Active Surfaces Targets Peel-and-Stick Solar Expansion

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Active Surfaces, a startup based on solar-energy technologies rooted in MIT research, is developing a novel approach to solar using perovskite materials that are cheap, abundant, lightweight, flexible, and highly efficient. The company has raised over $10 million in funding and opened a 5,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Woburn, Massachusetts, as it works to scale up production of its peel-and-stick solar panels that can be easily installed on a variety of surfaces.

Why it matters

Active Surfaces' technology aims to address the limitations of traditional silicon-based solar panels, which are brittle, heavy, and costly to install. Their flexible, lightweight perovskite solar films could dramatically reduce the cost of solar deployment and enable solar energy to be integrated into more buildings and structures. This aligns with the growing global demand for renewable energy, with experts estimating the world will need 20 terawatts of installed solar capacity by 2050 to meet electricity needs while reducing carbon emissions.

The details

Active Surfaces was co-founded in 2022 by Richard Swartwout, a former MIT student who spent a decade researching solar and printed electronics, and Shiv Bhakta, a former civil and environmental engineering and business student. Their perovskite solar cells are made using a novel, non-toxic ink that can be deposited onto thin substrates and protected with a quick-drying epoxy. This allows the finished solar film to generate as much electricity as an equivalent silicon cell, while being much lighter, more flexible, and easier to install. The company's roll-to-roll manufacturing process enables cost-effective, distributed production, reducing reliance on centralized solar cell factories.

• Active Surfaces was founded in 2022.
• The company opened its 5,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Woburn, Massachusetts in 2024.
• In October 2026, Active Surfaces announced an investment from the Tokyo-based electric utility Electric Power Development Co.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Active Surfaces is working to scale up production at its Woburn facility and plans to open a first-of-its-kind commercial-scale manufacturing plant in the near future.