Arinna, a startup founded by CEO Koosha Nazif and CTO Alex Shearer, has secured a $4 million seed round to develop ultrathin solar panels using a new material. The company’s approach aims to address the power needs of spacecraft more efficiently.
Traditionally, spacecraft have relied on solar panels made of rare earth elements or silicon, which can be expensive and prone to degradation. Arinna’s technology, based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), offers a more durable and cost-effective solution. These atomically thin semiconductors enable the production of highly flexible solar cells that are expected to outperform current space solar panels.
Arinna plans to test its photovoltaics in space later this year, with the goal of establishing a mass production facility by 2028. The company’s aim to produce these ultrathin solar panels at a megawatt scale could revolutionize power generation for satellites and spacecraft, paving the way for more sustainable and reliable space missions.
Source: TechCrunch