ORLANDO, Fla., June 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Violet Defense Group announced today that it has raised over $1.8 million in its current $3 million round. This round is being led by Kirenaga Partners , an early-stage venture capital firm with offices in New York and Orlando, Florida. This brings the total investment to date in the company to just over $4.0 million.
The new capital for Violet Defense Group will be used to ramp up commercialization efforts across its two operating companies: Violet Defense, the germ-killing technology company, and Violet Gro, the recently launched agricultural lighting company.
VIOLET DEFENSE
Globally, bacterial and viral infections cause approximately 9.3 million deaths each year, and foodborne illnesses can cost the economy over $15.6 billion 1 . Violet Defense’s technology has been proven effective through independent, third-party clinical testing to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including E. Coli, Salmonella, Norovirus, and MRSA. The patented technology has been incorporated into the company’s S.A.G.E. (Surface & Air Germ Elimination) UV line of products that can deploy pulsed Xenon UV light in products ranging from the small, yet powerful Micro up to its most robust high-powered UV Bolt mobile unit.
Violet Defense’s products provide an economically viable option to bring clinical-level disinfection to every day spaces, including schools, hotels, restaurants, assisted living facilities, and commercial office spaces that cannot afford the existing hospital-focused UV systems that cost as much as $125,000.
Violet Defense’s technology is the only known Pulsed Xenon solution that can be installed into a room full-time, creating a continuous way to address disinfection needs for all types of settings, including healthcare and non-healthcare facilities alike. The S.A.G.E. line of products can operate autonomously, activating anytime a room is unoccupied, or via integration with a centralized building automation control system. Research has shown that adding UV light to traditional cleaning protocols can reduce healthcare-acquired infections by up to 30% 2 . As part of deploying the new capital, Violet Defense will also be pursuing additional certifications required to expand the product line internationally, including into European markets.
VIOLET GRO
Violet Gro, the new LED agricultural lighting company recently launched under Violet Defense Group, uses the same patented technological discovery to produce grow lights that are highly energy efficient, operate at extremely low temperatures compared to traditional grow lights, and are non-reactive to the operating environment. The company is currently researching the optimal configurations for incorporating targeted UV wavelengths of the light spectrum into its agricultural lights. UV can provide enhanced benefits to growers, such as triggering plant responses that will increase flavonoids or cannabinoids, as well as helping control mold, mildew, and other plant pests such as spider mites. The competitive advantage for Violet Gro lights is that they incorporate a unique lens material that is in direct and immediate contact with the LED light source (UV and non-UV) without the risk of destruction and degradation that other lens materials face.
“The applications for our light-lens technology are nearly limitless and can truly help keep people throughout the world safe and healthy,” said Terrance Berland, CEO of Violet Defense Group. “This latest investment in the company will not only expand our ability to protect the world from germs, but also further our efforts to apply our breakthrough technology to other industries, including agriculture and water sanitization,” added Berland.
About Violet Defense: Founded in 2012, Violet Defense is on a journey to find new ways to protect people from harmful germs that have grown resistant to traditional forms of cleaning and disinfecting. Its patented method uses the proven power of germ-killing light, including UV and violet blue light, to fight the war against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and bacterial spores without the use of chemicals. Its patented technology miniaturizes the deployment of germ-killing light, enabling integration into almost any product or environment. For more information on Violet Defense and the S.A.G.E. UV anti-microbial line, visit www.violetdefense.com .
About Violet Gro Violet Gro brings together Violet Defense’s patented technology with cutting-edge design to optimize plant growth in indoor grow environments. The right lighting plays a critical role in the ability to grow healthy, viable plants, but Violet Gro also believes in focusing on the system economics of growing. Our lighting designs create a more cost-effective, long-term solution to indoor agriculture by providing more light with less heat, which results in less energy costs. For more information, visit www.violetgro.com .
Media Contact for Violet Defense Group: Jessica Jones, Vice President of Marketing 407.433.1104, x1002 jjones@violetdefense.com
1 Flynn, Dan. “USDA: U.S. Foodborne Illnesses Cost More Than $15.6 Billion Annually.” Food Safety News, 9 Oct. 2014, www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/10/foodborne-illnesses-cost-usa-15-6-billion-annually/#.Wwa0du4vyiM .
2 Anderson, D J, et al. “Enhanced Terminal Room Disinfection and Acquisition and Infection Caused by Multidrug-Resistant Organisms and Clostridium Difficile (the Benefits of Enhanced Terminal Room Disinfection Study): a Cluster-Randomised, Multicentre, Crossover Study.” Advances in Pediatrics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 25 Feb. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28104287 .
