Sofab Inks Raises $6 Million Seed Round for Perovskite Solar Cell Reliability
Sofab Inks announced a $6 million seed funding round aimed at improving the reliability of perovskite solar cells. The capital will accelerate manufacturing scale-up for new markets, including automotive and space applications.
Sofab Inks, a developer of specialty materials for perovskite solar cells, has secured $6 million in seed funding. The round was led by strategic investor Cloudberry Ventures.
The company announced alongside the funding round a significant breakthrough in manufacturing reliability, addressing the primary obstacle to mass-market adoption for perovskite solar technology: scale reliability.
According to Blake Martin, co-founder and CEO of Sofab Inks, the company's new material replaces the C60 fullerene layer commonly used in perovskite cells, which has historically limited efficiency and durability. Their engineered nanoparticle material offers stronger bonding and better performance at real-world sizes, achieving 22.3% efficiency on 30-centimeter modules.
The funding will be used to accelerate manufacturing velocity and expand the engineering team to manage the 1x to 100x scale-up for 1x2 meter commercial specifications. Sofab Inks is already commercially engaged or in late-stage discussions with approximately 90% of the perovskite industry, including major players such as APS, ASU, and SunXT.
Perovskite technology offers new avenues for solar energy in transportation, space, and IoT devices due to its thinness and lightweight properties. Enhanced reliability is crucial for unlocking these markets.