Serial entrepreneur Miles Wright announced the launch of Xanofi Inc, a company introducing a new platform for nanofiber production that promises drastic improvements in yields, price and functionality over current methods.

The company also introduced XanoShear, a unique and highly efficient method for commercial nanofiber production. Developed for seven years at North Carolina State University, XanoShear creates polymeric fibers with shear force in liquids, an inherently simple and efficient design that also accepts a wide range of additives to create functionalized fibers (fibers that have coatings, additives or other enhancements).

Currently, most commercial nanofibers are created by electrospinning and meltblowing, two technologies that are mechanically harsh and require significant energy cost.

XanoShear can reduce production energy costs by 75% and the overall cost of fiber production by 50%. Production yields from a single lab prototype machine is over 20 times greater than electrospinning, with research demonstrating possible increases over 100x. In the spring of 2011, Xanofi will begin commercial production of fibers for clients and will seek ISO certification.

“Our business model is to partner with companies that need nanotechnologies incorporated into their products but don’t want the distraction or capital expense of becoming nanofiber production companies themselves,” said CEO Wright. “By having a process that can produce very high yields of fibers, a wide range of polymers to address the various markets and multiple means of delivery, Xanofi will become an important and trusted supplier that makes enhanced products commercially viable.”

Wright has over 20 years of startup and entrepreneurial expertise in a variety of fields, including building a 65,000 sq. ft., 150 person manufacturing plant from the ground up.

His successful startups include Accugraphics, Eyebeam, Signature Publishing, MCW Properties, and has developed new technology for CoastMaster and Graphic Detail. In addition he has co-founded two successful nonprofits and served as a Director for numerous organizations.

For the last four years Wright has served as an Executive-in-Residence in the Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization program at North Carolina State University.

Leading the scientific team is Dr. Orlin Velev, principal investigator in charge of developing the XanoShear process. He has established a record of innovative research in the area of functional nanostructures, biosensors and microfluidic devices. He has been the first to synthesize "inverse opals," one of the most widely studied types of photonic materials today.

He also pioneered principles for microscopic biosensors with direct electrical detection, discovered novel types of self-assembling supraparticles, microwires and designed new microfluidic chips. He has contributed more than 110 publications, which have been cited more than 6,400 times, and has presented more than 125 invited presentations at major conferences, universities and companies.

The company currently is building large-scale commercial equipment and seeking to identify partners in a variety of industries.