Overview
Barocal has developed a solid-state cooling technology that uses inexpensive plastic crystals to replace the vapor-compression systems found in virtually every refrigerator and air conditioner today. The startup has raised a $10 million seed round from World Fund, Breakthrough Energy Discovery, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, and IP Group to bring the technology to market.
How it works
The core principle is simple: certain solid materials heat up when compressed and cool down when the pressure is released. Barocal's material is a type of organic plastic crystal whose molecules rotate freely at room temperature. When compressed, the molecules stop rotating, releasing heat. Removing the pressure allows them to rotate again, absorbing heat from the surroundings.
In a refrigerator, the material is cyclically compressed and decompressed. Water flows past the material to transfer heat: during compression, water carries heat away to an external radiator; during decompression, water picks up heat from inside the fridge and carries it back to the material. Because the material is a solid, there are no gas leaks — a major advantage over conventional refrigerants.
Advantages over vapor compression
Conventional refrigerators rely on compressing and expanding gaseous refrigerants. Many of these gases are potent greenhouse gases — some over 1,000 times more warming than an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide. Others damage the ozone layer. Barocal's solid material eliminates both problems entirely.
The startup claims early prototypes are already as effective as existing refrigerator compressors while using significantly less energy. The material itself is inexpensive and derived from organic compounds already used in plastics and paints.
Target market and next steps
Barocal is initially targeting large commercial HVAC and refrigeration systems, where efficiency gains translate directly into lower operating costs. Founder Xavier Moya, a materials physics professor at the University of Cambridge, told TechCrunch that the company is "looking at bigger commercial systems where I think we can make a bigger impact faster."
The $10 million seed round will fund further development and scaling. The technology can theoretically work at any scale, from household refrigerators to industrial chillers, but commercial systems offer the clearest path to market.
Bottom line
Barocal's solid-state cooling is not a theoretical curiosity — it has working prototypes and venture backing. If the company can manufacture the material at scale and integrate it into existing refrigeration designs, it could offer a cheaper, more efficient, and environmentally safer alternative to a technology that has barely changed in over a century.