Total Energy Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of French energy company Total, is investing in Avenisense, a French company specialized in embedded fluid property sensors.
Founded in 2010 and based in south-eastern France, Avenisense develops and manufactures embedded sensors that enhance industrial process safety and efficiency and reduce maintenance costs for engines and turbines. The suite of products marketed by Avenisense is used to measure liquid density and viscosity, gas density, fluid humidity and oil quality.
The company targets the laboratory analyser and online process markets, as well as certain end users in the petrochemical, energy and transportation industries. Embedded in analysers, pipes, tank trucks, and engines and turbines, Avenisense’s sensors monitor changes in critical fluid properties, thereby enhancing process performance, ensuring quality fuel distribution and preventing engine and turbine failures.
“Through our established partnerships with this start-up, we have been able to see for ourselves how robust Avenisense’s technology is and have identified applications in our refining & chemicals, marketing & services and exploration & production segments”, comments Jean-François Minster, senior vice president, Scientific Development at Total. “That’s why we are supporting Avenisense’s growth.”