SunRISE TechBridge Challenge winners announced by DSM, Fraunhofer TechBridge and Greentown Labs

BOSTON, June 16, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Five early-stage companies are announced as winners of the SunRISE TechBridge Challenge, which was designed to identify innovations in solar materials and technologies to reduce the levelized cost of energy for photovoltaic systems.  The SunRISE TechBridge Challenge is a collaboration between Royal DSM , Fraunhofer TechBridge and Greentown Labs.  The DSM sponsored awards include Greentown Launch incubation and acceleration programs at Greentown Labs, technical validation services from the Fraunhofer R&D network, and eligibility for a DSM partnership and/or venture investment.

56 teams applied to the SunRISE TechBridge Challenge, and based on a multi-stage review process we are pleased to announce the following winners and awards:

• 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.

Award details are as follows:

Greentown Launch acceleration & incubation program at Greentown Labs Award
The awardees will receive desk and lab space at Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA, sponsored by DSM, and will enroll in the Greentown Launch program.  This will provide the awardees with relevant knowledge, tools, networking and coaching to accelerate their business, and will facilitate collaboration with DSM and other entrepreneurs and corporates in the cleantech community in the Greater Boston area.

Fraunhofer Validation Study Award
The awardee will receive a validation project with the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE in Boston, MA, sponsored by DSM.  Through this award, the awardee can access the global technical testing services from the Fraunhofer R&D network, thereby accelerating the technology development of the awardee.  DSM, Fraunhofer CSE, and the awardee will jointly tailor the validation project. 

DSM Partnership/ Venture Investment Eligibility Award
The awardees will work closely with DSM and (if applicable) its dedicated venturing entity (DSM Venturing) determining key milestones in the winner's technology and business roadmap, and investigate possible opportunities for collaboration during a time-boxed evaluation project in the second half of 2016. 

About Fraunhofer TechBridge and the SunRISE Partners

Launched at Fraunhofer CSE in 2010, the Fraunhofer TechBridge program identifies and de-risks promising technologies to solve industry challenges. By performing targeted technical searches and conducting validation and demonstration work, TechBridge evaluates and prepares innovative early-stage products for investors and industry.

The Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE is an applied research and development laboratory dedicated to building tomorrow's energy future today. Our staff's expertise in solar photovoltaics, smart energy-efficient buildings, and grid technologies provides a platform for deeply integrating distributed energy resources through collaborative R&D with private companies, government entities, and academic institutions. Fraunhofer CSE is one of seven centers of Fraunhofer USA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit contract R&D organization, a subsidiary of Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Europe's largest contract R&D organization.

DSM – Bright Science. Brighter Living.™
Royal DSM is a global, science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. By connecting its unique competences in life sciences and materials sciences, DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to create sustainable value for all stakeholders simultaneously. DSM delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials. DSM and its associated companies deliver annual net sales of about €10 billion with approximately 25,000 employees. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext. More information can be found at www.dsm.com.

About Greentown Labs
Greentown Labs is a community of bold, passionate entrepreneurs creating game-changing energy technologies that transform the way we live, work and play. Located in Somerville, MA, Greentown Labs is the largest cleantech incubator in the United States, operating a 40,000 sq. ft. facility that enables entrepreneurs to solve today's biggest energy and environmental problems. Greentown Labs hosts a constant stream of events and programs for the cleantech community and tours more than 5,000 visitors from around the world each year. Its mission is to enable a vibrant community of entrepreneurs to realize their visions by providing access to the space, resources, and funding needed to thrive.

Fraunhofer CSE Media Contact
Lindsey Dillon
Marketing Manager
617-714-6512
[email protected]

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SOURCE Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems

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