Israeli startup Juganu wins the regional category at Groupe Renault Hackathon “Licence to Clean”

Today, venture-backed Israeli lighting company Juganu announced that it has won the Licence to Clean Hackathon and is discussing the feasibility of future collaborations with Groupe Renault on disinfecting car cabin spaces with the Patented J.Protect lighting solution. 

In response to COVID-19, Groupe Renault hosted a “Licence to Clean” hackathon from August until October 2020 calling for new sanitization solutions to prevent the spread of pathogens in automobiles. Groupe Renault selected Juganu as the winner in the Israel regional category and the global runner up for its work with J.Protect.  

The hackathon was managed in Israel by Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Innovation Lab Tel Aviv, which operates to identify and test Israeli innovative technologies that could be implemented in future cars and services offered by the Alliance member companies. According to Ingrid Amsellem, innovation project leader at the Lab, and the Israel lead of the competition: “Israel was a key country in this global hackathon thanks to the creativity and daring of the local entrepreneurs. We have identified Juganu as a company with a lot of potential and added value. Its unique thin form, flexibility, non-flammable and shock-resistant qualities make the technology perfect for the automotive environment.” 

Juganu’s J. Protect for automobiles solution comes as an ultra-thin surface light, making it ideal for height- and depth-restricted spaces like a vehicle’s cabin, compartments, body and even trailer. The wireless solution is operated remotely using a mobile app and functions through two key modes: Allegro, which offers continuous protection, and Presto, which offers accelerated disinfection. 

The Allegro mode activates protective disinfection with lighting that uses a pre-set combination of wavelengths, including UV-A frequencies, to safely and continuously disinfect interior cabins and spaces, even while passengers are present. Meanwhile, the Presto mode activates accelerated disinfection, which uses UV-C to disinfect the cabin interior in minutes once passengers exit the vehicle.

Key benefits of J. Protect for automobiles:

• Multipurpose lighting protection and disinfection that’s safe, continuous, and chemical-free – all from the same light source in the roof of a vehicle

• Both modes are clinically proven to be effective, and used in combination can inactivate 99.9% of pathogens

• Patented Multi Random Ray (MRR) technology allows J.Protect to suppress both aerosol- and surface-attached pathogens, even in hard-to-reach places.

• Planar LED ultra-thin form defuses light in a soft, even glow, and generates high-quality light across the full-color spectrum that is tunable to enhance the driving experience with flicker-free, high-res dimming 

“Partnering with such an iconic automaker like Renault would be an incredible honor for the entire Juganu team,” says Juganu CEO and Co-founder Eran Ben-Shmuel. “Once the COVID-19 pandemic started, we understood we had the capability to inactivate the virus just by using our light. We created J. Protect to disinfect air and surfaces in indoor environments with the light above and this collaboration would allow us to bring this technology to the automotive industry during a very critical time.”

To learn more, visit: www.juganu.com

About Juganu:

Founded in 2011, Juganu’s mission is to create a safer, more connected world through Juganu’s light platform. Its flagship product, J.Protect, uses advanced AI-driven light technology to transform public spaces into safe environments. Backed by leading investors including Comcast Ventures, Amdocs, Viola Growth, and others, Juganu holds 43 patents and makes its own unique LED using Planar technology, the best and richest light source other than natural light. Juganu is headquartered in Israel, and has rapidly-growing offices in the US, Mexico and Brazil. To learn more, visit: www.juganu.com.

About the Alliance Innovation Lab Tel Aviv

The Alliance Innovation Lab Tel Aviv aims to advance the state-of-the-art mobility, with a main focus on vision sensors, cybersecurity, and data & AI. Its mission is to identify and test Israeli technologies that could be implemented in future cars and services offered by the Alliance member companies. 

The Lab collaborates with the local innovation ecosystem through joint prototyping efforts. To date it has led dozens of collaborative projects and POCs with Israeli start-ups. The Lab, located in Park Atidim TLV, builds on a unique 1600 m2 facility which provides startups with space to test technologies with real vehicles, as well as on a team of engineers permanently located in Israel.

Since February 2018, it has also operated under the new Technological Labs program of the Israeli Innovation Authority. 

Contact Information

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