Ambient EU HQ Dusseldorf SIGN Building

Ambient Continues Global Expansion with Opening of New European Headquarters

Scotts Valley, Calif., December 7, 2022 — Ambient Photonics announced today the opening of its first European office, located in Dusseldorf, Germany, to further support its consumer electronics and IoT customer base around the world. As global leaders in sustainability, Europe’s technology manufacturers are leveraging Ambient’s low-light indoor energy harvesting solar cells to decarbonize a range of electronic devices, including remote controls, tablets and sensors.

“One of the reasons Europe’s approach to sustainability is so successful is because it focuses on replacing traditional production processes with low carbon, low waste resources at every level of the supply chain,” said Ambient CEO Bates Marshall. “Ambient’s new European headquarters will provide local, hands-on service and engineering design support, which will deliver greater value to our European customers on their journeys to scrub emissions from their operations.”

Ambient’s European presence provides consumer electronics and IoT manufacturers with local contacts for integrating Ambient’s high power density PV cells into device designs. Eliminating the need for disposable batteries, Ambient’s novel solar cells address Scope 3 supply chain emissions and reduce the carbon footprint of electronic devices by up to 80 percent.

This expansion follows on the heels of the groundbreaking for Ambient’s 43,000-square foot, low-light solar cell manufacturing facility in Scotts Valley, California and recent $48.5 million Series A funding round.

To learn more about Ambient’s new first-of-its-kind production facility in California, watch the video: https://bit.ly/3XP0dIu.

About Ambient Photonics

California-based Ambient Photonics was founded in 2019 to bring low-light energy harvesting technology to mass scale. Ambient’s technology originally developed at the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, and funded at inception by Cthulhu Ventures LLC, is backed by leading investors like Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF), Tony Fadell’s Future Shape and I Squared Capital. The company’s low-light solar PV cells deliver ground-breaking power density from a broader spectrum of ambient light, inspiring a new era in connected device form and function. Ambient works with leading global smart home and IoT device manufacturers on embedded solar cells to deliver superior design possibilities, performance, sustainability and consumer convenience. Explore endless power at: ambientphotonics.com.

Ambient Builds Low Light PV Cell Manufacturing Facility in Scotts Valley California

Ambient Breaks Ground on First-of-its-Kind Manufacturing Facility for Energy Harvesting Technology in California

Scotts Valley, Calif., November 3, 2022 — Ambient Photonics today celebrated the groundbreaking of its state-of-the-art, 43,000-square foot low-light solar cell manufacturing facility in Scotts Valley, California – one of the largest low-light indoor energy harvesting technology factories in the world. The company’s recent $48.5 million Series A funding and accelerated factory construction timeline position Ambient to serve the high demand for its novel technology. Ambient’s high power density solar cells enable connected device manufacturers to reduce the carbon footprint of their products by up to 80 percent by eliminating disposable batteries.

Ambient also recently opened its new headquarters in Scotts Valley and projects to employ over 100 full-time positions between the locations by this time next year.

“The legacy of battery waste in consumer electronics has become the barrier to achieving the dream of a connected, IoT world. Ambient’s technology addresses the growing environmental impact of disposable batteries head on,” said Ambient CEO Bates Marshall. “The Scotts Valley factory groundbreaking is a major milestone as we prove that both the U.S. and California can be leaders in the manufacturing of decarbonization technologies for the world.”

Ambient’s Fab 1 manufacturing facility in Scotts Valley will house the first-ever high-volume, fully-automated production line for low-light indoor solar cells utilizing state-of-the-art equipment from Manz AG, who also serves tech, automotive and e-mobility heavyweights across the globe. Ambient’s fully-automated production system leverages industrial printing processes to deposit its novel molecules on thin, durable glass substrates. Custom cells are swiftly deployable for integration into electronic devices at a price point for mass scale.

“Manz services the world’s largest manufacturing leaders, and Ambient’s investment in our highly-specialized production solutions proves their commitment to high-volume, high-quality production,” said Martin Drasch, CEO of Manz AG. “We are delighted to join Ambient in its journey of Smart Home and Internet of Things market innovation.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Ambient Photonics to Scotts Valley. Ambient brings quality jobs to Santa Cruz County with an appealing work-life balance – avoiding the stressful traffic jams and unnecessary air pollution that comes with a Silicon Valley commute,” said Scotts Valley Mayor Donna Lind. “Living sustainably is fundamental to the health and well-being of our community. Ambient’s work to reduce waste and carbon emissions in our everyday devices is something of which we can all be proud.”

Ambient expects to begin deliveries from the new factory to high-volume consumer electronics and IoT customers in the first half of next year. Connected device manufacturers partner with Ambient to not only improve product sustainability but also address Scope 3 emissions from their supply chains. With planned rooftop and parking canopy solar PV systems, Ambient’s manufacturing facility will also be powered by clean, renewable energy.

Ambient’s solar PV cells offer breakthrough energy density, able to harness photons from across the indoor ambient light spectrum and power a range of electronic devices. To learn more about endless power and energy harvesting for connected devices, download the Ambient Technology Brief.

About Ambient Photonics

California-based Ambient Photonics was founded in 2019 to bring low-light energy harvesting technology to mass scale. Ambient’s technology originally developed at the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, and funded at inception by Cthulhu Ventures LLC, is backed by leading investors like Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF), Tony Fadell’s Future Shape and I Squared Capital. The company’s low-light solar PV cells deliver ground-breaking power density from a broader spectrum of ambient light, inspiring a new era in connected device form and function. Ambient works with leading global smart home and IoT device manufacturers on embedded solar cells to deliver superior design possibilities, performance, sustainability and consumer convenience. Explore endless power at: ambientphotonics.com.

Contact

Christine Bennett for Ambient Photonics

Ambient $31M Series A Co-Led by Amazon through its Climate Pledge Fund and Ecosystem Integrity Fund

Mill Valley, Calif., May 10, 2022Ambient Photonics today announced it has raised a $31 million Series A financing, led by Amazon via its Climate Pledge Fund and Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF), with Tony Fadell’s Future Shape and I Squared Capital participating. With this financing, Ambient will build the world’s largest U.S.-based low-light solar cell production facility. The facility’s fully automated production line and capacity for tens of millions of units per year will enable Ambient to scale its low-cost, high-power density solar cells to mass market adoption.

“The future of IoT and connected devices is energy harvesting, and that future requires massive scale,” said Ambient CEO Bates Marshall. “This financing empowers us to deliver our industry leading technology to some of the world’s highest volume IoT device manufacturers with significant decarbonization impact. We’re opening up entirely new possibilities for products that are designed from the ground up from more sustainable energy sources.” 

Ambient’s first-of-its-kind low-light energy harvesting photovoltaic (PV) technology generates as much as three times more power than conventional technology, harvesting energy across the entire light spectrum – including both artificial and natural light. By eliminating disposable batteries or reducing rechargeable battery mass, Ambient’s world leading IoT and smart home device partners, like Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI), are able to offer their customers significant operational and environmental benefits. This not only reduces landfill waste but also the carbon footprint of battery-powered devices by up to 80 percent.

“EIF invests in innovations that help industry leaders solve tough sustainability and business problems at scale. We believe Ambient has the potential to catalyze more sustainable systems across growing global industries, including consumer electronics, smart home and IoT.  Ambient’s technology offers the first viable solution to cost-effectively power these devices with clean, renewable energy,” said Sasha Brown, partner at EIF

In keeping with its plans to scale low-light energy harvesting production facilities, Ambient will also continue to progress its Part II application for a $162 million loan guarantee under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program. The facilities are projected to generate hundreds of local U.S. jobs while contributing to transformative reductions in Scope 3 emissions. These indirect emissions within a company’s supply chain often represent the majority of organizational emissions. Reducing Scope 3 emissions provides one of the largest sustainability opportunities for the world’s connected device manufacturers, while also creating resilience against potential future regulations. 

“Disposable batteries are both a consumer inconvenience and a significant environmental problem,” stated Matt Peterson, director of The Climate Pledge Fund at Amazon. “We are excited that through The Climate Pledge Fund we will invest in Ambient to help in their path toward creating innovative solutions to decrease the carbon footprint of battery-operated devices across industries.”

“IoT sensors are everywhere. And each one has a battery that gets replaced and added to toxic trash,” said Tony Fadell, Nest founder and author of Build. “Ambient Photonics’ revolutionary low light solar cells bring us within reach of the Holy Grail: a batteryless, wireless IoT network.”

To discover more about endless power for connected devices, download the Ambient Technology Brief here: ambientphotonics.com/technology.

About Ambient Photonics

Ambient Photonics was founded in 2019 in California to bring low light energy harvesting technology to mass scale. Ambient’s technology was originally developed at the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry and funded since inception by Cthulhu Ventures LLC. The company’s low light solar PV cells deliver ground-breaking power density from a broader spectrum of ambient light, inspiring a new era in connected device form and function. Ambient works with leading global smart home and IoT device manufacturers on embedded solar cells to deliver superior design possibilities, performance, sustainability and consumer convenience. Explore endless power at: ambientphotonics.com

Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry

 

Contact

Christine Bennett for Ambient Photonics

Ambient Invited to Phase 2 $162M DOE Loan Program

Ambient Invited to Phase 2 of $162M DOE Loan Program

Ambient Photonics Invited to Submit Part II Application for Proposed $162 Million From DOE’s Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program

Mill Valley, Calif., December 21, 2021 — Ambient Photonics today announced that it has been invited to submit a Part II Application for a loan guarantee under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program. The proposed $162 million loan guarantee from the DOE would support the development of a large-scale U.S.-based low-light solar cell production facility. With a fully automated production line and capacity for tens of millions of units per year, Ambient’s facility will be the largest low-light energy harvesting technology factory in the world. Construction and operation will create hundreds of jobs for U.S. workers and contribute to transformative reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Energy harvesting is one of the most significant technological advancements of our lifetime,” said Ambient CEO Bates Marshall. “Ambient is producing the most advanced energy harvesting technology in the world and developing a high-volume manufacturing project in the U.S. would demonstrate America’s leadership in this technology of the future.”

Ambient’s customers are many of the largest IoT and smart home device companies in the world who integrate Ambient cells into their connected devices to eliminate the costs, inconveniences and waste associated with replaceable batteries. Ambient technology generates as much as three times more power than traditional amorphous silicon cells and is the only energy harvesting technology able to harness photons across the entire light spectrum, yielding more than 90 percent photon conversion efficiency in low-light conditions.

Employing a breakthrough industrial solar printing process, Ambient’s unique manufacturing approach efficiently and cost effectively produces made-to-order solar photovoltaic cells of any size, deployable in electronics with virtually any shape or structure. Ambient’s printing process coats its proprietary chemistry on thin, durable glass substrates to allow for rapid scale commercialization. The planned Ambient facility is estimated to eliminate tens of thousands of metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. In addition to eliminating the waste of disposable batteries, Ambient technology also reduces the carbon footprint of battery-powered devices by up to 80 percent.

About Ambient Photonics

Ambient Photonics was founded in 2019 in California to bring low light energy harvesting technology to mass scale. The company’s low light solar PV cells deliver ground-breaking power density from a broader spectrum of ambient light, inspiring a new era in connected device form and function. Ambient works with leading global smart home and IoT device manufacturers on embedded solar cells to deliver superior design possibilities, performance, sustainability and consumer convenience. Explore endless power at: ambientphotonics.com.

DOE Loan Guarantee

DOE’s invitation to submit a Part II application is not an assurance that DOE will invite an applicant into the due diligence and term sheet negotiation process, that DOE will offer a term sheet to an applicant, that DOE will issue a loan guarantee, or that the terms and conditions of a loan guarantee will be consistent with terms proposed by an applicant. The foregoing matters are wholly dependent on the results of DOE review and evaluation of a Part II Application, and DOE’s determination whether to proceed.

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Contact
Christine Bennett for Ambient Photonics
christine@cleantechcommunication.com | +1 925.330.4783

Ambient Photonics and Universal Electronics Inc. Partnership

Ambient Photonics and Universal Electronics Inc. Work Together to Bring Sustainable Power to Home Entertainment and Smart Home Devices

High power density solar cells eliminate device battery waste and operational replacement costs

Mill Valley, Calif., October 5, 2021Ambient Photonics and Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI) (NASDAQ: UEIC) have entered into a working relationship to reduce the economic and environmental impact of disposable batteries and improve convenience in consumer devices. Embedding Ambient’s first-of-its-kind low light energy harvesting photovoltaic (PV) technology into connected devices can eventually eliminate the replacement and labor costs required to replace batteries as well as reduce the carbon footprint of a battery-powered device by up to 90 percent, according to a 2020 literature review study commissioned by Ambient. The companies will reveal more details of their current work together at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We think about smarter living holistically, including everything from how to create frictionless and new consumer experiences to employing technology that’s better for the planet. Ambient’s revolutionary low light PV cells are smarter in every sense of the word, delivering a new generation of hassle-free connected devices of uncompromising quality that are also sustainable,” said Arsham Hatambeiki, SVP Product & Technology for UEI.

Connected and smart electronics require continuous power, which has historically meant batteries must be periodically replaced or recharged. Often depleted batteries may cause gaps in device operation leading to consumer frustration. Safe disposal is a challenge while recycling can be difficult and expensive. Even in markets like California where batteries must be diverted from waste streams by law, less than 1 percent of batteries find their way into authorized recycling programs according to a report commissioned by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.

“As a first-mover and innovator, UEI has thoroughly benchmarked the performance and reliability of our novel solar cells to validate the enormous market potential for self-powered devices,” said Ambient CEO Bates Marshall. “UEI is proactively solving their customers’ battery-related pain points, like eliminating battery replacement. Our planned collaboration serves to bring both cost savings and sustainability benefits to a market that has been constrained far too long by battery-based power systems.”

Ambient dye sensitized PV cells generate as much as three times more power than amorphous silicon cells, which have served as the most commonly used photovoltaic solution for indoor applications. This unique high power density under LED, fluorescent or diffuse sunlight coupled with a breakthrough industrial printing process enables made-to-order cells for high volume electronic device manufacturers.

To learn more about Ambient’s breakthrough technology and self-powered devices, visit: ambientphotonics.com

About Universal Electronics Inc. 

Founded in 1986, Universal Electronics Inc. (NASDAQ: UEIC) is the global leader in wireless universal control solutions for home entertainment and smart home devices. We design, develop, manufacture, ship and support control and sensor technology solutions and a broad line of universal control systems, audio video accessories, and intelligent wireless security and smart home products. Our products and solutions are used by the world’s leading brands in the video services, consumer electronics, security, home automation, climate control and home appliance markets. For more information, visit www.uei.com.

About Ambient Photonics 

Ambient Photonics was founded in 2019 in California to bring low light energy harvesting technology to mass scale. The company’s low light solar PV cells deliver ground-breaking power density from a broader spectrum of ambient light, inspiring a new era in connected device form and function. Ambient works with leading global smart home and IoT device manufacturers on embedded solar cells to deliver superior design possibilities, performance, sustainability and consumer convenience. Explore endless power at: ambientphotonics.com.

Contact

Christine Bennett for Ambient Photonics

christine@cleantechcommunication.com | +1 925.330.4783