Spacelis, a startup company based in Ankara, Turkey, is developing lightweight, rollable space-grade perovskite-organic tandem solar technology for aerospace, field communications, and unmanned systems applications.
“Spacelis’ proprietary technology enables up to 50% weight reduction compared to conventional space-grade solar modules made of organic and organic-inorganic hybrid semiconducting materials, with lower manufacturing and launch costs,” Guler Kocak, Spacelis founder and CEO, told pv magazine, adding that such panels are “highly adaptable” for space applications, and can be “rolled, folded, or bent without compromising efficiency.”
The perovskite-organic tandem devices in development aim for a 10 kW/kg power-to-weight ratio, ultraviolet (UV) resistance over 350 nm, and a weight of 60-75 g/m² for the full module, including encapsulation.
The design includes a high-barrier encapsulation technology and innovative polymer substrate to provide self-cleaning, dust-repellent surfaces, according to Kocak.
“The company was officially founded in 2023 in Turkey,” said Kocak. The venture’s technology builds on her PhD work at Flinders University in Australia, which was inspired by research about the high efficiencies and long lifetimes of non-fullerene acceptor-based OPV. “My PhD research explored these non-fullerene OPV materials, recognizing their viability as materials to be studied for scalable commercial product candidates, especially in combination with perovskite solar cells.”
The company is currently finalizing prototypes, along with concurrent R&D projects, to enable the fabrication of space-grade prototypes next year, aiming for in-orbit testing in 2027.
The primary markets are Europe, Turkey, and the United States in space and defense industries. For example, providing portable energy solutions for aerospace, field communications, and unmanned systems.
“Spacelis is preparing for venture capital funding, with an immediate focus on raising $1 million for prototype development this year, and $4 million for go-to-market (GTM) strategy, targeting investors in next-generation photovoltaics, aerospace, defense, and deep tech sectors,” said Kocak.
To date, the company has secured funding from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) and a grant from the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) incubator in 2024. It also participated in startup accelerator programs in the U.K. and U.S. belonging to Seraphim Space, a U.K. early-stage investor.
In Milan last year, Kocak presented, “Next Generation Ultra-Lightweight Flexible Space Solar Cell Design,” at the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2024).
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