nVizix LLC Awarded Competitive Grant from the National Science Foundation

Small Business Innovation Research Program Provides Seed Funding for R&D


Stamford, CT, February 8, 2017 – nVizix LLC has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $225,000 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on paradigm shifting solar cell technology in collaboration with Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT, and Sensor Sciences LLC, Pleasant Valley, CA. This follows a completed Phase I SBIR from NASA in 2015.


The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project involves a disruptive change to the solar energy industry by doubling the efficiency of the best available solar cells while, at the same time, reducing their cost by half. The nVizix patent pending approach is based on using metals as the source of electrical energy, in contrast to all existing technologies, which use a class of materials called semiconductors. This shift implies not only higher efficiency, but also a shorter “return-on-energy” which is defined as the time it takes for the device to produce as much energy as was used in its production. This is due to lower material costs as well as the leveraging of modern automated manufacturing processes similar to the fabrication of flat panel displays. The immediate benefit of such performance improvement in solar cell efficiency is the adoption of applications that are not possible today. For example, we can now contemplate solar powered mobile devices, remote power systems for disaster response including fire/rescue, military, national and homeland security remote operations, and nanosatellites with reduced weight and area as well as, importantly, radiation hardness. Once the technology is established in these and other innovative applications, its expansion to replace standard rooftop panels and solar farms will result in significant cost savings as well as a smaller profile for these systems.

We are looking forward to the partnership with the National Science Foundation to advance the technology and product development of the next generation solar cells that lead to an inflection point in the use of solar energy across all platforms, new and old, small and large,said nVizix CEO Elie Track.

Once a small business is awarded a Phase I SBIR/STTR grant (up to $225,000), it becomes eligible to apply for a Phase II grant (up to $750,000). Small businesses with Phase II grants are eligible to receive up to $500,000 in additional matching funds with qualifying third-party investment or sales.

To learn more about the NSF SBIR/STTR program, visit: www.nsf.gov/SBIR.


About the National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awards nearly $190 million annually to startups and small businesses through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. The non-dilutive grants support research and development (R&D) across almost all areas of science and technology helping companies de-risk technology for commercial success.


About nVizix LLC:

nVizix LLC is an early-stage start-up with a patent pending invention to create high efficiency, low cost solar cells that form the basis for a transformation in solar energy across all platforms. The company is currently focused on realizing prototypes of its invention.