PR1 appoints US-based VP to commercialise its carbon nanotube fibre tech

Our Investment Pure Resources (ASX: PR1) appointed a US-based executive to commercialise its carbon nanotube fibre (CNTF) technology across the United States.

PR1 is developing tech that uses CNTF as a thermal management material - together with Rice University in the USA.

The tech is a carbon nanomaterial made of extremely aligned and densely packed carbon nanotubes, processed into continuous fibres and thin films.

Things like heat sinks and cooling hardware inside AI data centres, drones, robots and defence systems.

Yesterday PR1 appointed Mr Shubham Garg as Vice President (USA), Technology and Commercialisation, based in Denver, Colorado and reporting to the CEO.

(source)

He is engaged on an initial 12-month term as an independent contractor, which is consistent with PR1's lean operating model, so he will need to perform to get extended…

Garg brings more than ten years experience and has had some impressive experience:

Most relevant to PR1's story is the pilot liquid immersion cooling deployments which shows hands-on experience, specifically within the same AI-data-centre cooling market PR1 is going after.

He has also:

• Worked on crew-health systems under NASA's Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations Program,
• Holds a US patent for a microgravity payload rack, and
• Co-founded space-tech company Star Harbor.

His brief is to convert PR1's CNTF technical advantages into binding commercial engagements with US end users, the hyperscale operators, defence primes and drone/robotics makers.

These are the same areas that PR1 flagged early-stage discussions with last week.

He will also support patent applications and licensing discussions, and PR1 says putting a senior operator on the ground strengthens its US government funding strategy across the Department of Defence and the Department of Energy.

PR1's CNTF IP is jointly owned with Rice only where they are co-inventors, so any licensing or commercial outcome still has to be negotiated.

So this appointment will help to chase positive outcomes with this.

Here is a look at how the technology looks in action and how it can be created:

(source - PR1 announcement)

Last week PR1 released the second of four planned CNTF data sets, confirming its fibre is ~5.5x lighter than copper:PR1's carbon nanotube fibre's 5.5x lighter than copper suitable for use in drones, robotics and defence systems.

What we want to see next from PR1

🔄 US government funding outcomes

PR1 has commenced applications to DoE and DoD funding programs. We want to see at least one of these land - it would validate the program and provide additional capital:

(source)

🔄 End user collaboration progress

Multiple organisations are already engaging. We want to see this progress toward joint development agreements or testing partnerships with named parties.

🔄 Workstream milestones

With 8 workstreams now defined, we want to see PR1 start ticking off deliverables - starting with feedstock qualification and fibre synthesis.

PR1’s recent announcement confirmed that feedstock has been collected for characterisation, the very first step of Step 1.

Just prior to that PR1 confirmed the 8 step program to get this underway:

(source)