Pixelligent dreams big with minuscule particles

Baltimore firm works with nanomaterials that help products perform better

Another Maryland company, Jessup-based Vorbeck Materials, has developed a manufacturing process to produce graphene, a carbon-based nanomaterial, in large quantities. Graphene, a fine, fluffy, black powder, is considered the strongest nanomaterial in the world — 200 times tougher than steel — and can be used to fortify carbon fiber, produce printed electronic circuitry and improve battery life.

"We've been hearing about nanotechnology for years" in research, said Michael Galiazzo, president of the Regional Manufacturing Institute, a nonprofit association that represents Maryland manufacturers. Galiazzo said nanotechnology is closely linked to manufacturing, as many nanomaterials are now being used to make products.

"I think what we're seeing now is the visible outcomes of those activities," Galiazzo said. "It's coming on the scene, so to speak."

Pixelligent was founded in 2000 by Cooper, then a doctoral student in physics at the University of Maryland, College Park. The company was based in an incubator in College Park until last year, when it raised $4.8 million from investors and moved to Baltimore. The firm received a $200,000 loan from the Baltimore Development Corp. and a $100,000 loan from Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development.

Since its founding, Pixelligent has received a total of $9 million from investors and another $9 million from government research and development grants.

"This technology is real," Bandes said. "Large companies just haven't made the investment in nano because they weren't sure when to do it. They're all now looking for a nanotech solution."

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