Aurora Cold Plasma Sterilisation

What Aurora Cold Plasma Sterilisation does

Aurora Cold Plasma Sterilisation SAS, founded in 2019 in Rouen, France, develops low-temperature cold plasma sterilization systems for medical devices and CBRN decontamination. Its core technology ionizes air gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon) at very low pressure using radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, generating reactive oxygen species that inactivate microorganisms by degrading cell walls and DNA/RNA at temperatures of 30-40°C. This is delivered through the Aqsaniit sterilizer (a 140L chamber unit that achieves a Sterility Assurance Level of 10^-6 in approximately one hour with no chemical agents, no toxic residues, and no desorption phase) and complemented by single-use PEHD/Tyvek sterilization pouches that form a recurring consumables stream. The technology penetrates long narrow lumens (demonstrated up to 5m length / 1mm diameter, far exceeding the 89cm limit of vaporized hydrogen peroxide), uniquely enabling hospital-grade sterilization of fragile, heat-sensitive, geometrically complex devices such as endoscopes.

The company operates a direct enterprise sales motion targeting hospitals (primary), single-use medical device manufacturers, defense/CBRN agencies, agri-food processors, and innovative MedTech developers. Revenue mechanics span equipment sales (Aqsaniit machines and industrial pallet-scale plasma reactors under development), recurring consumables (sterilization pouches), and — via partnerships with Eurofins-Germande and Sterigenics — analytical and validation services. Aurora is currently pre-commercial, pursuing CE marking under EU MDR 2017/45 with a stated 2024 launch ambition, and has raised approximately €8 million across a December 2021 €3M capital round led by GO Capital, a February 2022 €2,951,570 France 2030 AMI-MIE non-dilutive grant, and a February 2023 €2M insider round. Its R&D is anchored by an ongoing partnership with the University of Reims-Champagne Ardenne (URCA) and the BIOS laboratory dating from October 2018, which yielded the underlying patents on the air-gas plasma sterilization principle. The company carries French Deep Tech and La French Care labels, is a member of Bpifrance's Coq Vert community, and has received European Innovation Council recognition.

Aurora's competitive differentiation rests on being the only known technology globally that uses air gas plasma as the sole sterilizing agent, positioning it as a non-toxic, low-energy alternative to ethylene oxide, gamma irradiation, autoclave heat, and VHP. The addressable markets are substantial: a global industrial sterilization market of approximately $3 billion (split between EtO and gamma) growing at ~7% annually, plus the under-served hospital endoscopy market where 13% of French endoscopes currently require quarantine post-disinfection. Aurora is presently organized as a French SAS with headquarters in Rouen and R&D operations in Reims, governed by a board chaired by Pascal Voulton with founder representation and institutional investors (GO Capital, Normandie Participations, Normandie Business Angels) seated alongside.

Name

Aurora Cold Plasma Sterilisation

Legal name

Aurora Cold Plasma Sterilisation

Website

https://aurora-sterilisation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aurora Cold Plasma Sterilisation SAS is a French MedTech company developing low-temperature plasma sterilizers (Aqsaniit) that ionize air gases to sterilize medical devices at 30-40°C for hospitals, medical device manufacturers, and CBRN applications; pre-commercial, pursuing CE marking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device Sterilization Equipment

NAICS

Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing (334517)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Sterilization Equipment & Systems (Autoclaves, Low-Temp, ETO, H2O2, UV) (HLAHANAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sterilization Services & Contract Reprocessing (ETO/Gamma/E-beam providers) (HLAHANAB)

Keywords

• Cold plasma sterilization
• Medical device sterilizers
• Low temperature sterilization
• CBRN plasma decontamination
• Ethylene oxide alternatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Rouen

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Medical Device Sterilization Equipment Sales: Aurora sells its Aqsaniit plasma sterilizer to hospitals and healthcare centers. The company is pursuing CE marking (targeting 2024) before commercial launch. Revenue is generated through direct sales of sterilization equipment to institutional buyers.
2. Single-Use Sterilization Consumables: Aurora provides single-use plasma sterilization pouches/bags as sterile barrier systems (SBS). These specially designed bags create plasma around the medical device and provide easy closure and aseptic opening. Consumables are sold recurring per cycle, offering a consumable revenue stream alongside equipment.
3. Industrial Sterilization Services for Medical Device Manufacturers: Aurora is developing a reactor capable of processing one or several pallets of medical devices at once for industrial sterilization of single-use medical devices. This targets the $3 billion global industrial sterilization market as an alternative to toxic ethylene oxide and gamma irradiation. The company reports regular inbound interest from manufacturers seeking to replace EtO.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Aurora Cold Plasma Sterilisation manufactures the Aqsaniit, a low-temperature cold plasma sterilizer that ionizes air gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon) at 30-40°C using radiofrequency to achieve Sterility Assurance Level on medical devices in approximately one hour, with no toxic residues and no desorption phase. Its offering also includes proprietary single-use plasma sterilization pouches (sterile barrier systems) and CBRN plasma decontamination systems (low-pressure chamber and atmospheric torch variants) for hospitals, single-use medical device manufacturers, defense, and agri-food sectors.

Product overview

Aurora Cold Plasma Sterilisation offers a suite of cold plasma-based sterilization and decontamination products. The core offering is the Aqsaniit sterilizer, which uses oxygen plasma to achieve Sterility Assurance Level on medical devices at low temperature (30-40°C). This is complemented by single-use sterilization pouches as consumables. The product line also extends to CBRN decontamination solutions through both low-pressure plasma chamber systems and atmospheric plasma torch systems. The technology is positioned for hospital sterilization of reusable devices (particularly endoscopes), industrial sterilization of single-use medical devices, and CBRN decontamination applications for defense and emergency response.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aqsaniit: Cold plasma sterilizer product name (meaning 'aurora borealis' in Inuit) developed by Aurora for hospital and industrial sterilization applications.

Products and services

• Aqsaniit Cold Plasma Sterilizer A low-temperature cold plasma sterilizer using ionized air gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon) at 30-40°C and 1-hour cycle time, achieving Sterility Assurance Level (0.000001%) on medical devices with no chemical agents and no toxic residues. Designed for hospitals, sterilization departments, and industrial medical device manufacturers; plugs into a standard electrical socket.
• Cold Plasma Sterilization Pouches (Sterile Barrier Systems) Single-use sterilization bags (40x60cm, PEHD and Tyvek) designed as sterile barrier systems (SBS) for cold plasma sterilization. They enable plasma to form around enclosed medical devices (e.g., endoscopes on trays), provide easy closure and aseptic opening, and are consumed per cycle for recurring revenue.
• Low-Pressure Plasma Decontamination System (CBRN) Decontamination system using low-pressure plasma created by injecting air gases into a vacuum chamber and applying radiofrequency; bathes objects in plasma for 1-4 hours depending on volume. Suitable for small to medium objects, mail/parcels, and strategic facilities; after treatment, objects present no health or environmental risk.
• Atmospheric Plasma Torch Decontamination System Atmospheric cold plasma torch (~40°C) applied via adaptable tips (blade, jet, disc) to contaminated surfaces. Mountable on autonomous or remote-controlled vehicles for large areas, or used as a plasma shower for contaminated persons. Designed for emergency, immediate, and in-depth CBRN decontamination.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sterility Assurance Level (SAL) of 0.000001% (1 in 1 million) reached in approximately 1 hour across all microorganism types including spores (B. atrophaeus, B. pumilus, Geob. stearothermophilus).
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Université de Reims-Champagne Ardenne (URCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018Partnership initiated in October 2018 between Aurora, URCA, and the Centre Régional d'Innovation et Transfert de Technologie de Charleville-Mézières. This partnership yielded patents on low-temperature plasma sterilization using air gases, and ongoing collaboration with the BIOS laboratory for R&D. The partnership forms the scientific foundation of Aurora's technology, originating from university research spanning 10 years.
• BIOS Laboratory (University of Reims-Champagne Ardenne)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAurora maintains an ongoing R&D partnership with the BIOS laboratory at URCA for scientific research and development of the plasma sterilization technology.
• Centre Régional d'Innovation et Transfert de Technologie de Charleville-MézièrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the patented plasma sterilization technology with Aurora and URCA through the October 2018 partnership, contributing to technology transfer from academic research to commercial application.
• SATT NordsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSociété d'Accélération du Transfert de Technologie Nord (Technology Transfer Acceleration Society), supporting Aurora's technology transfer from academic research to commercial application.
• Eurofins-Germande (Aix-en-Provence)supportingTechnology or IntegrationAurora maintains an analytical services relationship with Eurofins-Germande for microbiological testing and validation. Lionel Pineau (Eurofins) provides third-party contamination data validating the need for improved sterilization in endoscopy.
• SNITEM (Syndicat National de l'Industrie des Technologies Médicales)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench national medical technologies industry association providing representation and support within the French medical device ecosystem.
• Health Tech (French Health Tech)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench health technology ecosystem organization supporting innovative health tech companies in France, providing networking and ecosystem integration.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• 3M (Health Care): 3M provides sterilization assurance products (Attest biological indicators, sterilization monitoring) and has historically offered sterilization equipment, adjacent to Aurora's hospital and industrial sterilization business.
• TSO3 (Stryker): TSO3, now part of Stryker, developed the V-PRO maX low-temperature sterilizer using VHP technology, overlapping with Aurora's hospital low-temperature sterilization focus and competing for similar hospital sterilization customers.
• Sotera Health (Sterigenics): Sotera Health owns Sterigenics, the global leader in contract gamma and EtO sterilization services for medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Aurora already has an analysis contract with Sterigenics, and both compete for the $3B industrial sterilization market with alternative chemistries.
• Belimed: Belimed (a Metall Zug group company) provides hospital and laboratory sterilization, disinfection, and infection control solutions, competing with Aurora in hospital CSSD/SPD equipment sales.
• Getinge: Getinge is a major medical technology provider offering hospital sterilization, infection control, and surgical workflow solutions, including low-temperature sterilizers that overlap with Aurora's hospital target segment.
• STERIS: STERIS is a global leader in hospital sterilization equipment (V-PRO, System 1E) and contract sterilization services, overlapping with Aurora across hospital sterilizer sales and industrial sterilization services.
• Tuttnauer: Tuttnauer is a global manufacturer of autoclaves, plasma sterilizers, and laboratory/life science sterilization equipment, overlapping with Aurora in low-temperature sterilization offerings.
• Johnson & Johnson (Sterrad): Johnson & Johnson's Sterrad V-PRO systems are the dominant low-temperature hospital sterilizer using vaporized hydrogen peroxide (branded as 'plasma'). Aurora competes directly in hospital low-temperature sterilization, with the explicit counter-positioning that Sterrad's plasma is chemical (H2O2) rather than true air-gas plasma.

Emerging players

• Renosem (Rethink Sterilization): Smaller emerging players in low-temperature, non-toxic medical device sterilization (e.g., ozone-based, advanced H2O2, or plasma approaches) compete with Aurora for hospital and industrial customers seeking EtO/gamma alternatives.

Direct peers

• Matachana: Matachana manufactures low-temperature sterilization equipment (H2O2 plasma sterilizers) for hospitals and industrial applications, making it one of the most direct product-level competitors to Aurora's Aqsaniit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Aurorasterilisation
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/aurora-cold-plasma-sterilisation
• Instagraminstagram.com/auroraplasma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aurora Cold Plasma Sterilisation