About Us

Our membrane technology has been proven to reduce drag by up to 56 percent, creating an outstanding return on investment.

Biofouling prevention systems protect a ship’s exterior by preventing marine organisms and other debris from attaching to, or damaging, the ship’s hull. HygraTek® membranes and coatings purify water from oily effluents, allow for oil in water sensor detection, maximize water reuse and yield a 5 to 10-fold increase membrane lifetime.

Moisture, whether ice or water, leads to catastrophic failures in aircraft engines. Ice adhesion increases drag, requiring millions of dollars in wasted fuel consumption. In addition, ice formation, as well as undesirable surface wear or adhesion, adversely impacts the aerodynamic performance of wind turbines.

HygraTek® can solve these problems. Our ice-phobic coatings have the lowest ice adhesion values ever reported (<5kPa)!

We have developed a single-step, sprayable ice-phobic coating that is transparent, easy to apply, and will bond to nearly any surface (including glass, metals, polymers, ceramics, etc.).Incorporating HygraTek’s® ice-phobic coatings into aerospace and naval applications present new solution opportunities for intractable problems.

HygraTek® membranes are omniphobic, and survive extreme acids and base environments. They are ideal for chemical shielding and corrosion prevention.

Low adhesion surfaces reduce disease transmission. Bacteria, for example, will grow on tissue culture glass and plastic, but not on HygraTek®-coated surfaces.

Our superomniphobic coating enhances the performance of a variety of surfaces, including glass, plastic, cloth, metals, and other materials. It is easy to clean or, in many cases, self-cleaning.

• Co-Founder/CTO HygraTek®
• Assistant Professor Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan

Anish Tuteja developed the first ever omniphobic/superoleophobic coatings. His work on omniphobic coatings has been referred to as “one of the five technologies that will change the world” and “one of the top breakthroughs in nanotechnology.” He lives and works in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

• Co-Founder/Chairman/CEO HygraTek®
• Founder/CEO, CogniTek® and a series of spinouts including Echogen
• Former CEO, Co-Founder, Echogen

Michael Gurin has been developing technology for more than 25 years. He has invented over 60 patented and patent-pending processes in a wide range of engineering and business disciplines, including heat transfer fluids, composites utilizing nanoscale additives, rapid application development control systems, biomass to biofuel conversion, and advanced thermodynamic cycles for power generation and industrial process integration.

He has become a leader in commercializing technology. And, with his diverse experience in corporate management (with full P&L responsibility), has transformed CogniTek® into a hybrid tech accelerator, leveraging synergies from each of the portfolio companies’ advance technologies. His areas of expertise include aerospace, food manufacturing/supply, and biofuels.

Michael met Anish through the University of Michigan technology transfer group. He recognized that Anish’s groundbreaking work in membrane technology, separating polar and non-polar materials, would have profound implications for virtually all industries, from aerospace to shipping, from packaging to medical technology and within CogniTek’s core renewable energy platform. They formed HygraTek® in 2013.

Michael received a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering as well as an MBA in corporate finance, venture capital and capital marketing analysis from the University of Michigan. He lives in Glenview, Illinois, with his wife, Shelley.