Sonovia

Sonovia is a textile industry company based in Israel. Sonovia’s aim is to replace polluting textile wet-processes with their high-performance, sustainable Sono-processes. The company is also working on fabric treatments that can reduce hospital-acquired infections. Sonovia was founded in 2013 and was previously called Nano Textile. The company received a global license from Bar Ilan University to commercialize the technology. The company was rebranded as Sonovia after a North American license, initially excluded from the global license and renegotiated in 2017. Sonovia was founded by Shay Hershcovich and his father Shuki Joshua Hershcovich.

Sonovia uses ultrasonic finishing and wet-processing applications that require less chemicals for processing. Sonovia is an alumnus of the textile start-up accelerator “Fashion for Good – Plug and Play” and was awarded a 2.4m EUR grant under the Horizon2020 program.

Sonovia’s single-step, sono-coating process utilizes a physical phenomena called cavitation that eliminates the need for chemical binders, reducing the required chemicals in the coating process and allows a homogenized, high-performance coating. Cavitation is the formation of vapour bubbles in low-pressure regions of a liquid when it has been accelerated to high velocities. Sonovia uses sound waves in liquid create cavities or air voids. When these cavities implode, they create nanoparticles of metal oxides. The sound waves also create high-velocity jet streams in the liquid forcing the nanoparticles onto the surface of the fabric. The company has an antibacterial, odor safe, sustainable coating durable to harsh industrial laundries.

Sonovia’s patented bacteria-fighting nanoparticle finishing technology was developed by scientists in the labs of Professors Aharon Gedanken and Ilana Perelshtei at Bar Ilan University. The technology mechanically infuses metal oxide nanoparticles onto textiles with the ultrasonic-assisted impregnation process with a chemical compound, resulting in textiles that block bacteria and fungi. The technology can be used on masks, protective clothing, hospital bedding and gowns and other materials to prevent hospital-acquired infections. The enhanced textile can maintain anti-pathogen activity up to 100 washes at 75C and 65 washes at 92 C. Pilot testing in a European hospital showed a reduction in infections.

Sonovia has technology for anti-pathogen, anti-bacterial fabric which it sent to labs in China for testing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus strain SARS-CoV-2 causing the outbreak of the disease called COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) which began in Wuhan, China in December, 2019. Samples were sent to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and a medical lab in Chengdu. The fabrics will be colonized with the coronavirus to evaluate whether the technology can destroy the virus.