Austin, TX: Microstaq, a player in the design and manufacture of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based flow control valves that enable material energy savings in HVAC, Refrigeration, Automotive, and other sectors, has announced that it has closed a $12.5 million series B financing round. Funding was led by Good Energies, a global investor in renewable energy and energy efficiency, with follow-on investments from existing investors Yaletown Venture Partners and Polygon Group. Microstaq intends to use the investment to expand the sales and distribution of its patented MEMS-based valve technology.

A press release stated that Microstaq was the first company to develop MEMS valves and commercialize them for macro-flow and macro-pressure fluid control applications at extreme temperatures. These characteristics are what make the products suitable for a number of different applications, including heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.

HVAC represents roughly a quarter of all electricity consumption in the U.S., so improvements in the energy efficiency of these systems can have very large environmental and economic benefits. Microstaq's products enable energy efficiency gains of 20 percent or more in HVAC systems. Energy savings come from the valve's ability to precisely and electronically control fluid flow, down to 0.5 percent increments, which allow systems of all types to be more efficiently operated. The MEMS valves also have fewer moving parts than their conventional counterparts, increasing reliability and reducing maintenance costs. Their electronic controllability eliminates the need for 'tuning.' Microstaq's products also offer lower overall system cost. The company is now in late stage development work with major HVAC OEM manufacturers.