The average person touches their smartphone 2,617 times a day. As one of the objects we hold the most, it’s also likely to carry a lot of germs.
As people have become more germ-conscious during the Covid-19 pandemic, a group of Chicagoans have developed a phone case designed to eliminate bacteria.
Called Aeris, the startup has developed a copper-coated phone case that claims to destroy bacteria within 30 minutes.
Using 100% recycled copper and a proprietary coating method developed by Aeris, the case’s copper ions penetrate bacteria molecules and break them down. The startup has filed a patent for its copper-coating technology.
Aeris cases come in several iPhone and Galaxy models and cost $39.
Copper has been studied by researchers for years and shown to be an antimicrobial material in clinical settings. Copper has demonstrated its ability to eliminate pathogens, such as H1N1 and MERS, in minutes.
Isaac Lichter, Nick O’Brien and Andrew Medland founded Aeris in March, shortly after Lichter and Medland contracted Covid-19 themselves. All three founders grew up in Evanston, Illinois, where Aeris is now based, and recently graduated from Vanderbilt University.
“We were all quarantining, had a lot of time on our hands, and wanted to figure out something that we could do to help,” O’Brien said. “This was a rare opportunity to do something.”
The founders prototyped and 3D-printed their first few cases in their garage. Once they had a working product, Aeris launched an Indiegogo campaign, raising more than $16,000 from 302 backers. In addition to the Indiegogo, Aeris has also raised funding from angel investors in the “high five figures,” O’Brien said.
Now, the startup is manufacturing its cases in California and has sold about 2,000 units, as well as donated hundreds more to local health care organizations, including Lenox Hill Hospital in New York and NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston.
As Aeris grows its business, the founders are looking for ways to make it sustainable even after the Covid crisis is over. O’Brien said Aeris plans to release other copper-coated products, which could include door handles, water bottles and wallets.
Aeris is currently testing its copper solution in a trial for door handles on a major transit system in Canada. O’Brien said he can envision Aeris’ technology being useful on CTA buses and trains as well.
“We’re going to be acutely aware of germs for the foreseeable future,” O’Brien said. “It’s not just going to go away. We can help mitigate both the psychological risk of entering places that feel contaminated, and we can truly and meaningfully reduce transmission rates.”
