Chemicals supplier Clariant has bought a stake of undisclosed size in Haelixa, a Switzerland-based supplier of DNA tracers for industrial purposes spun out from ETH Zurich. The transaction is part of a cooperation agreement under which Clariant will support Haelixa’s product development. Founded in 2016, Haelixa supplies tracers composed of DNA sequences held inside invisible particles that are mixed into fluids and objects to give them a distinct watermark for identification purposes. The company’s services predominantly fulfil industrial needs such as oil reservoir monitoring, product tracking and the identification of leaks. Clariant believes the purchase exemplifies its endeavour of harnessing open innovation emerging from external partners including universities to complement its internal R&D programs. Haelixa was co-founded by two ETH Zurich PhD graduates –chief executive Michela Puddu, who studied chemical engineering, and chief technology officer Gediminas Mikutis, who completed his post-doctorate in chemical engineering. Richard Haldimann, head of new business development at Clariant, said: “Haelixa’s technology shows great promise in several product categories and applications which are relevant to Clariant. “We are therefore delighted to work with Haelixa and are committed to further developing and commercialising this exciting technology.”

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