Solasta, Chapter One

Tech startups often involve suspenseful tales about the race against time. Inventors must produce fast results or risk losing funding. Such was the case with Solasta, a startup photovoltaics company started by three Boston College professors, including two US immigrants who grew up in Poland and China. The product aimed to transform solar cells: nano-scale antennas, coatings and conductors, designed to convert light into electrical energy. Equipment costs were immense. “In this story, and presumably others like it, the scientists favor a methodical development process in which each step brings increased understanding of their new device and the underlying physics, while the venture capitalists push hard for quick results,” writes David Reich for Boston College Magazine. A recipient of millions in venture capital and US Department of Energy funds, the firm pursued its ideas for four years. With little notice, investors sold Solasta’s advanced-technology licensing to South China Normal University in Guangzhou. A key factor behind green-energy breakthroughs is commitment and Solasta’s story may yet have a successful ending – but in China, not where it began. – YaleGlobal