Company History

In 2000 Justin Hall-Tipping, a successful venture capitalist with a global bank, realized that a field he had been tracking for some time – nanotechnology – was at the tipping point of becoming a major technological force, and decided that here was an opportunity to create something new and exciting.

Justin realized the potential of nanotechnology was seemingly limitless, and that one area in particular where nanotechnology could be applied with huge impact was energy. Justin had seen the satellite pictures of the B15 Iceberg, the largest iceberg in the world, as it broke away from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica, and was inspired to turn his entrepreneurial and investment experience to addressing energy efficiency and climate change. Nanoholdings, a company specifically focused on hunting out nanotechnology breakthroughs in the fields of energy generation, transmission, storage and use, was founded.

Nanoholdings’ first major step was to team up with Professor Jim Tour from Rice University. Jim wanted to turn his scientific research in nanocomposites into viable industrial products and Nanoholdings’ first subsidiary company – NanoComposites Inc – was born. Jim’s research was based on making carbon nanotubes more functional so they could act as rebar steel does in concrete, but would use rubber instead to withstand the higher temperatures and pressure for seals in the Oil and Gas industry. Today, NanoComposites holds over 28 patents and patent applications, and more than 10 industrial technologies.

Since then Nanholdings has created a number of other companies: from producing concrete with zero carbon dioxide emissions to energy efficient, flexible electronic displays, these companies are already making tomorrow’s headlines.

Nanoholdings has also established relationships with universities worldwide, including Yale University, the University of Florida, Gainesville, The Georgia Institute of  Technology, University of Cambridge, England, Rice University, Wake Forest University, the University of Texas, Dallas, University of Central Florida and the National University of Singapore; and has received investment from partners like Morgan Stanley, Schlumberger, and McLendon Ventures.

In 2009 Nanoholdings established an office in Singapore, to focus more closely on the growing nano-research in the area.