Singapore-based company Cosmos Innovation has secured a total of $19.7 million in funding, with major investment coming from Xora Innovation, the early-stage deep tech investment platform of Temasek. The startup aims to revolutionize solar cell technology by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize the design of perovskite silicon tandem solar cells.
Key Takeaway
Cosmos Innovation, backed by investment from Xera Innovation, a part of Temasek, is utilizing AI-driven optimization to revolutionize the design of perovskite silicon tandem solar cells. By automating and accelerating the development process, Cosmos aims to create highly efficient and cost-effective solar panels. This technology has the potential to disrupt the solar industry, offering greater energy conversion and space-saving benefits.
What are Perovskite Silicon Tandem Solar Cells?
Perovskite silicon tandem solar cells are a combination of perovskite crystals layered on top of traditional silicon cells. This technology captures solar energy more efficiently than conventional silicon cells, leading to the creation of highly powerful solar panels. Due to its multi-layer architecture, designing an efficient perovskite silicon tandem solar cell has been a challenge. However, Cosmos Innovation aims to address this issue through the use of AI-driven optimization.
How Cosmos Innovation is Using AI to Optimize Solar Cell Design
Cosmos Innovation has developed an AI recipe optimization platform called Mobius. This platform is utilized to accelerate the development process of solar cells by reducing the need for manual, trial-and-error based approaches. Instead, Mobius leverages AI to speed up the experimental design, testing, and iteration loop of semiconductors. By automating and optimizing the design process, Cosmos aims to create the world’s first self-learning fab in the solar and semiconductor space.
Founders and Expertise
The startup was founded in 2020 by CEO Vijay Chandrasekhar and CTO Joel Li. Chandrasekhar previously led an AI effort at the Institute for Infocomm Research, overseeing AI projects with a focus on semiconductors. Li, on the other hand, has extensive experience in solar energy research and AI solution development for manufacturers and R&D institutes. The founders’ expertise and background position Cosmos Innovation to make a significant impact in the solar industry.
Advantages and Market Segments
Perovskite silicon tandem solar cell technology offers several advantages over traditional silicon cells. First, it is more efficient in capturing different parts of the solar spectrum, resulting in higher energy conversion. Second, it takes up less space, making it particularly suitable for area-constrained applications such as residential rooftop panels, commercial and industrial installations, and power plants. By increasing efficiency and reducing space requirements, perovskite silicon tandem solar cells have the potential to revolutionize the solar industry.
