RadianX raises $5 million for indoor perovskite solar cells

RadianX says its perovskite solar cells could power some portable and edge devices without routine charging or battery swaps. The startup says the cells harvest indoor light twice as effectively as existing solar panels, while performing comparably outdoors.

“We can harvest any kind of photon, whether it’s an outdoor or indoor photon, and keep the device running longer — or running forever,” co-founder and COO Josh Douglas told TechCrunch. Co-founder and CEO Vivian Qu said the technology’s high power density is central to its approach.

RadianX recently raised $5 million in a seed round led by SOSV and Twynam, the company told TechCrunch. Pacific Union Technology Precision Manufacturing is also providing $4 million in non-dilutive investment toward a dedicated production line. Other investors include One Small Planet, Sachsen Ventures, Avila VC, California Innovation Fund, quantumEDGE, Riceberg Ventures, and Alumni Ventures.

The company says one panel measuring 1.2 meters by 0.6 meters reaches 22.33% efficiency, which it described as the best on record. Its panels can be as thin as 0.7 millimeters. Perovskite panels remain more expensive and less durable than typical silicon panels, though RadianX says it has met a key industry durability standard. The company is developing power electronics tailored to perovskites and plans to sell packaged systems to device makers, with potential uses including e-readers and factory sensors.