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Written by Alex St. Urbain

When you think of solar technology, you think of a large, rigid solar panel on the roof of a building. That is a thing of the past as MC10 Inc. is a company that is leading the way in using flexible photovoltaic cells as a new way to capture good clean energy.  This new technology is a way to create solar panels using transparent and incredibly thin silicon micro-cells that can be placed on virtually any surface.

MC10 is based on the research between George M. Whitesides, a world renowned chemist and professor at Harvard University, and Dr. John Rogers of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.  Years ago Dr. Rogers began researching an alternative to using the rigid silicon solar panels that have dominated the technology. His determination to find a more flexible alternative has led to recent advances in the process of silicon fabrication. One such example is the ability of the cells to be transparent which will allow them to be placed in all kinds of windows.

This solar technology can be placed on backpacks, clothing, cars, and even pens. The new lightweight photovoltaic cells can also lead to large cost savings in shipping and installation. Depending on the way the cells are arranged, the panel is able to work with high and low voltage devices. If this technology succeeds, the cells could be printed on rolls that could be used for many different purposes and solve many of the current energy problems.

MC10 has also submitted a few solar concepts to GE’s Ecomagination Competition, a $200 million dollar innovation experiment where students, businesses and innovators share ideas to create a new and more intelligent power grid. The goal is to have the new grid use more renewable sources of energy in order to meet growing needs. In an effort to make this technology available, MC 10 has recently licensed this technology to Semprius, a semiconductor company based in North Carolina.  This company was selected for a $3 million dollar subcontract with the US department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).  With the help of this contract, the solar technology company plans to commercialize within the next few years.
 
 
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Written by Colin Athens

As described by its name, Corning’s Gorilla Glass is two to three times stronger than regular glass. The material is also lightweight, thin, highly scratch resistant, and manufactured from environmentally friendly materials. Recently, Gorilla Glass has been used on the latest smart phones, such as the iPhone 4G by Apple, which utilizes the material on both sides of the phone. 

Corning’s Gorilla Glass is an alkali-aluminosilicate thin sheet glass, which is thinner and lighter-weight than any other protective glass. It comes as thin as 0.5mm, and is produced by a proprietary fusion-draw process, then given a chemical strengthening process. Gorilla glass is two to three times stronger than chemically strengthened versions of regular soda-lime glass, which are twice as thick. It opposes scratching and dings, and therefore represses damage zones that would lead to breakage and failure of other glass types. Its ultra-thin capacity allows Corning to save on weight and shipping costs.

Originally developed in the 1960’s as part of Corning’s research project, “Project Muscle”, the result was a glass named Chemcor. Chemcor was developed in hope of replacing ordinary glass in windshields. However, a cheaper manufacturing process soon displaced Chemcor. Instead, Chemcor was utilized in the pharmaceutical industry until the 1990’s. In 2006, Corning realized the market potential for glass screens for mobile devices. Shortly thereafter, Corning renamed Chemcor to Gorilla Glass. Two innovative and crucial compositional developments were implemented in the product’s design before the new glass was ready for mass marketing. A few years later in 2009, Corning began to market Gorilla Glass to the brands, such as LG, Samsung, Motion Computing, and Dell.

Corning acquired its first customer in 2008, and has very quickly become a $170 million-a-year business. The company has reported a 23% increase in sales during the past eight months. In response to this huge increase, Corning has ramped up production of Gorilla glass at its plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky by approving $180 million in capital expenditures to expand the plant. With growing demand for the product, the company plans to invest around $800 million to construct a new LCD glass substrate facility in China. The company is also retooling an LCD plant in Shizuoka, Japan, to add Gorilla glass production in Asia.

Gorilla Glass has been manufactured in the screens of 40 million-plus cell phones and other mobile devices. According to the official Corning website, Gorilla Glass is used in over 100 devices and is carried by 19 major brands. Corning’s president, James P. Clappin, says that Corning is “on track to reach sales in excess of $250 million this year, and sales could approach the $1 billion mark in 2011." The company is also looking to tackle the tablet market in addition to the HDTV market in the late stages of 2010.
 
 
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Professor Mark W. Grinstaff wins inaugural honors

Boston University Professor Mark W. Grinstaff has won the inaugural Innovator-of-the-Year Award from BU’s Office of Technology Development, recognizing a faculty member who translates research into innovations that benefit humankind.  It was awarded at OTD’s first annual networking event, Tech, Drugs, & Rock ‘n Roll, the unofficial kickoff of a university-wide commitment to establish Boston University as the new hub of entrepreneurship in Boston.

A professor of biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering and of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, Grinstaff co-founded three companies now commercializing his research ideas:  Hyperbranch Medical Technology, Flex Biomedical, and recent start-up Acuity Bio, which is commercializing a new drug delivery device for the prevention of tumor recurrence after surgical resection – a significant unmet clinical need. His current work includes research into new macromolecule and amphiphile syntheses, self-assembly chemistry, tissue engineering, and drug delivery.

“Professor Grinstaff is an entrepreneurial scientist, whose practical approach to science has led to the formation of three companies producing beneficial products,” said BU President Robert Brown, who presented the award.  “His accomplishments in the past year include 15 peer-reviewed papers published, two invention disclosures, a patent filing, and more than $1 million invested in Flex Biomedical.” 

Grinstaff received a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology.  His honors include the ACS Nobel Laureate Signature Award, NSF Career Award, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, and Edward M. Kennedy Award for Health Care Innovation. 

About the Boston University Innovator-of-the-Year Award
The Boston University Innovator-of-the-Year Award seeks to highlight translational research at the School by recognizing an entrepreneurial faculty member and the potential for commercialization and/or wider adoption of their inventions.  It also encourages faculty to become entrepreneurial while promoting role models who can inspire graduate students to pursue entrepreneurial careers.
 
Media Contact:
Adriane Dean
Marketing & Communications Manager
Boston University School of Management
617-358-0234
 
 
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Written by Sam Bendziewicz

Smule Inc., a privately funded software developer has been making waves in the iPhone and iPad app world since being founded in 2008. Based out of Palo Alto, California, founders Jeff Smith and Dr. Ge Wang have led a company that has developed hit musical based apps for the iPhone and iPad such as “Magic Piano”, “I Am T-Pain”, “Ocarina”, and most recently “Glee”.

Smule co-founder Dr. Ge Wang says he founded Smule to put the ability to make music in the hands of everyone. “Ocarina”, Smule’s number one app that allows users to blow into the microphone on their iPhone was recently named one of the Top 20 Downloads of All Time by Apple. The “I Am T-Pain” app allows users to sing along to their favorite T-Pain song, or any other song in their iTunes library mimicking the effects of Auto-Tune software that T-Pain popularized.

Within the past year, Smule has received an extra 8 million in funding from Shasta Ventures, a VC firm with interests in innovative technologies that enrich the customer experience. With the recent release of the Apple iPad, Smule has been able to expand the capability of their technology with the increased number of touch points available on the iPad.  One of the most interesting distinctions about Smule is the network they have created for people to share their musical creations with anyone all over the world. With all the extra funding they’re received, be on the lookout for new and innovative musical technologies.
 
 
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Written by Jalisa Walden
 
Fitbit, Inc. is private startup company focusing on consumer electronics. The company was founded in San Francisco, CA in 2007 by James Friedman and Eric Park. In 2008 the founders introduced The Fitbit Tracker, a product that tracks your motion and converts the data into useful information about your daily activities.

The Fitbit Tracker uses a three-dimensional sensor similar to the one in the Nintendo Wii to sense user movement. Fitbit is useful because it allows an individual to keep track of diet, health, and fitness. The Tracker measures steps taken, distance walked, calories burned, and activity duration and intensity. The Fitbit can be worn on your waist, in your pocket, or on undergarments. It also measures sleep quality through metrics such as how long it takes the wearer to fall asleep, how often they wake up over the course of the night, and for how long they are actually asleep. For sleep measurements, the Fitbit is clipped to the included wristband. 

A wireless base station is included to receive data from the Tracker and also charges the battery. The user then connects to a computer and the base station will upload data to the Fitbit website. From the website a number of features are available such as seeing an overview of physical activity, setting and tracking goals, and keeping food and activity logs. The company is coming out with new features such as Blood Glucose Tracker, Blood Pressure Tracker, Heart Rate Tracker, Custom Tracker, and Body Measurements. If you are interested in improving your wellness, the Fitbit Tracker will help you reach your health goals. 
 
 
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Written by Jason Wells

Joule Unlimited, Inc. is an emerging alternative energy/fuel company that has utilized genome manipulation in single-cell algae to solve many of the conventional problems facing traditional solutions. Started out of Cambridge, Mass., Joule was founded originally as a biotechnology firm, established to utilize the genomic alterations in cellular organisms pioneered by esteemed Harvard bio-geneticist Dr. George Church and their own expert Dr. Dan Robertson.

In the emerging alternative energy/fuel industry, ideas, solutions, and developments are as varied and plentiful as the imagination can dream.  For Joule, they have developed what they call the Helioculture™ platform.  Very simplistically, sunlight and CO2 are used to photosynthesize microorganisms, resulting in the organisms producing hydrocarbons and ethanol as waste products.  The waste is then collected and separated from the water solution, and subsequently stored for either transport or further refinement.

As one would imagine, there are significant competitive advantages for this type of fuel production.  By biosynthesizing the fuel, Joule has severely reduced feedstock costs and eliminated expensive step-wise synthesis.  Furthermore, the fact that the Helioculture™ uses environmentally harmful greenhouse gas as its feedstock means it could reduce the emissions of traditional power plants and refineries.  The continuous, one-step closed system is not only incredibly efficient in both acreage and energy consumption compared to other biomass biofuel solutions, but the modularly-developed approach is also extremely scalable to any size and with virtually no point of diminishing returns.
Perhaps the most promising aspect of this new technology is that it can competitively challenge traditional oil/natural gas extraction on price point.  Joule has predicted that full-scale operations could produce ultra clean diesel for as little $30 per barrel as well as up to 25,000 gallons per acre per year.  Want Joule to make something besides diesel? They can easily switch out the microorganisms to biosynthesize ethanol, gasoline, or jet fuel.  Recently Joule has opened a pilot plant in Texas to perform initial production research and testing with full-scale production scheduled to commence in 2012. 
 
 
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Written by Colin Athens

Hercules Networks is a company creating the world's first kiosk machine that charges all types of cell phones, PDA's, and mp3's, in a rapid 10 minute charge. The goCharge kiosks are compatible with more than 95% of cell phones in the world today and are able to take a fee or give charging away as a customer service.

The company idea came to founder Paul King simply enough while he was on his way to see a friend and his cell phone ran out of battery. After driving past several ATMs, he realized how easy it was for people to get cash anywhere, but not able to get a charge for their mobile devices. King, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, formulated the idea of starting a business to manufacture and distribute standalone public charging stations for electronic mobile devices.

King established Hercules Networks in 2008 with Michael Gold, who is currently the executive chairman of Hercules. After raising the first round of capital, King and Gold sought out additional private angel investors to help them build out a network of public charging stations. These stations are called goCharge kiosks and they can charge 95% of the world’s mobile devices in a rapid 10-minute charge. The unique charging stations have the capability to charge nearly every kind of phone, from a Blackberry to a PDA or iPhone. Each machine also includes a TV screen at eye-level that runs a 10-minute loop of advertisements, including ads from clients such as Bank of America, AT&T, and CBS. The target market of this product is found at convention centers, airports, and other heavy-traffic areas where people need to use their heavily and often don’t have a way to recharge. The company makes money through the sales of advertising and the leasing of machines to companies looking to attract people to their booths at conventions. This business model became a finalist for Business Week’s “Best Young Entrepreneurs” contest in 2009. 

At the moment, there are five different product models of goCharge stations, consisting of differing LCD dimensions, number of charging tips, and table/wall mounting capabilities. With expected revenues to reach $1.75 million in 2010, Hercules Networks is expecting goCharge kiosks to grow in volume by at least 500% per year through 2012. Toward the end of this year, Hercules Networks expects to release a home version of the kiosk, allowing each family to charge devices from one central location, rather than several different outlets in the house. Next time you can’t find an outlet at an airport or lose charge at a convention center, look for a Hercules Networks’ goCharge kiosk to charge your device in a timely and convenient manner.
 
 
Tesla Roadster
Written by William Ward

Tesla Motors Inc. is an electric car company based out of Palo Alto, CA that just had its initial public offering (IPO) raising $226 million dollars. The company is backed by many large investors and in line for numerous government contracts to continue its work on cars such as the Model S and Roadster.

Tesla is doing now what the big players of the automobile manufacturing industry had only hoped to do ten years from today. The small, upstart, Silicon-valley based company is busting onto the scene with the production and sale of fully electric vehicles. Taking its name from Nikola Tesla, the father of commercial electricity and famed electrical engineer, Tesla Motors is currently the only automaker selling electric vehicles with highway-capability in North America and Europe. 

Innovation and sustainability are the clear goals for Tesla, as can be seen through the capabilities of the company’s first vehicle, the Tesla Roadster. This sports car is the first automobile to feature lithium-ion battery cells and the first electric vehicle to have a charge life of over 200 miles. An even more unbelievable achievement is the car’s ability to go from 0-60 mph in just 3.9 seconds, an abnormally fast speed for an electronic automobile, placing it among the fastest cars ever put on the market. The Roadster sells for $101,500 after a US $7,500 tax credit. The company's more feasible choice is the Tesla Model S family sedan, which will begin delivering to customers in 2012 and will cost roughly $49,900 after the federal tax rebate. If the lower price of electricity vs. gasoline is considered, Tesla claims the Model S is similar to internal engine combustion vehicles with a sticker price of $35,000. Customers also have the option of three different battery packs with the Model S, allowing them to select from 160 mi, 230 mi, and 300 mi per charge packs. The clear environmental advantage of Tesla automobiles earned the company the Globe Sustainability Innovation Award in Stockholm, Sweden in 2009. Tesla's approach of manufacturing more mainstream future models should help to spur the phasing-in of fully electric vehicles onto the road.

Tesla has been lauded not only for its contributions to the environment, but also for the company's model of getting its technology on the road by aiming for the high end of the market. The company's stock has shown to be extremely promising in its first few days after going public. The initial public offering of $17 skyrocketed to $23.86 on the Nasdaq after just the second day of trading. This 40% increase gives hope that the American automobile market will soon change to become more environmentally friendly. Tesla Motors' innovation could very well pave the way for GM and Ford to introduce their own lines of fully electric vehicles, further helping to spur the American automobile industry and contributing to an environmentally safer future.

 
 
Welcome to ATechs!

If this is your first time to our site, I hope you take a moment to look around. Our mission is to open the doors of knowledge to the world by connecting industry experts and clients in need of information. 

What is an Expert Network?
Simply put, an expert network is a way for businesses to get first hand consultations from industry experts (CEO's, CFO's, researchers, inventors, doctors, etc...) regarding specific issues.

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CEO & Founder
ATechs