A major business opportunity is opening up for Grenoble-based start-up eLichens, which develops high-end digital air-quality sensors and environmental digitization software. The company announced this week that Japanese firm New Cosmos Electric, a specialist in the design and sale of gas detectors, is acquiring a minority stake in the start-up.
Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Japanese company is investing approximately $10 million in eLichens. The investment will also enable New Cosmos Electric to integrate eLichens’ sensors into its new gas detectors.
For eLichens, the deal provides greater access to the Japanese market, including the opportunity to distribute its “Aura CO2” monitoring station there. This represents another step toward expanding internationally.
Between 2016 and 2018, the start-up raised a total of €12 million from several investors, including Sofimac Innovation, Emertec Gestion, Aereco, Bpifrance (through its Ville de Demain fund), BNP Paribas Développement, and several business angels.
