Caelux, UbiQD Advance Solar Technology Pursuits: Week in Brief: 08/18/23

Perovskite technology developer Caelux closed a $12 million series A3 funding round. The company’s series A total of $24 million will be allocated to support its factory ramp, R&D, and product launch. The Caltech spinout is building a manufacturing facility in Baldwin Park, Calif., as it ramps up to reach 100 mW of perovskite-coated glass. The company’s perovskite-on-glass approach aims to drive down solar costs and accelerate renewables growth.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics was awarded a $14.9 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to study pulsed-laser effects. According to the university, the funding approximately doubles the annual funding it has received from the DOD in recent years, and it will aid in advancing technology and developing a talent pipeline to support the broad use of laser-based, directed-energy systems.

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — Nanotechnology firm UbiQD entered into a development agreement with First Solar Inc. to further collaborate on developing the potential to incorporate fluorescent quantum dot technology in advanced solar modules. The agreement comes as UbiQD looks to engineer its previously launched materials for potential applications in utility-scale solar, with the aim to increase the efficiency of current photovoltaic technologies. Existing commercial solutions from UbiQD support crop growth.

Array of thin-film solar panels. Courtesy of First Solar.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy announced $16 million in funding for advanced research projects in particle accelerator science and technology. Projects include research to produce faster treatments for cancer therapy, to develop compact and novel accelerators, and to develop novel surface treatments for superconducting radio frequency cavities; R&D to advance ultrafast laser technology, beam physics, and beam diagnostics; and R&D supporting public-private partnerships to strengthen domestic commercial sources of high-temperature superconducting wire, superconducting RF cavities, superconducting undulators, x-ray optics, and accelerator control system tools. Funding was awarded to 18 research projects involving scientists at 35 U.S. institutions spanning 10 universities, eight national laboratories, and 17 companies.

BOSTON — Quantum computing company IonQ and AI software company Zapata AI entered a strategic alliance to benchmark generative AI techniques on quantum hardware. The collaborators aim to uncover new potential advantages of quantum computing that could help solve complex real-world business problems. The alliance expands previous quantum collaboration between the companies with a focus on generative AI, and will bring Zapata’s application development experts and IonQ’s scientists, advanced compute technology, and services together to deliver on joint generative AI projects.

VICHY, Mo. — Semiconductor materials developer and manufacturer Brewer Science will expand its Vichy manufacturing center. The 50% increased footprint will yield added manufacturing capacity and expanded packaging and warehousing capabilities.