Minneapolis, Minn. (January 24, 2011) – EarthClean Corporation, a Minnesota-based start-up company, announced today that it recently completed a $1 million Angel round of funding to commercialize the company’s TetraKO™ earth friendly firefighting product. In addition, ATIRA Systems, a full service systems integrator in Northern California and Oregon has been signed as a TetraKO distributor for parts of the Western U.S.
“It is a testament to the technology and the people behind TetraKO that we’ve been able to raise an additional one million dollars from local angel investors in an extremely challenging investment climate. The Minnesota angel tax credit was certainly a factor in our success,” said Doug Ruth, EarthClean Corporation founder and CEO. “We are also very excited to announce an agreement with ATIRA Systems to become a TetraKO distributor in parts of the Western U.S. Jeffrey Denholm, CEO, and his team at Atira know the fire industry, and their commitment to environmentally friendly and innovative firefighting technologies is 100% in sync with our own.”
More than six years in development, TetraKO transforms ordinary water into an adhering gel that can be pumped through standard fire equipment. When heated by fire, TetraKO becomes even thicker and releases a dense steam, dramatically aiding in fire suppression. In November 2010, EarthClean received the top prize in the Cleantech Open North Central Region competition and placed third overall in the national competition. The Cleantech Open is the world’s largest cleantech business competition.
“Our team at ATIRA are seasoned professionals in fire service, representing a host of technologies, including fire retardant and suppression products,” said Jeffrey Denholm, CEO of ATIRA Systems. “I have never seen anything like TetraKO. We look forward to delivering this unique technology to the fire industry throughout our region.”
TetraKO solution has been independently tested by accredited laboratories, and has been certified ready biodegradable and non-toxic (aquatic and mammalian) using EPA and internationally recognized OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) standards. Independent lab testing has also verified that TetraKO solution passes National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Uniform Corrosion metrics.
EarthClean Corporation has created a sales, operations, marketing and distribution team, as well as assembled a Fire Operations Advisory Board consisting of industry experts. The company works with a team of Peer Group Fire Departments who are testing and evaluating the product.
Added Ruth, “TetraKO next generation gel fits perfectly into existing fire industry distribution channels, and we are rolling out our plan to reach fire departments and agencies to introduce this new TetraKO technology that is safe for the environment, offers unmatched performance, and provides enhanced firefighter safety.”
Photo caption: TetraKO next generation gel conducting a wildfire airdrop test. EarthClean has completed a $1 million investment funding drive for calendar year 2010 to commercialize the company’s innovative technology.
About ATIRA Systems
ATIRA Systems offers the only truly GREEN turnkey firefighting system integration, including fire gel, application hardware and consulting services. ATIRA Systems is scalable, effective and non-threatening to living organisms currently threatened by highly toxic firefighting chemicals. ATIRA Systems maximizes the eco effectiveness in ground, aviation and industrial markets.
Contact: Denise Ryan, [email protected]
