In 2016, the two brothers Jan and Thomas Wolf founded the Plasmion GmbH with headquarter in Augsburg, Germany. Previously, Jan had developed a novel ionization technology for mass spectrometry as part of his research, which enables to transform each off the shelf mass spectrometer into an “electronic nose” or rather VOC sensor. The sensor makes it possible to analyze VOCs or simply smell in ambient air. It thus drastically simplifies and improves classical chemical analysis in the laboratory environment and revolutionizes the laboratory market.
The developed technology is able to provide the performance spectrum of an analytical laboratory in an automated measuring system for industry. For the first time a wide range of different applications is now also possible outside of a laboratory, such as breath analysis for the identification of pathogens causing illness, the measurement and control of exhaust gases in real time or automated decision making in any kind of industrial production line. As illustrated, this means that, for example, spoiled or contaminated food can be detected directly on the conveyor belt; explosives or drugs in the ambient air can be detected in seconds at airports, concert venues or sport stadiums; finally, the diagnosis of diseases in real time is one of the most important applications, since treatment can be started immediately and no more time is wasted waiting for a test result.
