Barocal has raised $10 million in a seed funding round to bring a new type of solid-state cooling technology to market, the startup announced to TechCrunch.
The company aims to replace the century-old vapor compression process used in modern refrigerators with a system that utilizes inexpensive, solid materials. This new method uses a hunk of plastic crystals that can cool food and drink through physical pressure.
According to TechCrunch, the startup's technology promises to use significantly less energy than current compressors. Unlike traditional refrigeration, which relies on potentially harmful gases, Barocal's method eliminates the risk of leaking climate-warming refrigerants.
Investors in the seed round included World Fund, Breakthrough Energy Discovery, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, and IP Group.
From materials physics to commercial cooling
The technology originated from research conducted by Barocal founder Xavier Moya, a professor of materials physics at the University of Cambridge. Moya's work focuses on how certain solid materials can capture and release heat simply by being stretched or squeezed.
Moya told TechCrunch that his interest in thermal technology began during his youth in Spain. "I really remember when air conditioning came to the house — it was like wow!" he recalled.
To demonstrate the physical principle behind the technology, Moya uses a simple analogy involving a deflated balloon. He explains that if you stretch a balloon, it becomes hot, but it feels cold once you let it go.
Early prototypes of the Barocal system are already performing as effectively as existing refrigerator compressors, according to the report.
