Tech firm that’s fit for a Queen
HEIQ
GLOVES have soared in popularity this past year, as men and women alike have looked for extra protection against coronavirus.
The Queen, however, has been one step ahead. Her Majesty has been wearing beautiful gloves for years. And one of her favourite designers, Cornelia James, is now making them with a special antiviral compound, designed to break down viruses and stop them from spreading.
The technology was pioneered by HeiQ (pronounced High Q), a Zurich-based group that joined the London stock market just last month. Founded by two engineers in 2005, HeiQ specialises in devising ways to make materials work better. The antiviral technology has been used to make souped-up masks, for instance, used by hospital staff and careful consumers around the world.
Other HeiQ compounds are used to cool down clothes or warm them up, while another technology helps to reduce the environmental impact of dyeing textiles. There is even a product that can be incorporated into curtains, carpets and furniture to purify the air around them. Millions of people die from harmful indoor air each year so the technology has enormous potential.
HeiQ is not just a blue-sky tech firm. The Queen is almost certainly its most famous customer but founders Carlo Centonze and Murray Height work with a host of multinational firms, including Zara, Primark, swimwear specialist Speedo and Ikea, which has adopted the clear air technology in one of its curtain designs.
The group reports in dollars, as most of i ts transactions are denominated in the US currency. This year, revenues of $43 million (£32 million) are expected with profits of around $8 million. In the next few years, however, Centonze and Height expect to take revenues to $300 million – and supporters are confident they can do it.
Traded on: Main market Ticker: HEIQ Contact: heiq.com or 00 41 56 250 6850