Register for free to
view the full innovation profile.
Lightning in a Box: Disinfects >99% airborne pathogens, >90% particle removal, rapid, enhancing animal health, worker safety, and productivity with ROI >$100K per small farm.
About
KiposTech's "Lightning in a Box" represents a transformative approach in tackling the significant challenges posed by airborne diseases in animal agriculture. Utilizing advanced non-thermal plasma technology, this system stands out by ensuring over 99% efficiency in removing both pathogens and particles from the air, addressing key issues faced by the animal production, including devastating diseases like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome virus (PRRS), and high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). These diseases contribute to substantial economic losses—$600 million annually in the swine industry alone—and present serious zoonotic risks, as seen with avian flu outbreaks causing significant poultry mortality and financial damage. Traditional air cleaning methods, such as MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value), HEPA (High efficiency particulate air) filters and UVC systems, often fall short in either filtration efficiency or pathogen inactivation, typically managing only 40-60% effectiveness. In contrast, KiposTech’s technology achieves nearly 100% pathogen disinfection, combining high-efficiency filtration (>90%) with effective pathogen inactivation, all while operating continuously without harmful byproducts.
The design of "Lightning in a Box" allows for rapid air disinfection, effectively stopping the transmission of infectious agents among animals housed in high-density settings. Animals are typically housed in confined spaces, either naturally or mechanically ventilated, where air flows like a tunnel from one end of the farm to the other. This setup is often inadequate for halting localized viral disease transmission within the spaces like farrowing pens, pig nursery etc. To address this, KiposTech offers two specialized products:
(a) KiposPro, an in-room unit designed to be suspended from ceiling near animal pens. This unit interrupts local disease transmission directly at the source.
(b) KiposProVent, which integrates into the farm's mechanical ventilation system. This unit disinfects incoming air, effectively preventing disease transmission within the facility and facility-to-facility as the animal viruses can travel up to 5 to 9 km.
This rapid action, capable of disinfecting spaces up to 5000 ft³ within 5 minutes per unit, twelve times faster than UV-C, not only enhances animal health and productivity but also protects farm workers from potential zoonotic transmissions. With a high Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of up to 2000 CFM, the system captures a wide range of particle sizes, from viruses and bacteria to fungi, making it a comprehensive solution for modern animal agriculture environments. KiposTech’s system is not only a technological innovation but also an economically sound investment. With low maintenance requirements and substantial disease control capabilities, it promises a strong return on investment, starting with savings of over $100,000 per year per small to mid-size farm. This makes it an indispensable tool for ensuring long-term disease control, enhancing farm productivity, and supporting sustainable food security at the grassroots level.
Key Benefits
- Comprehensive Control: Achieves over 99% disinfection with a clean air delivery rate (CADR) of 400-2000 CFM, capturing and killing aerosol particles from 0.1 to 10 µm. This ensures a broad range of airborne viruses, bacteria, fungi and particles are totally neutralized from the animal breathing zone.
- Rapid Action: Instantly neutralizes airborne pathogens, significantly outperforming traditional systems. This rapid response is crucial in high-density farming operations like swine where the quick spread of infections like PRRS and avian influenza can have severe impacts. The solution will also reduce the risk of zoonotic transmission from animals to farm workers.
- Smart Monitoring: Automated software provides real-time air quality insights, enabling optimal operation leading to electricity savings and proactive maintenance.
- ROI: Prevents diseases, enhances productivity, and promotes sustainability, potentially saving over $100K annually per small to mid-size farm.
- Economic and Environmental Benefits: Low maintenance and the absence of harmful byproducts not only reduce operational costs but also promote environmentally friendly and sustainable practices, reducing reliance on the blind use of antibiotics.
Applications
KiposTech's target market is strategically situated within the animal agriculture sector, particularly focusing on environments highly susceptible to airborne diseases. The Total Addressable Market (TAM) for air disinfection globally, which includes agricultural applications, is projected to grow to $23B by 2031, emphasizing a substantial market opportunity. Within this, the Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) for KiposTech, specifically targeting the U.S. agricultural sector—including swine and poultry farms, specialty livestock operations, and large integrated agricultural facilities—is valued at $2.5B. This segment is expected to see significant growth as global population increases, demand for animal protein rises, and sustainable food production becomes central to food security. The cost of diseases to food animal production is significant and cannot be ignored, especially with the high cost of disease outbreaks.
The Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) KiposTech aims to capture focuses on these high-risk environments, with a goal to sell 7000 units and generate $15 M in revenue within the next three years.