2020 started off as a year like no other. It began with a mysterious, novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 and had begun to shut down parts of Asia and was making its way to Europe. Like everyone around the world, the team at Violet Defense was closely following the situation, but unlike everyone else, they knew they had a technology that would prove essential in helping to provide a critical solution. In fact, they had been working on that solution since the company’s inception in 2012. The company’s Founder & Chief Science Officer, Mark Nathan, dreamed up this technology because he wanted a way to avoid getting sick on his frequent business flights. He knew he wasn’t alone in that problem. He found that combining the germ-killing properties of UV light with an innovative, highly transmissive lens material allowed for mass coverage germ-killing using greater photonic energy.
Their technology harnesses the power of the sun’s ultraviolet rays to kill germs on surfaces and in the air. While that concept and the science behind this technology has been around for over a hundred years, Violet Defense made a technological breakthrough that allowed them to bring their patented Surface & Air Germ Elimination (S.A.G.E.) system to market in 2017. The product was certainly relevant then, but COVID-19 brought it into a new perspective.
As a germ disinfection company, the coronavirus pandemic was a global call for Violent Defense to ramp up production and enhance their technologies in order to meet the critical demand for new solutions. “What’s changed with the pandemic is we’re looking at a completely different risk/reward picture … along with how important it now is to kill the germs in the air and on surfaces,” said Terrance Berland, CEO of Violet Defense. “Now clinical-level disinfection is priority number one, in all areas.”
To bring new technologies and solutions to market at an unprecedented level, Violet Defense knew they needed to keep their trusted partners close. And at that moment, they turned to KEMET. Partners since 2016, KEMET was a trusted supplier for the patented S.A.G.E. system, which first came to market in 2017. The S.A.G.E. system was built using an optimized solution with KEMET electrolytic capacitors—essential to powering the germ-killing light. You’ll find the S.A.G.E. system in everywhere from major league locker rooms, to mass transit, to convention centers, and maybe even one day in your own home.
Throughout the development process of S.A.G.E., the companies’ engineering departments and all levels of management kept in close contact. “At every step of Violet Defense’s success, we were celebrating. It is wonderful to see a company really make a difference in the world through their technology,” reflected Angela Johnson, a KEMET sales executive who calls on Violet Defense.
And things are not expected to slow down any time soon. This pandemic has taught us all a lesson about eliminating germs. They’ve seen astronomical growth since the pandemic hit. Orders have been going through the roof at Violet Defense. They have begun to build out their pipeline, relying on their trusted suppliers like KEMET to help them meet increased demand. As Berland puts it, “Even after the pandemic subsides, we strongly believe that UV will become a core part of the global disinfection approach. Everyone better understands the critical role disinfection plays in creating safer, healthier environments. With that new awareness, there’s no telling how big we can grow.”
Today, Violet Defense is meeting the demand for their technologies, like making their UV Decon units available, with the support of KEMET’s materials and technology experts. The UV Decon unit can sanitize up to 30,000 masks a day, helping to alleviate the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) shortage in the medical field. This was made possible through a partnership with Advance Concepts, an incubator backed by Koch Industries Inc. Being able to trust in KEMET’s abilities to deliver their high quality, essential components quickly and reliably made all the difference to that project’s success.
That’s why the story of Violet Defense illustrates the power of what partnerships can do. “KEMET has been a collaborative partner with us since 2016. We feel like we have a real strategic partner, which is critical given that the capacitors from KEMET are at the center of our product and its performance, ” added Berland. KEMET takes pride in enabling the dreams of inventors. The company holds hundreds of patents and continually innovates in materials science. Breakthroughs in science and technology are the keys to building a better, safer, more connected, sustainable world. KEMET supports inventors like Mark Nathan with specialized technological solutions to make dreams come alive. And like the S.A.G.E. system and UV Decon, KEMET is built into devices that keep us healthy. KEMET is proud to be part of this story, which in many ways has just begun.
