Cold Comfort (Published January 2004)
Cool company offers a pioneering product
We offer trade finance. Normally that means the funding for a transaction ready
to happen. But sometimes we have to think ahead. In this case, we were asked
to fund existing stock of a company that had no firm orders, but sells an amazing
product that can offer real benefits to the human race. Without the funds to
pay their continuing costs, the knowledge that they had an excellent product
was cold comfort to this company – but we have been able to help. It is a privilege
to be of service to Kryotrans Ltd.
Kryotrans have developed a unique product for the transport of temperature
sensitive goods. It sounds simple. It is an insulated container designed to
maintain an internal temperature of between -80 and +40 degrees centigrade within
a close range for up to seven days. It has a unique logging device that records
the product temperature and any interference with the product for up to 21 days.
" . . . an amazing
product that can offer real benefits to the human race . . . we have been able to help. It is a privilege."
There are multiple applications, but the first target market is the transport
of vaccines and other medical products and samples. The Kryotrans product offers
both improved insulation and the supporting log. The recipient can be confident that the product has remained within the temperature parameters and has
not been tampered with.
We were told of one delivery of vaccines to Africa that cost $13m and took
nine months to produce. The vaccines overheated in transit and became useless.
Africa did without those vaccines that year. Kryotrans could have prevented
this. Now that is really cool.
Because Kryotrans offer an improved security standard in air and road transport,
the medical world has to consider it. It can now avoid the risk of losing those
vaccines.
Furthermore, expensive refrigerated road transport is no longer necessary:
vaccines packed in the Kryotrans product can travel in normal vehicles. There
are other uses, including the transport of bodies from war zones.
The problem, as with medicines, is the length of time it takes to get products
tested and accepted by the market – and this is the period Kryotrans has recently
been going through. It is funded with equity finance, but finding such funding
is always slow and complex.
We were approached early in 2003. Kryotrans had some stock, funded by its equity,
but needed cash to pay its ongoing costs. Much of its stock was out on test
with potential customers and there was huge interest. But, of course, many of
the customers are the world's big companies and decisions are not taken quickly.
" . . . the owner of the goods can have constant monitoring
of the box's location and temperature, even when in an aircraft."
We entered an agreement with Kryotrans, in which we bought its existing stock
in exchange for the cash it needed. And we have since bought some more on 60-day
credit direct from its French supplier, some of which has now been sold.
Orders are now beginning to come in; a Canadian company is taking the rights
for Canadian distribution of the product and will pay a substantial sum for
the exclusive right to do so.
Soon more orders will arrive, and Kryotrans will need more boxes and loggers
that we can buy on credit with a Supplier Undertaking. We'll then recover our
exposure from the factored debt, with the profits reverting to Kryotrans.
The next phase of the company's product development sounds interesting. By
adding a mobile phone and GPS, the owner of the goods can have constant monitoring
of the box's location and temperature, even when in an aircraft. If those vaccines
are left in hot sun on an airfield, it will be known immediately. If they are
mistakenly put into refrigerated transport, it will be known immediately. If
they are stolen or tampered with, the owner will know.
We are grateful for the opportunity to support such a cool company at this
crucial stage of its development.
Written by David Ross Director
Download
the Article 'Cold Comfort' at www.fairfaxgerrard.co.uk/docs/BusMon 0104
Cold Comfort.pdf
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