NanoHorizons

About NanoHorizons

NanoHorizons, Inc. was a company specializing in applied nanotechnology, marketing its products under the SmartSilver brand. Founded in 2002 by a group of scientists from Pennsylvania State University, the company was established within the Centre County Industrial Development Corporation's incubator program. Its headquarters were located in Penn State University's Innovation Park in State College, Pennsylvania.

The company's core business involved the invention, design, and manufacturing of advanced nanoscale silver additives. These additives provided permanent, cost-effective antimicrobial and performance-enhancing features to a wide array of consumer, commercial, and industrial products. The SmartSilver technology integrated silver nanoparticles at a molecular level into materials, ensuring that the antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-odor properties would not diminish over time or wash out. The technology worked by engineering silver particles to a diameter of about 10 nanometers; the small size exposed a vast number of silver ions that neutralize microbes. The product was EPA registered and Oeko-Tex approved as safe for human health.

NanoHorizons served a global client base across the apparel, healthcare, and industrial coatings and plastics sectors. Its business model focused on forming strategic partnerships and alliances with manufacturers to integrate SmartSilver technology across their product lines. Key applications included textiles, hospital surfaces, and building materials. The company raised approximately $12.7 million in venture capital over several funding rounds, with investors including Penn Venture Partners and the Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania. According to a 2015 profile, the company had 15-19 employees and annual revenues in the range of $1.5M to $2M. Tracxn lists the company as deadpooled.