The key facts

  • RadianX has created a perovskite solar material that harvests twice as much light indoors as conventional panels
  • The $5 million seed round was led by SOSV and Twynam; Pacific Union Technology added $4 million in non-dilutive investment for a production line
  • The 1.2×0.6 m panel shows an efficiency of 22.33%, which the company calls a record

The startup wants to free devices from charging

The startup RadianX is developing perovskite-based solar panels that allow portable and edge devices to operate without recharging. According to co-founder and COO Josh Douglas, the material harvests 'any photons — outdoor or indoor' and can keep a device running 'forever.' The company's founders themselves told TechCrunch about this.

The key is indoor efficiency

The main feature of the development is twice the light harvesting indoors compared to conventional panels. The company believes this opens up the 'edge energy' category: an e-reader that never needs charging, or an IoT sensor without battery replacement. Unexpected applications are also possible — for example, robots with long runtimes or wearables that had been held back by limited battery capacity.

Funding and production plans

To launch a commercial-scale production line, RadianX raised $5 million in a seed round led by SOSV and Twynam; participants also included One Small Planet, Sachsen Ventures, Avila VC, California Innovation Fund, quantumEDGE, Riceberg Ventures and Alumni Ventures. In parallel, Pacific Union Technology Precision Manufacturing is investing $4 million as non-dilutive funding into a dedicated production line for the startup.

Technology and limitations

The idea is not new: solar calculators have existed for decades, but the demands of modern devices exceeded the capabilities of traditional panels, and the field was largely forgotten. Co-founder and CEO Vivian Wu explains the interest in perovskites by their high power density. Perovskites are more expensive than silicon panels and less durable, but RadianX claims a record efficiency of 22.33% for a 1.2×0.6 m panel, achievement of the industry durability standard, and less panel degradation indoors — their thickness can be as little as 0.7 mm. The company is also developing power electronics adapted to perovskites, since existing electronics are designed for silicon with different light-sensitivity characteristics. Unlike many solar companies, RadianX does not plan to sell bare panels; instead, it offers device manufacturers ready-made energy packages — from e-readers to factory sensors.