5 SunRISE TechBridge Challenge Winners Announced

Following the entries of 56 different teams and companies to the SunRISE TechBridge Challenge, the judges have chosen 5 early-stage companies as winners after a thorough, multi-stage review process.

For those unfamiliar with the SunRISE TechBridge Challenge, it’s a competition that was created to identify innovations in solar materials and technologies that could be used to lower the levelized cost of energy for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Without further delay, here are the winners:

• ARL-D (Manhattan, NY) — DSM Partnership eligibility. ARL-D is commercializing a superhydrophobic technology with anti-reflective, anti-soiling, and anti-icing properties.
• HEE Solar (Dallas, TX) — Greentown Launch acceleration and DSM Partnership/Investment eligibility. HEE Solar is developing perovskite photovoltaic technology, made stable to achieve long lifetimes.
• QD Solar (Toronto, Canada) — Greentown Launch acceleration and DSM Partnership/Investment eligibility. QD Solar is developing next generation photovoltaic cells using colloidal quantum dot cell technology.
• Tessolar (Cambridge, MA) – Fraunhofer Validation Study, Greentown Launch acceleration, and DSM Partnership/Investment eligibility. Tessolar’s novel module design that targets reduction in module and balance of system costs.
• WattGlass Inc. (Fayetville, AR) – Greentown Launch acceleration and DSM Partnership/Investment eligibility. WattGlass is commercializing the next generation of antireflective glass coatings that also have self-cleaning and anti-fogging properties.

The SunRISE TechBridge Challenge is a collaboration between Royal DSM, Fraunhofer TechBridge, and Greentown Labs. Awards provided by Royal DSM include: Greentown Launch incubation and acceleration programs at Greentown Labs; technical validation services from the Fraunhofer R&D network; as well as eligibility for a DSM partnership and/or venture investment.