CARMEL – A life sciences startup has announced plans to grow its central Indiana operations. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says Carmel-based 3Oe Scientific LLC will invest $500,000 to accelerate the growth of its patented hand sanitizing system technology and create up to 30 jobs by the end of 2022.
3Oe says its aqueous ozone hand sanitizing device infuses ozone molecules into water, which kills pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and spores naturally without soaps or chemicals. The company says users place their hands into the device for a few seconds allowing all surface areas of the hands to be covered with a steady stream of aqueous ozone.
“The technology is expected to revolutionize the healthcare and public health sectors in areas of efficacy, compliance and tracking,” said Dr. Tom Foust, founder and chief executive officer of 3Oe. “As an innovation-centric tech company, we look forward to not only positively impacting our community with our products but also growing our workforce here in Indiana as we expand and scale.”
The IEDC says the company has partnered with local hospitals and schools to beta test the technology and plans to submit it for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration later this year.
3Oe plans to begin hiring for the new jobs later this year. The company says the positions will to come with salaries above the state average wage.
“Thanks to innovative life sciences companies like 3Oe, Indiana ranks as one of the five most concentrated life sciences states in the U.S., contributing $77 billion to our state’s economy,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger. “We’re excited 3Oe is developing its game-changing product here, while simultaneously investing in Indiana’s workforce and creating good jobs for Hoosiers.”
The IEDC has offered 3Oe Scientific up to $600,000 in conditional tax credits, which the company will not be eligible to claim until Hoosier workers are hired for the new jobs.