Materials science, made in Bristol.
Albotherm is a Bristol-based materials company developing heat activated materials for buildings and commercial greenhouses. Our technology originated from the University of Bristol PhD research of Dr Siân Fussell, Albotherm’s CTO, into polymers that respond to changes in temperature.
See the material in action
Clear when it’s cool, diffuse white as it heats — the switch happening on treated glass, with no power involved.
How it started
When Molly, now Albotherm’s co-founder and CEO, joined Siân in 2019, they took the technology through the Innovate UK-funded ICURe market discovery programme. Working with potential customers and industry partners, they explored the commercial potential of the technology and identified the most impactful applications for the material.
One opportunity stood out. Commercial greenhouse growers were applying chalk-based shade coatings to their glass to reduce overheating, but in doing so were limiting the natural light available to their crops for the rest of the growing season. Albotherm was founded in 2020 to translate this research into commercially viable materials, developing temperature-responsive shading for greenhouse glass before expanding into applications for the built environment, and beyond.
Where we are now
Today, Albotherm’s multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers is based at Future Space in Bristol. Since the company’s founding, we have secured £2.1 million in private investment alongside £2.14 million in grant funding, with support from organisations such as Innovate UK.