BLACK HOLE LAB

Their core work

Black Hole Lab is a Paris-based private laboratory specializing in microfluidics and flow chemistry, with applications ranging from pharmaceutical ingredient capture to electrochemical synthesis and solar cell materials. As a small company, they host Marie Skłodowska-Curie research fellows to advance applied chemistry techniques at the intersection of microfluidic engineering and green chemistry. Their work focuses on developing miniaturized chemical processes — microreactors, electrochemical flow cells, and nanostructured materials — that translate laboratory chemistry into scalable, environmentally friendly production methods.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Black Hole Lab's trajectory shows a clear expansion from pharmaceutical chemistry toward energy materials, with microfluidics as the constant thread. Their earliest project (MAPIC, 2018) applied microfluidics to pharmaceutical ingredient capture, while subsequent projects shifted toward electrochemical synthesis (BlueFlowCell, 2020) and solar cell materials (PolySolar, 2021). The progression reveals a company building on its core microfluidic platform to address increasingly diverse application domains, most recently entering the renewable energy space.

BHL is pivoting its microfluidics expertise toward energy applications and green chemistry, suggesting future collaborations in sustainable materials synthesis and photovoltaic technologies.

How they like to work

Black Hole Lab operates exclusively as a project coordinator, having led all three of its H2020 projects. All projects are MSCA Individual Fellowships, meaning BHL functions as a host organization for visiting researchers rather than a consortium partner. This model suggests a compact, lab-focused operation that brings in external talent to advance specific research questions — ideal for organizations seeking a focused, hands-on research partner rather than a large institutional collaborator.

With zero recorded consortium partners across all three projects, BHL operates through the MSCA Individual Fellowship model — hosting individual researchers rather than building multi-partner consortia. Their network footprint in H2020 is minimal in terms of formal partnerships.

What sets them apart

Black Hole Lab occupies a rare niche: a private SME in Paris that successfully hosts Marie Curie fellows, bridging the gap between academic research and commercial application in microfluidics. Their ability to attract EU-funded researchers as a small company — rather than a university or research institute — signals strong technical credibility and a practical, industry-oriented research environment. For potential partners, BHL offers direct access to applied microfluidic and flow chemistry expertise without the bureaucratic overhead of a large institution.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BlueFlowCell
  Combines green chemistry with electrochemical microfluidics to synthesize methylene blue and derivatives — a concrete demonstration of sustainable chemical manufacturing at small scale.
• PolySolar
  Marks BHL's strategic expansion into renewable energy materials, applying their microfluidics expertise to dye-sensitized solar cells — their highest-funded project at EUR 196,708.