Konarka Technologies, Inc.

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Konarka Technologies, Inc.
Type Private
Founded 2001
Headquarters Lowell, Massachusetts, USA42.6471° N 71.3079° W
Key people Howard Berke, Executive chairman; Rick Hess, CEO; Daniel E. Geffken, EVP and CFO; Daniel P. McGahn, EVP and CMO
Industry Solar energy
Products Photovoltaics
Employees 45 (2007)
Website www.konarka.com

Konarka Technologies, Inc. is a solar energy company based in Lowell, Massachusetts, founded in 2001 as a spinoff from University of Massachusetts. The company is developing lightweight, flexible photovoltaics that can be printed as film or coated onto surfaces. The company hopes its manufacturing process, which utilizes organic chemistry, will result in higher energy conversion efficiency at lower cost than traditional silicon fabricated photovoltaics. Konarka is also researching infrared light activated photovoltaics which would enable night-time power generation. The company's co-founders include the Nobel laureate Alan J. Heeger. [1]

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[edit] Funding

As of 2006, Konarka has received $60 million in funding from venture capital firms including 3i, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, New Enterprise Associates, Good Energies and Chevron Technology Ventures. [2] Konarka has also received nearly $10 million in combined grants from the Pentagon and European governments, and in 2007 was approved for further funding through the Solar America Initiative, a component of the White House's Advanced Energy Initiative. [3] The company raised a further $45 million in private capital financing in October 2007 in a financing round led by Mackenzie Financial Corporation. [4]

[edit] Technology

Konarka builds photovoltaic products using next generation nanomaterials that are coated on rolls of plastic. Konarka's nanomaterials absorb sunlight and indoor light and convert them into electrical energy. These products can be easily integrated as the power generation component for a variety of applications and can be produced and used virtually anywhere. Konarka is one of several companies developing nanotechnology-based solar cells, others include Nanosolar and Nanosys. [5]

The heart of Konarka’s technology is a new way to make photovoltaic cells. These cells are created using nanoscale titanium dioxide particles. The chemical is coated with a special light-sensitive dye, which generates electricity when it is illuminated. [6] Konarka’s unique photo-reactive materials can be printed or coated inexpensively onto flexible substrates using roll-to-roll manufacturing, similar to how newspaper is printed on large rolls of paper. Konarka’s manufacturing process enables production to scale easily and results in significantly reduced costs over previous generations of solar cells. [7]

[edit] Patents

Konarka has been issued a number of United States patents relating to its photovoltaics research:

[edit] References

  1. ^ Konarka founding scientists. Konarka website.
  2. ^ Konarka Technologies, Inc. (2006-02-14). "Konarka Raises $20 Million in Venture Capital Financing Led by 3i". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
  3. ^ "Solar Technology Gets White House Boost", The Boston Herald, 2007-03-08. Retrieved on 2007-03-08. 
  4. ^ Konarka Technologies, Inc. (2007-10-01). "Konarka Secures $45 Million in Private Capital Financing". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-01-21.
  5. ^ "As solar gets smaller, its future gets brighter: Nanotechnology could turn rooftops into a sea of power-generating stations", San Francisco Chronicle, 2005-07-11. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. 
  6. ^ "Konarka: Giant Leap With Nano-based Solar Power", 2006-07-11. Retrieved on 2008-01-21. 
  7. ^ Konarka's Technology. Konarka website.

[edit] External links

Official website of Konarka Technologies, Inc.

Business data