Two ICN2 Spin-offs Lead the Way in Advanced Functional Materials

by Chema Arcos

Distinkt and Futurechromes, two companies emerging from the Nanostructured Functional Materials Group, are making significant progress in developing innovative technological solutions in various industries, including anti-counterfeiting tools and smart coatings for windows and sunglasses.

One of the key elements that defines ICN2's identity is its strong commitment to knowledge transfer. As a result of this vision and the excellent work of the Nanostructured Functional Materials Group, led by CISC Prof. Daniel Ruiz-Molina, spin-offs such as Distinkt and Futurechromes have been created. Over the past few years, these companies have achieved important advances in the development of new everyday technologies based on nanoscience.

Distinkt: smart materials to combat counterfeiting

Distinkt was founded in 2022 as a spin-off from ICN2, CSIC and UAB. The company, led by Dr Alex Julià and Luca Venza, is focused on developing next-generation solutions to combat counterfeiting. Its key products include high-security inks — suitable for use on banknotes — and smart QR codes that ensure product authenticity and traceability.

The startup has already secured nearly one million euros in funding. It has also received support from NEOTEC — a prestigious programme that supports high-tech start-ups — and has joined high-profile accelerators such as Berkeley Skydeck. Distinkt’s anti-fraud ink is set to hit the market in 2025, while its smart QR code technology will launch the following year. Their QR solutions, showcased at the recent Mobile World Congress, are based on photoresponsive materials. These are substances that change colour or fluoresce when exposed to light, making them useful for authenticating products in real time and providing robust protection for brands and consumers.

Futurechromes: a decade of commiting to innovation

Futurechromes, headed by Dr Claudio Roscini, is a well-established company with over 10 years' experience developing innovative nanotechnology products. Good examples are their smart coatings for windows and lenses. This technology is based on encapsulated photochromic nanomaterials that make it possible to regulate the amount of light passing through transparent surfaces according to the intensity of the sunlight. This provides both visual and thermal comfort, making it very useful in various applications. Another example is its colour-changing inks, which are being explored for dynamic advertising, personalised products and branding.

Futurechromes recently received a significant boost in the scale-up and commercialisation of new products thanks to its participation as a case study in two European Open Innovation Test Beds. One such opportunity allowed them to work with the Leitat Technology Centre, which helped them to scale up the application of their coatings to flexible, stable and durable glass by spray-coating. They also worked with other institutions (ITENE, CIDAUT and AXIA), which enabled them to explore techniques for scaling up film production using bio-based polymers. Both collaborations proved ideal for driving the development of next-generation products.

In summary, we would like to highlight the outstanding work of these two companies, as well as the other ICN2 spin-offs, which are focused on bringing the excellent scientific advances of our researchers to the market