solar energy Archives

Cannon-Brookes, Main Sequence and Blackbird-backed solar panels startup SunDrive sheds jobs, changes leadership

Simon Thomsen - August 6, 2024 2 MIN READ

A startup developing cheaper, copper-based solar panels, and backed by Australian tech royalty, has shed jobs and changed its executive leadership as part of a major restructure of the business SunDrive’s investors include Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes, VCs Blackbird and Main Sequence, the federal government-backed Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and Clean Energy Finance Corporation,… Read more »

Climate Tech

Breakthrough solar panel startup SunDrive teams up with Sydney University on $2.78 million research project

Simon Thomsen - January 6, 2023 3 MIN READ

A University of Sydney Professor developing cutting edge solar technology has received $2.78 million in research funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to commercial the idea in a partnership with Sydney startup SunDrive. Professor Ho-Baillie, the John Hooke Chair of Nanoscience at the university’s the School of Physics and Sydney Nano Hub, is… Read more »

Funding

Mike Cannon-Brookes backs $5 million series A for breakthrough solar cell startup SunDrive

Simon Thomsen - October 26, 2020 2 MIN READ

A $9 million project to make cheaper rooftop solar panels by replacing the silver in production with copper has attracted $8 million in funding. The cash for NSW startup SunDrive includes $5m Series A investment led by Blackbird Ventures and Grok Ventures, the family investment fund of Atlassian co-founder and renewable energy campaigner Mike Cannon-Brookes and… Read more »

Topic

This Australian tech innovation could cut 5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions

Andrew Blakers - January 16, 2020 4 MIN READ

In the 1980s, a global race was underway: to find a more efficient way of converting energy from the sun into electricity. Some 30 years ago, our research team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) came up with a breakthrough, called the PERC silicon solar cell. The cells have become the most widely… Read more »

Advice

Sydney non-profit Empower Projects provides low cost solar power solutions to Malawi

Liz Leigh - October 11, 2016 3 MIN READ

Sydney non-profit Empower Projects is working with a Malawi-based social enterprise called Zuwa Energy to bring affordable solar energy of the 21st century into Malawi households. Zuwa is using a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) solar household system to eliminate the financial barrier many people in Malawi face when it comes to solar energy.

Topic

Brisbane’s Redback Technologies raises $9.3 million from strategic investor Energy Australia

Gina Baldassarre - October 4, 2016 3 MIN READ

Brisbane solar energy startup Redback Technologies has today announced a strategic investment of $9.3 million into the company from Energy Australia.