Mesodyne joins Air Force Techstars Accelerator to commercialize the LightCell
Mesodyne Inc., a Somerville MA-based maker of compact, solid-state, high-energy-density power generators, proudly announces that it has been accepted into the Air Force Accelerator Powered by Techstars 2020 class. The company's flagship electric generator that fits in the palm of your hand and boasts 10 times the power density of a lithium ion battery has the potential to revolutionize future mobility platforms through long endurance portable power.
During their time at MIT's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, Mesodyne’s founders broke the world record for energy conversion efficiency in thermophotovoltaics, a process that converts fuel to heat to light to electricity via photovoltaics cells. Mesodyne's thermophotovoltaic portable power generator works by burning fuel to heat a photonic crystal thermal emitter to incandescence, leading to infrared radiation which drives specialized photovoltaic cells to generate electricity. Unlike internal combustion engines, the generator has no moving parts, makes no noise, can burn any fuel, is higher in efficiency as compared to similarly sized generators, and has similar performance to hydrogen fuel cells without the difficult supply chain problems of compressed hydrogen.
"Mesodyne fits our accelerator thesis perfectly", said Warren Katz, Managing Director of the Air Force Accelerator Powered by Techstars. "They have a highly disruptive commercial product that will ultimately revolutionize portable electric power generation for all applications, while providing a near-term military advantage of enabling electric unmanned systems (drones, robots) to operate 10 times longer than the most advanced battery technology."
The Air Force Accelerator has a successful track record. Currently in its third year, the 20 companies that have previously gone through the program have won more than $20 million in Department of Defense contracts for prototypes and products.
“Techstars is one of the world’s preeminent accelerators and we are honored to join the network and work alongside talented innovators with the support of the incredible Techstars team,” said Dr. Veronika Stelmakh, CEO and co-founder of Mesodyne.
The accelerator program began February 10th and runs through Demo Day, May 7th, co-located with AUVSI XPONENTIAL at the Boston Convention Center.
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Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. Techstars founders connect with other entrepreneurs, experts, mentors, alumni, investors, community leaders, and corporations to grow their companies. Techstars operates three divisions: Techstars Startup Programs, Techstars Mentorship-Driven Accelerator Programs, and Techstars Corporate Innovation Partnerships. The Techstars accelerator portfolio includes more than 2,000 companies with a market cap of $25 billion. www.techstars.com