Optivolt Labs is helping to combat one of the biggest challenges the world is currently facing, the transition to clean and renewable energy sources. Not only is the company revolutionizing the capabilities of solar power, but it is also equipping technology with the ability to recharge itself in an increasingly autonomous world. It is no surprise to anyone that solar power is a major part of the future of energy, and Optivolt Labs has positioned itself to dominate the field.
Besting their competitors to take over solar energy
The main advantage of Optivolt Labs over their competitors is the quality of the products they have been able to create. Their solar charging devices are smaller and more powerful than their competitors. Most importantly, these devices are all capable of charging themselves from ambient sunlight with great efficiency. From just a quick 15 minutes of sunlight, their solar battery tiles provide 1.2 hours of video playback and 4.2 hours of audio playback for iPhones. Furthermore, they provide 12.5 hours of listening time for Airpods and 15 hours of battery life for the Apple Watch. All of this is possible while the battery tiles are kept smaller and thinner than the competitors.
Adding onto their superiority in device size and power, Optivolt Labs has also figured out multiple ways to change the way solar power is harvested and administered. First, Optivolt has been able to reduce the impacts of the partial shading problem with today’s solar panels. Currently, just one percent of shade coverage on a solar panel results in a loss of one third of the entire panel’s power. Optivolt’s technology reduces the amount of energy that is lost due to shade coverage by an astounding amount. In cases where at least one third of the solar panel is covered, Optivolt’s products deliver greater than a 999% increase in energy output over their competitors.
Second, the company is greatly expanding the capability of machines that run autonomously by allowing these devices to charge themselves. When a drone not equipped with Optivolt’s technology runs out of battery, it becomes nothing more than a useless piece of metal. This device is incapable of doing any task until an operator comes to recharge it. Because the Optivolt batteries can charge themselves, they represent a new level of autonomy. This is invaluable for devices traveling long distances, such as public scooters or drones used for delivery.
The team behind the dream
Another major reason we like this investment is the team behind the company, spearheaded by the young, hyper-intelligent Rohit Kalyanpur. Since dropping out of UIUC’s engineering school to start Optivolt Labs, Kalyanpur has been widely recognized as one of the most innovative minds of his generation. At just age 22, he has already received many awards for his progress in the tech field. Starting his career in the Techstars Chicago accelerator program, he has already been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. In addition, he has also been granted a Thiel Fellowship, giving him $100,000 and two years of access to numerous mentors. We at Linden3 Ventures feel confident about putting our money behind Kalyanpur’s team because of his one-of-a-kind mind and the exposure to mentors and resources Optivolt has already gotten. In addition to Kalyanpur, Optivolt employs Sriram Raghu as chief architect and Daniel Kofman as CTO. Both of these men have extensive experience in engineering, and Raghu even has a place in the UIUC Electrical and Computer Engineering Hall of Fame. This strong team will only continue to get stronger as they mature and acquire more talent.
A growing market
The world’s natural resources are dwindling. As each day passes, the need to transition to renewable energy becomes stronger. Though solar power has been around for a number of years, this is still a nascent field that has yet to achieve even a small portion of its potential. Therefore, this is a market that our team is beyond delighted to be a part of at an early stage. Already valued at $52 billion in 2018, the solar energy industry is projected to grow to $313 billion dollars by 2026, with a high CAGR of over 20 percent.
It is evident that Optivolt Labs checks off all the boxes of being a good investment. The company has the gold standard for a product, matching better efficiency with the innovative concept of self-charging electronics. Moreover, they have an intelligent, young, and hungry development team that is taking on a booming industry with tons of upside.