Thermal Armour is on a mission to save lives and revolutionise the global healthcare industry by eradicating surgical hypothermia: a serious and potentially lethal condition that commonly occurs in surgical procedures.
Developed in Queensland, the company’s patented Evertec® wearable warming technology will enhance patient outcomes and reduce the cost of hypothermia-associated complications in hospitals, emergency situations and conflicts.
Thermal Armour will use $100,000 of Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas Round 10 Funding to support activities to build national awareness of the product among healthcare providers and highlight the company’s position as a leader in locally made, world-class medical devices.
We asked Dr Nick Ralph, clinician, professor, and Thermal Armour founder, about the company, innovation, and product development, and how the Ignite Ideas funding will help his business to grow.
What inspired you to start your business?
Hypothermia is the most common serious adverse event in surgery, occurring in around one in two surgical procedures. It’s also a common and potentially lethal condition in trauma and situations where prolonged exposure to the elements has occurred.
The key issue with hypothermia is to provide as much heat to the body surface for the longest time, and at the right temperature. We noticed a gap in the market and pioneered the development of wearable warming technology which can be powered by batteries alone. Our technology allows us to be incredibly versatile and meet the needs across surgery, search and rescue, and military medicine contexts.
What milestones have you reached?
We have demonstrated the performance of our product against competitors in laboratory testing. We’ve completed the LuminaX Health Accelerator Program, patented our own technology, and trademarked our brand. We’ve partnered with global suppliers in the high-performance textiles space and established our own manufacturing capability right here in Queensland. We’ve started collaborating with the Australian Army and successfully trialled our product in Talisman Sabre wargames, and key players in this space are contacting us about customer trials. We’ve also started raising funds for further expansion and have been successful in getting great investors on board.
What achievements are you most proud of?
Having the Australian Army tell us “You have a great product here,” in their feedback about the Thermal Armour system was just incredible. To know we have a system that can save lives whether it is in the hospital, a war zone or a disaster zone is humbling. We believe there is nothing more precious than life, and our goal over the next 10 years is to provide our life-saving Evertec® technology to the world as a force for good.
What are your business goals over the next 12-24 months?
Our goals are to rapidly expand into the ANZ and North American markets. Within two years our goal is to have at least a 15% market share of the Australian patient warming market, while developing a significant and expanding presence into the North American and European market.
How will use your Ignite Ideas funding?
By securing Ignite Ideas funding, we can launch Thermal Armour and generate national awareness among healthcare providers of its unique branding, clinical superiority, and cost effectiveness. We will capitalise on growing awareness by generating sales leads nationally. We believe our data demonstrates a genuine unique advantage compared to competitors. Our marketing campaigns will highlight this advantage, positioning Thermal Armour as a leader of locally-made, world-class medical devices, and translate interest into customer acquisition.
How will the funding assist your business to grow and/or create jobs?
By securing Ignite Ideas funding, Thermal Armour will be poised to drive business growth via an expanded customer base and use customer testing and market research to prepare for export operations to the lucrative North American market.
Why would you recommend applying for Advance Queensland programs such as the Ignite Ideas Fund?
If you’re passionate about taking home grown technology to the world, building a great business and being an employer right here in Queensland, I would thoroughly recommend applying!
What other support have you received from Advance Queensland and the Queensland Government?
I am truly grateful for the wonderful support from Cohort Innovation Space and the LuminaX HealthTech accelerator. They have assembled a phenomenal group like Dren Xerxa, Janine McQueen, Ben Howe, Ariana Margetts, as well as their entire ecosystem of coaches and mentors like Tobias Black from Mariachi. I couldn’t recommend them more highly. I am also very grateful for people like Christine Waugh and Tori Brown from the Defence and Aerospace Industry Development Fund who provide such capable advice around navigating towards relevant opportunities in this area with such precision.
Why is it important to support Queensland businesses, innovators, and entrepreneurs?
For us it is a mixture of building advanced manufacturing skills, sovereign capability and really contributing to the economic growth, job creation and sense of identity in Queensland as a community of innovators and entrepreneurs with our focus on the world stage.
What’s your advice for other entrepreneurs and businesses starting out on their innovation journey?
Spend the time researching and developing a world-class product that solves a problem your end-users genuinely need addressed and will pay for. Then grow a truly great business around it and scale globally.
Do you have an innovative idea with potential? Learn more about the Advance Queensland Ignite Program and how to apply.
