Insectapel LLC

Insectapel LLC is a for-profit limited liability company registered in SAM.gov since September 2019, located in Wellford, South Carolina. The company specializes in developing innovative, environmentally-friendly insect repellent technologies with a focus on creating safer, bio-based textile coating systems that can provide long-lasting protection against biting insects. Their core research concentrates on developing alternative solutions to traditional synthetic chemical repellents like DEET and permethrin, with an emphasis on leveraging natural compounds derived from plant-based sources such as coconut and soybean oils.

Through multiple federal grant awards, Insectapel LLC has pursued advanced research and development in biobased insect repellent technologies, primarily through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs. The company has received significant funding from agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and the Institute of Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment. Their specific research efforts have included synthesizing derivatized, bio-based insect repellent compounds, developing textile coating systems that can incorporate these compounds, and exploring formulation strategies to enable integration of volatile natural repellents into textiles while maintaining long-term efficacy and wash durability. The grants, ranging from approximately $650,000 to $1,050,000, support their innovative work in creating safer, more sustainable insect protection technologies that could potentially reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals, improve public health by lowering exposure to vector-borne diseases, and create new economic opportunities in the safer textile technology market.