The area of nanotechnology and advanced materials is quickly becoming one of the most inventive parts of science and industry today. By engineering at the level of single atoms and molecules, researchers can impart properties to materials that traditional materials cannot. Nanotechnology is making a difference in solving issues in electronics, healthcare, being green, and a range of other fields. It's essential for advancing future inventions because it turns research experiments into useful and practical technologies.

Pyrome Innovations Pvt. Ltd. is a startup working in cutting-edge material science driven optical point-of-care (PoC) systems that been leveraged for several useful applications. The spin-off, supported by the MEMS Microfluidics and Nanoelectronics Lab (MMNE) at BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus, has been a specialist in commercial research for nearly a decade. With an innovative foundation, it was conceived when Pavar Saikumar (during PhD) encountered difficulties creating optical readout microfluidic devices.

The problems prompted the group to investigate nanomaterials to improve sensory output, especially 2D materials like graphene and metallic nanoparticles. The establishment of Pyrome Innovations was stimulated by the lab's breakthrough in producing high-quality, reproducible, and scalable nanomaterials for advanced applications.

Pyrome Innovations provides various nano-sized materials at the industry scale, such as silver nanoparticles, silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and metal oxide composites. The materials are created to enhance biosensors, wearables, and flexible electronics. It also offers 3D-printed microfluidic chip design, production, and customized optical detection systems for biomedical applications. The microfluidic technology that Pyrome adopted can make nanoparticles in just seconds with zero post-processing and improved shelf life.

Its other products and services include microfluidic chip design and 3D-printed device cases and peripherals. The company’s optical sensors augmented by the in-house synthesized novel materials have healthcare, agriculture, and environmental monitoring applications. First-hand success stories from the real world, such as custom formulations made available to a researcher from Army Dental College, demonstrate Pyrome Innovations' flexibility and consumer focus.

Overcoming Technical Challenges

As the materials aspect was one of the main technical challenges it encountered, especially concerning nanomaterials and sensors based on reduced graphene oxide, assuring the stability of these materials was a crucial concern. Enhancing stability had to be done without raising costs, so it did not involve using extra chemicals or intricate procedures. Finding the ideal flow parameters and material combinations to provide superior quality and long lasting performance nanoparticles took much trial and error.

Keeping production costs under control was another major obstacle, particularly for nanoparticles where cost is crucial. The business concentrated on cutting labor by automating the protocol and manufacturing costs. This was made possible by introducing microfluidic systems, notably a cost-effective and scalable microfluidic chip. This invention significantly reduced the cost of production as a whole.

Growth & Future Outlook

The founding team combines knowledge of mechanical engineering, electronics, nanomaterials, microfluidics, and nanoelectronics. Rapid innovation and problem-solving are made possible by this interdisciplinary collaboration. It has established a solid growth foundation with the support of BITS Pilani's strong infrastructure, technical mentorship, and research ecosystem.

It intends to collaborate with businesses and venture capitalists and introduce a broader range of affordable, high-performance nanomaterials and explore onestep quantum dot synthesis. By bridging the gap between innovation and accessibility, they hope to establish themselves as a leading supplier of scalable, customizable nanomaterials for both industries and researchers.