SOL VOLTAICS AB

Their core work

Sol Voltaics AB is a Swedish deep-tech SME commercializing nanowire-based solar cell technology — a manufacturing process that deposits semiconductor nanowires onto conventional solar cells to improve light absorption and efficiency without replacing existing production lines. Their core intellectual property centers on aerotaxy, a gas-phase growth technique for producing gallium arsenide nanowires at scale. They bridge the gap between advanced III-V semiconductor research and industrial photovoltaic manufacturing, positioning themselves as a technology supplier to solar cell makers rather than a panel manufacturer themselves.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Sol Voltaics entered H2020 as a research participant in Nano-Tandem, exploring the scientific viability of nanowire tandem architectures alongside academic and industrial partners. Within a year, they had advanced sufficiently to lead their own SME Instrument project, NanoSol, focused explicitly on accelerating commercialization — a sharp pivot from exploratory research to market entry. This compressed trajectory, from consortium participant to solo project coordinator with a €1.74M grant in under two years, suggests a company that moved quickly through TRL stages and was already engaging industrial customers during the project period.

Sol Voltaics was on a clear trajectory toward industrial scale-up and licensing of their nanowire deposition technology to solar cell manufacturers — though their post-2019 status should be verified before assuming current activity.

How they like to work

Sol Voltaics demonstrates a dual collaboration mode: joining larger research consortia as a specialist technology contributor when early-stage science is needed, and leading smaller, focused projects when commercialization is the goal. Their SME Instrument project (NanoSol) was coordinator-led, which means they are comfortable owning the business case and managing EU project obligations independently. With only 6 unique partners across 2 projects, they work in compact, focused consortia rather than broad networks.

Sol Voltaics has collaborated with 6 unique partners across 5 countries, a small but internationally spread network consistent with a focused deep-tech SME building targeted research and supply-chain relationships rather than broad academic networks.

What sets them apart

Sol Voltaics occupies a rare niche: they are not a solar panel manufacturer and not a pure research lab, but a technology platform company whose product is a manufacturing process that improves any silicon solar cell's efficiency by adding a nanowire layer on top. This makes them a potential technology licensor or process equipment supplier to the entire photovoltaic industry. A Lund-based spinout with roots in academic nanoscience, they combine IP ownership with EU-validated commercialization capability — a combination that is genuinely uncommon among European solar SMEs.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NanoSol
  Coordinated as lead organization under the highly selective SME Instrument Phase 2, receiving €1.74M specifically to commercialize nanowire solar cell technology — the largest and most business-focused grant Sol Voltaics has held.
• Nano-Tandem
  Participation in this multi-partner research project on nanowire tandem cells placed Sol Voltaics alongside academic and industrial leaders in advanced photovoltaics, validating their technology at a scientific level before their own commercialization push.