ThruPore Technologies Inc., known for its innovation in chemistry and air filtration and Dr. Filter product, will locate its new operations campus in Newark, Delaware.

According to Delaware Prosperity Partnership, poised for significant growth over the next three to five years, ThruPore will move its existing Alabama jobs to Delaware and add 55 new full-time positions ranging from skilled trade to management in Delaware by the end of 2024.

“Delawareans joke about knowing everyone in the state, but the key here is that the people in Delaware take the time to get to know each other and keep that personal information at the top of their mind,” said Dr. Franchessa Sayler, founder, president and CEO of ThruPore Technologies. “They use this information to make decisions in their daily lives about where they can help others, whether that’s by providing expertise, resources or legislation. It is really a beautiful thing, and I am excited to become a bigger part of the Delaware ecosystem.”

As an incentive, supporting ThruPore’s plans are two grants totaling up to $564,090 that the company was approved to receive from the Delaware Strategic Fund by the state Council on Development Finance: a Jobs Performance Grant of up to $210,090 and a Lab Space Grant of $353,800. The Lab Space Grant will fund renovation of 7,076 feet of space for ThruPore’s research, development and manufacturing and is the first funding distributed by Delaware’s recently launched $3 million pilot program to help early-stage science and tech companies with expenses associated with building out lab space.

“Wet-lab-based companies provide great jobs and contribute to the valuable research and development activity that drives innovation economies such as ours,” said Governor John Carney. “The Lab Space Grant program was created to support companies like ThruPore, enabling them to scale up, deliver on their potential and create highly valuable long-term assets, including good-paying jobs in a key industry sector, for Delaware’s innovation ecosystem.”

ThruPore uses a highly valuable, proprietary manufacturing platform to make highly porous synthetic carbon catalyst products and sells them to large chemical companies. The company’s products enable new sustainable chemical reactions not possible with other commodity catalysts.

“Funding ThruPore epitomizes the goal of the Lab Space Grant program to support companies that need larger wet lab spaces so that they can scale up here in Delaware,” said Ariel Gruswitz, Delaware Prosperity Partnership Director of Innovation. “Their growth brings high-quality jobs and investment in priority industry and technology markets to Delaware’s economy and significant talent and mentoring to its community of science and technology innovators.”

Pivoting during the COVID-19 pandemic, ThruPore applied its carbon technology to HVAC filters and created the Dr. Filter antimicrobial application, which kills 99.99% of airborne viruses. ThruPore has filed four patents related to this technology and expects United States Environmental Protection Agency approval this summer. The company plans to provide the product to offices, schools and other institutions to reduce the spread of airborne pathogens and, consequently, diseases like COVID-19.