.
The company has developed a close working relationship with the Welsh Government, which has made a number of funds available to Sure Chill, ranging from Technical Commercial Feasibility funding to staff training in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and systems for sales and marketing.
