Pluss Advanced Technologies (PLUSS) has received support SAMRIDH, a healthcare blended financing facility, to increase manufacturing capacity of its ‘temperature-controlled’ shipping containers for pharmaceuticals. PLUSS makes these containers from ‘phase change materials’ using the concept of thermal energy storage, to maintain inside-temperature without electricity at desired levels for up to 120 hours. The containers, called Celsure, are used in transport and storage of temperature sensitive pharma products, including vaccines. Through an innovative financing model, SAMRIDH leveraged philanthropic funds to help PLUSS raise commercial capital needed for the expansion of its business operations. SAMRIDH is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IPE Global.
PLUSS provides Celsure containers that maintain precise temperature between 2 and 8°C, 15 and 25°C and -20°C, for up to five days. These solutions bring operational and cost efficiency in transport of temperature sensitive products. They are used by pharma, diagnostics and biotech companies to pack and transport temperature sensitive drugs, vaccines, test kits, clinical trial samples and other products that require a constant temperature to maintain their efficacy. With support from SAMRIDH, PLUSS will double the manufacturing capacity of Celsure boxes to 6,000 boxes per month and set up a conditioning facility in Hyderabad. This will assist pharma and biotech companies in making timely deliveries of covid-19 test kits, drugs and vaccines to remote areas where it is a considerable challenge to maintain the right cold-chain.