Quebec start-up is working with local students to bring renewable energy to market
October 13, 2022 | By Monica Ferguson
Laval-based WattByWatt, launched early 2021 to produce renewable energy from light using perovskites, a naturally occurring mineral being considered the future of solar cells.
The research is conducted through an internship program funded by Mitacs. To bring its innovation to market, WattByWatt is working with three Mitacs interns from the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) and the University of Sherbrooke.
“The magic of this new photovoltaic material is that it works indoors,” said Pierre Des Lierres, business development director, WattByWatt. “Our technology means we can recharge small electronic devices like cellphones and remote controls, smoke detectors, and retail tags with the light energy we already pay for in our homes, offices, or industrial buildings. At the same time, we’re eliminating the need to replace batteries, which will significantly reduce the billions of batteries that currently end up in landfills each year.”
In two years, the company has grown to 10 employees and is currently seeking an additional $25 million in funding to scale manufacturing.
