Frost Protection Corporation

What Frost Protection Corporation does

Frost Protection Corporation is a Uruguayan company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes the Selective Inverted Sink (SIS) technology for frost, odour, and dust control. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Montevideo, the company serves agricultural, industrial, and municipal customers across more than ten countries, with a cumulative installed base exceeding 2,000 units. Its primary markets are high-value perennial crops (vineyards, citrus, olives, apples, cherries, kiwifruit, berries) and forestry, with emerging applications in wastewater odour abatement and mining dust suppression. Notable end-customers include Robert Sinskey, Joseph Phelps, Tablas Creek, Nautilus Estate, Yalumba Winery, and the Uruguayan state water utility OSE.

The company's core technology is a family of mechanical fan-based devices — the SIS M2.5, M3.5, M15, and M25, plus the higher-power Jet-SIS variant — that drive cold, dense air upward and mix it with warmer air above the canopy to protect crops from radiative frost events. The devices are protected by international patents, with additional filings underway for Jet-SIS. The technology originated from academic research using computational fluid dynamics and atmospheric numerical modeling, lending scientific credibility to the design. Frost Protection monetizes primarily through equipment sales at upfront prices of approximately $1,500-$5,000 per hectare, supplemented by feasibility studies, technical consultancy, and installation services tied to each deployment; a single SIS M25 install carries costs on the order of ~$27,360.

The business is founder-led and operates with a small core team (1-10 employees) supplemented by external collaborators and an academic network. Sales are executed both directly and through an authorized distributor network that includes Frost Solutions, BDi Machinery, Tomagro, and Marcos Bengolea across different geographies. The company has received external recognition including the Rolex Awards for Enterprise and other technology awards, supporting premium positioning in a niche category. Revenue, headcount, and funding are not disclosed.

Name

Frost Protection Corporation

Legal name

Frost Protection Corporation

Website

https://frostprotection.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Frost Protection Corporation is a Uruguayan manufacturer of Selective Inverted Sink (SIS) mechanical frost-protection systems, serving vineyards, orchards, industrial sites, and municipal clients across more than ten countries with over 2,000 cumulative installations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Frost Protection Equipment

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Chillers & Cooling Plant Equipment (IMAHAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Snow & Ice Management (Plowing, Salting, De-icing) (IMAIAIAF)

Keywords

• Frost protection equipment
• Radiation frost mitigation
• Agricultural frost control
• Selective inverted sink technology
• Atmospheric stratification management

Headquarters

HQ city

Montevideo

HQ country

Uruguay

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SIS Equipment Sales: Sale of SIS machines (M2.5, M3.5, M15, M25 models) and Jet-SIS devices. Investment cost: 1500-2500 USD/ha for large areas (>50 ha, undulated topography), 2500-5000 USD/ha for small areas (<10 ha). M25 installation cost ~27,360 USD. Machines can be powered by electric motors, gas engines, or tractor PTO.
2. Technical Studies (Frost Control Study): Custom Frost Control Study (FCS) conducted for every SIS installation. Cost directly related to surface area of the orchard. Cost deducted from SIS purchase price if client proceeds to buy. Includes site-specific design, curtain specifications, operation recommendations.
3. Consultancy Services: Frost Risk Studies, Regional Studies, and ongoing technical consultancy for growers. Includes temperature measurement campaigns, microclimatic mapping, passive and active frost protection recommendations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Frost Protection Corporation designs, manufactures, and sells Selective Inverted Sink (SIS) mechanical devices that selectively extract cold air from cropped areas during radiation frost and discharge it as a vertical jet up to 60–120m, preventing frost damage to crops. The company also applies the same proprietary technology to control odour propagation (H2S) from wastewater treatment plants and PM10 dust from open-pit mining operations, and provides consultancy services (Frost Risk Studies, Frost Control Studies, Regional Studies) bundled with each installation.

Product overview

Frost Protection Corporation offers a portfolio of hardware-based products and services for controlling phenomena associated with atmospheric stratification. The core offering is SIS Technology (Selective Inverted Sinks), comprising mechanical devices (SIS M2.5, M3.5, M15, M25, and Jet-SIS) that selectively drain cold air to protect crops from radiation frost, control odour propagation, and control dust propagation. Supporting products include cold air diversion curtains (natural and artificial). Services include Frost Risk Studies, Frost Control Studies, and Regional Studies. The technology applies advanced fluid mechanics and heat conduction concepts to the lower atmosphere layers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SIS M2.5 Portable Selective Inverted Sink model covering 0.5–2 hectares, powered by an electric motor. Designed for small orchards and frost pockets; sold to agricultural producers through authorized distributors or direct from FPC, with a custom Frost Control Study required per installation.
• SIS M3.5 Portable Selective Inverted Sink model covering 1–3 hectares, powered by an electric motor. Sold to agricultural producers (e.g., apple orchards) through authorized distributors, with a custom Frost Control Study per installation.
• SIS M15 Selective Inverted Sink model covering 6–13 hectares, available with electric motor or tractor PTO power. Requires a concrete base for installation (~$1,000 in Uruguay) and can be automated. Designed for medium-scale agricultural operations.
• SIS M25 Largest Selective Inverted Sink model covering 10–20 hectares, powered by tractor PTO (requires a 55 hp tractor at 540 rpm PTO). Designed for large-scale frost protection and lower cost per hectare across extensive agricultural operations.
• Jet-SIS Specialized adaptation of SIS technology designed to eliminate the need for perimeter barriers in frost protection applications. Being patented worldwide.
• Cold Air Diversion Curtains Natural or artificial barriers that significantly increase SIS performance by enhancing selective extraction of the coldest air in orchard applications. Natural curtains use rapid-growth plants; artificial curtains use wood, metal, or light plastic fabrics. Precise location, length, and height are specified in each Frost Control Study.
• Frost Risk Studies Technical consultancy service providing frost risk assessment for properties, including microclimatic temperature measurements with 10–25 dataloggers, sector identification, and passive frost protection measure recommendations.
• Frost Control Study (FCS) Comprehensive technical study conducted for each SIS installation, determining device number, model, location, power source, curtain specifications, operation procedures, and maintenance requirements. Cost is directly related to the surface area of the orchard and is deducted from the SIS purchase price if the client proceeds to buy.
• Regional Studies Regional frost control studies for zones or regions with endemic frost problems, enabling integral and joint solutions rather than farm-by-farm protection. Offered when there is joint regional interest from municipalities, regional governments, or grower groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Investment payback typically achieved in the first year of operation
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Frost SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Located at 709 Te Rapa Road, Private Bag 3018, Hamilton, New Zealand. Website: frostsolutions.com. Tel: +64 7 849 7956. Handles local sales, installation, and support for SIS systems in Oceania and South Africa.
• Marcos BengoleacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized representative for USA market. Based in Wellington, Florida. Contact: [email protected]. Manages SIS sales and distribution across the United States.
• BDi Machinery Sales InccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for USA market. Based at 430 E Main Street, Macungie, PA 18062, USA. Website: bdimachinery.net. Presented at National Blueberry Exposition USA (October 2010). Handles machinery distribution in the US market.
• TomagrocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for The Netherlands and European market. Based at P.O. Box 30195, 3001 DD Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Website: tomagro.nl. Tel: +31(0)10 405-2300. Handles SIS distribution across the Netherlands and potentially broader European region.
• Steve Wilson (University of Tasmania)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical evaluator of SIS system performance. Authored 'Frost protection: evaluation of new system. Project Number CY07015' (HAL, 2009), providing independent academic validation of SIS effectiveness in Tasmanian cherry, apple, and pear operations.
• H. Yazdanpanah and C.J. StigterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic researchers who published 'Selective inverted sink efficiency for spring frost protection in almond orchards northwest of Isfahan, Iran' (Theor. Appl. Climatol., 2010). Independent peer-reviewed validation of SIS technology effectiveness in Iranian almond orchards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Agrofrost: European manufacturer of frost protection equipment (wind machines, heaters, sprinklers) serving Mediterranean orchards and vineyards. Competes head-to-head with FPC's SIS platform in Spanish, Italian, and Southern European accounts.
• Orchard-Rite: Leading North American manufacturer of wind machines used to displace cold air and protect orchards from radiation frost. Directly competes with FPC for the same frost-protection buyer in vineyards, citrus, and tree crops, although it uses propeller-style wind machines rather than selective extraction.
• Amarillo Wind Machine: Long-standing U.S. wind-machine manufacturer with installations across Texas, California, and the Pacific Northwest. Targets the same orchard and vineyard frost-protection use case as FPC, primarily through traditional wind-machine architecture.
• Tow and Blow: Manufacturer of portable, tractor-towable frost fans designed for smaller orchards and vineyards. Competes with FPC's portable SIS M2.5/M3.5 models at the low-acreage end of the market.
• FrostBoss (formerly New Zealand Frost Fans): Established wind-machine manufacturer headquartered in New Zealand, deeply embedded in NZ/Australian frost-prone wine and kiwifruit regions — the same geographies where FPC has its strongest distributor (Frost Solutions) and largest vineyard references.

Others

• Netafim: Global leader in drip and micro-irrigation, including under-tree/sprinkler-based frost protection systems. Competes indirectly with FPC as an alternative frost-protection method (water application rather than air management) for the same orchard and vineyard customers.
• Rivulis: Global micro-irrigation provider (merger of Jain Irrigation's international operations and Rivulis) offering frost-mitigation sprinkler packages. Indirect competitor to FPC through the alternative irrigation-based frost-protection method.
• Jain Irrigation Systems: Diversified Indian irrigation and agri-tech company with micro-irrigation and sprinkler frost-protection offerings for orchards. Competes with FPC indirectly through irrigation-based frost control in emerging-market agriculture.

Emerging players

• Arrigoni: Italian producer of agrotextiles, anti-hail and protective screens used to modify orchard microclimates. An adjacent crop-protection technology addressing the same agricultural frost / microclimate problem with a passive covering approach rather than active air extraction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frost-protection-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Frost Protection Corporation