SOLARPRINT, an Irish energy company, has entered a deal with Fiat to develop solar panels for car roofs as an alternative energy source.
The Dublin company, founded in 2008, is planning to raise at least €10m this year to fund expansion, according to Roy Horgan, its co-founder and chief operating officer. It is raising funds through the UK firm Cronos Partners.
SolarPrint is working on generating solar energy using a process that mimics plant photosynthesis with a cell containing a special dye. “The opportunities are vast,” he said. “The technology works in very low light and indoor light and can be printed on glass and plastics.”
SolarPrint raised €1.6m last summer from Enterprise Ireland, Custom House Capital and high net worth investors.
It has entered the Fiat partnership in a consortium including scientists from Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin.