Tallano Technologies is an EIC Scaling Club Smart Mobility group member and a pioneer in particle emission reduction systems for vehicle braking. Their innovative device, connected directly to the braking system, actively aspires and filters particles, bringing the scale-up's mission to life – to address tens and hundreds of thousands of premature deaths due to air pollution in Europe.
Founded in 2012, this French scale-up now has fifty patents related to their technology and can be safely called the market leader in brake particle capture. We spoke to Tallano Technologies' Chief Business Officer, Muriel Draillard Babalao, to learn more about the critical issue Tallano's solution is dealing with, the scale-up's road to current success, and more.
When discussing air pollution caused by vehicle exhaust fumes, its danger to our health doesn't raise questions. We know that air pollution from transport contributes to smog and poor air quality, negatively impacting our health and welfare. What most of us don't know is that our vehicles' braking systems – friction braking, in particular – generate fine particulate matter capable of entering our bodies, crossing the barrier of our lungs, and causing direct harm.
“96% of the world's urban population is exposed to a pollution level higher than the recommendation of the World Health Organization,” says Muriel. She adds that, for example, the air in the metro stations is up to five times more polluted than the air in open-air urban areas. While fine particles from metro braking are not the sole cause of pollution, they contribute significantly to the overall air quality issue.
This major yet not commonly known threat to our health is precisely what Tallano Technologies' innovative solution addresses. The scale-up has invented a powerful device called TAMIC®, which is directly connected to the braking system of a vehicle, where it gathers the generated particulate matter, which is then filtered so the harmful particles don't get released into the air. TAMIC® is capable of absorbing up to 85% of the fine particles emitted during braking, and the solution can be adapted for different vehicles with friction braking systems, including rail transport, metro trains, cars, and heavy goods vehicles.
Most people aren’t aware of the issue of particles emitted by the brakes of vehicles. This lack of awareness has been one of the biggest challenges the scale-up has faced during its journey. Serving a mission is one thing, but how do you create a business in a non-existing market?
As Muriel explains – despite an apparent public demand for better health, there's a lack of awareness about the specific sources of pollution, particularly the harmful effects of fine particles from brakes. Plus, the lack of awareness applies to the automotive industry and investors as well.
Hence, to make people understand the importance of Tallano's solution and start growing the business, the scale-up must first educate the society on the issue. Luckily, EU legislations are also on the same page, the newly approved Euro 7 legislation, in particular, as it will set limits on vehicle emissions, including those from tires and brakes, making Tallano's TAMIC® as relevant as possible.
Muriel adds that while TAMIC® is now recognized as an innovative and efficient solution, the road to it has been quite demanding and lengthy.
The scale-up has tested the solution in various road and rail environments, including collaboration with the French National Railway Company, SNFC, to demonstrate TAMIC®'s effectiveness. “Now we are recognized as industry experts, and our solution is recognized on the market as trustful, robust, and efficient in capturing the braking emissions for the road and rail industry. We have gained the right to be among the big ones,” says Muriel.
Recently, Tallano Technologies has partnered with Transdev, a leading European mobility operator, to develop and implement a solution for capturing fine particle emissions from city buses. The joint project aims to equip a significant portion of Transdev’s bus fleet with TAMIC® technology, contributing to cleaner air in urban areas.
Tallano Technologies unites a team of passionate professionals working towards a goal of global significance. The team's experience is vast, ranging from science to engineering and management. Muriel describes her colleagues: “They like what they do, so they have no limit in their passion and the energy they give.”
While Tallano's product and innovation are undeniably important, it’s the company culture that genuinely drives the scale-up's success. Muriel tells us that the team's positive mindset, mutual respect, and genuine care for one another create a robust foundation for creativity that results in exceptional products.
Even though the Tallano Technologies team isn't big, the company has surrounded itself with plenty of partners and a supportive community. Muriel adds that the community has played a crucial role in Tallano's growth.
“The passion and devotion to the idea is what personally makes the difference between the company that I'm working for now and the companies I've worked for in the past. It's more than a salary. It's a mission to work for the future generations.”
Asked about Tallano Technologies' participation in the EIC Scaling Club, Muriel tells us that the company feels deeply honored to be a part of such an innovation-driven and passionate community: “It's a booster of excellence. But beyond being a booster, I would say it's also an accelerator. We are accelerating each other.” Muriel adds that the Club is a perfect place to meet people with the same problems, confront ideas, and share your challenges with expert entrepreneurs who can help.
“It's a great recognition to be among the French companies that were selected [for the EIC Scaling Club] because we are not that many,” says Muriel. Moreover, Tallano Technologies is already reaping the rewards of joining the EIC Scaling Club, having gained access to a mentor with invaluable experience in the Asian market, a strategic target for the company's growth.
The EIC Scaling Club is a curated community where 120+ European deep tech scale-ups with the potential to build world-class businesses and solve major global challenges come together with investors, corporate innovators and other industry stakeholders to spur growth.
The top 120+ European deep tech companies will be carefully selected from a pool of high-growth scale-ups that have benefitted from EIC financial schemes, other European and national innovation programmes, and beyond.
The EIC Scaling Club is an EIC-funded initiative run in partnership by Tech Tour, Bpifrance (EuroQuity), Hello Tomorrow, Tech.eu (Webrazzi), EurA and IESE Business School.
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