The ambitions of countries and billionaires in space require improved power sources, and a startup founded by two Stanford PhDs may provide the solution.
Arinna, established by CEO Koosha Nazif and CTO Alex Shearer, announced it raised $4 million in seed funding to develop ultrathin solar panels made from a new material discovered during their doctoral studies.
The funding was led by SpaceCadet Ventures with participation from Anorak Capital and Breakthrough Energy Foundation; the company did not disclose its valuation.
Arinna, named for the Hittite sun god and pronounced like arena, plans to test its first products in orbit by the end of this year. After confirming their photovoltaics in space, they aim to build a facility for large-scale production by 2028.
Shearer explained they are creating qualification panels for initial customers to show these two-dimensional photovoltaics’ efficiency and durability in space. They intend to prove this on a larger scale this year while refining necessary processes for mass production.
Arinna produces solar cells for spacecraft. Previously, satellites used costly yet robust solar panels from rare earth elements. Now, with mass-produced satellites, cheaper silicon panels are being used but degrade faster due to cosmic radiation.
Arinna’s technology uses transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), atomically thin semiconductors developed recently. Their ultrathin solar technology offers highly flexible cells claimed to be cheaper and more durable than existing space solar panels.
Ben Gaddy, a materials scientist and senior director at Breakthrough Energy, noted this is a completely new class of materials compared to minor improvements on existing solar technology.
Nazif and Shearer met at Stanford during their doctoral research. Nazif focused on materials for photovoltaic cells as effective as traditional semiconductors, while Shearer developed methods for mass production. “Koosha was the architect, and I handled construction,” Shearer joked.
The company expects its photovoltaics to be more flexible and 32% more efficient than traditional panels. Arinna’s technology won’t need protective coverings, will last 15 years in orbit, and is deliverable within weeks.
These advancements would significantly improve current technology, provided they succeed in this year’s orbit test campaign and their mass production plans succeed.
Wiz Khuzai, a general partner at Space Cadet Ventures, stated that power is a significant barrier in space ventures, and Arinna could unlock the next generation of power needs in space.