February 3, 2011 — The New Hampshire Innovation Commercialization Center (NH-ICC) has attracted a $100,000 grant from the New Hampshire Innovation Research Center (NHIRC) to help commercialize semiconductor technology developed by Durham, NH-based startup Innovacene. Innovacene was founded last year by University of New Hampshire (UNH) professor Glen Miller to commercialize the semiconductor technology he and his research team developed at UNH’s Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing in Durham. The company has created an extremely thin, organic, ultra-lightweight surface-emitting semiconductor coating for use in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), according to a press release sent to Mass High Tech.
OLEDs are currently used in light-emitting screens for devices such as mobile phones and computers. Innovacene’s technology would allow manufacturers to apply the coating to large surfaces, such as wallpapers and ceiling tiles, to create a more natural style of lighting.
According to Miller, the company will use the grant funding to develop these ultra-high efficiency lighting products, which will be inexpensive to install and able to be manufactured at high rates.
"These products will produce the highest quality natural white light while consuming a fraction of the energy associated with conventional white lighting products," said Miller.
The company has partnered with the NH-ICC to develop a comprehensive business plan while developing prototype devices, Miller said . They will also be working to identify financing options so that Innovacene can grow quickly to meet the needs of the emerging OLED lighting market.
Mark Galvin, NH-ICC manager director, said the NH-ICC helped with Innovacene’s grant request because of the unique differentiations in the company’s early prototypes. With the correct resources over the next year or so, said Galvin, those differences should allow successful commercialization of Innovacene’s OLED technology. Galvin said he hopes that Innovacene will eventually become a resident of the NH-ICC.
Located at the Pease Tradeport in Portsmouth, the NH-ICC was launched last year by Galvin, a veteran in the telecom industry who founded Cedar Point Communications in Derry, N.H. and Whaleback Systems Corp. in Portsmouth, N.H.
Learn more about MassHighTech’s story at www.masshightech.com/stories/2011/01/24/daily39-UNH-startup-Innovacene-receives-100K-grant-with-help-from-NH-ICC.html