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US Startup Sofab Raises $6 Million To Tackle Perovskite Reliability Challenge Photograph: (Archive)
US-based Sofab Inks has secured $6 million in a seed funding round led by Cloudberry Ventures, as the company looks to accelerate commercialization of its specialty materials aimed at improving the durability and scalability of perovskite solar technology.
The funding comes alongside the company’s announcement of a manufacturing reliability breakthrough, addressing one of the key challenges hindering large-scale deployment of perovskite solar cells—long-term operational stability.
Sofab said its proprietary metal-oxide nanoparticle technology replaces conventional fullerene-based electron transport layers, which are considered a major source of voltage losses and mechanical degradation in perovskite devices.
According to Blake Martin, Co-founder and CEO of Sofab Inks, the company’s materials have demonstrated module efficiencies of 22.3% on 30-cm single-junction modules, while delivering significantly improved mechanical bonding compared to conventional materials.
The fresh capital will be deployed towards scaling production capabilities and expanding engineering teams to support the transition from laboratory-scale production to commercial module formats, including 1×2 metre specifications. Cloudberry Ventures said the investment reflects growing demand for next-generation solar technologies amid rising electricity requirements from data centres, artificial intelligence infrastructure and broader electrification trends.
Perovskite solar technology has attracted increasing global attention due to its potential to deliver higher efficiencies than conventional silicon modules while enabling lightweight, flexible and low-temperature manufacturing processes. Such characteristics are expected to open applications across automotive, space and Internet of Things (IoT) segments in addition to utility-scale solar deployment.
Sofab stated that it is currently commercially engaged or in advanced discussions with nearly 90% of the global perovskite industry, including companies such as Alpha Precision Systems (APS), Arizona State University (ASU), Energy Materials Corporation (EMC), Halocell Energy and SunXT.
Industry partners highlighted the role of Sofab’s materials in improving module durability and reducing production costs. Researchers at Arizona State University noted that the company’s materials significantly enhance fracture resistance and operational stability in perovskite photovoltaic devices, addressing one of the technology’s key commercialization bottlenecks.
Founded as a spin-out from the University of Louisville’s Conn Center for Renewable Energy with support from the US Department of Energy, Sofab Inks develops nanostructured materials and electron transport layers for next-generation solar technologies.
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