Rollable solar power for missions where rigid panels fail.
SHINE APEX is an ultra-lightweight, flexible perovskite microgroove PV platform targeting high power-to-weight, compact deployment, and radically lower system cost for LEO, lunar, defense, and smallsat applications — with terrestrial SHINE Flex OEM markets creating a 2027 earning platform that supports space qualification.
The problem
Space PV is too heavy, too rigid, and too expensive.
Modern missions need more power with less mass, less stowage volume, and fewer deployment compromises.
Mass-prohibitive
Traditional space PV can weigh 5–10 kg/m², forcing costly launch tradeoffs.
Rigid and fragile
Brittle panels face launch vibration, thermal cycling, and deployment failure risk.
Too expensive
Space-grade panels can cost $100–400/W, limiting mission scale.
Poor stowage density
Rigid arrays consume fairing volume and constrain satellite design.
The solution
SHINE APEX microgroove PV — built for harsh environments.
A TCO-free, roll-to-roll manufacturable PV platform using ultra-light flexible films, microgroove architecture, and space-specific material hardening pathways.
20× power-to-weight
Ultra-light film changes payload economics and reduces launch mass penalty.
Rollable deployment
Designed for compact stowage, CubeSats, LEO constellations, and large deployable arrays.
Radiation-hardening path
Perovskite and encapsulation R&D targeting LEO, GEO, lunar, and defense environments.
Bifacial + shade tolerant
Microgroove architecture supports albedo capture and resilience to partial shadowing.
R2R manufacturing
TCO-free microgroove PV on PI/PET films targets 1/10th silicon fab CAPEX.
Extreme-environment platform
Built for thermal cycling, UV, vacuum, and deployable power formats.
IP moat
A layered intellectual property stack.
Exclusive foreground ink IP, 120+ background microgroove patents, and SHINE-owned space application IP create a defensible platform.
UT Austin Foreground IP
Exclusive global license to perovskite ink formulation for microgroove PV; Ray Lewandowski named co-inventor.
Power Roll Background IP
120+ global patents supporting the core microgroove substrate architecture and related platform technologies.
SHINE Space Application IP
Radiation-hard formulations, deposition process, encapsulation, and environmental test protocols in development.
Terrestrial earning platform
SHINE Flex creates near-term revenue while APEX qualifies for space.
The same lightweight microgroove film can serve terrestrial OEM markets in 2027, generating customer validation, field data, and non-dilutive operating momentum before full space qualification.
Canopy OEMs
Signed LOI and direct channel access enable first commercial deployments in shade structures, tents, and outdoor power formats.
RV, marine & portable power
Verbal OEM interest supports lightweight, conformal solar products where rigid glass panels add weight and installation complexity.
Low-load rooftops & fleet
Flexible PV can address buildings and mobile assets that cannot support conventional rigid silicon loads.
First OEM revenue target: Q2 2027
Terrestrial SHINE Flex sales are positioned as the first commercial revenue engine, with 2027 projected revenue of $0.5M–$1M from OEM deployments and DoD/SBIR activity.
Terrestrial scale de-risks space.
Fielded SHINE Flex products provide manufacturing credibility, R2R process learning, customer traction, and durability data while space-specific work continues on radiation hardening, UV, vacuum, and thermal cycling.
Market
$8B+ space solar market, supported by a $20B+ terrestrial platform.
SHINE APEX remains space-first, while SHINE Flex terrestrial markets provide near-term OEM revenue, field validation, and a practical bridge to space qualification.
| Segment | Opportunity | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Satellite constellations | $3B | LEO broadband, high W/kg arrays, compact stowage |
| DoD / national security | $2B/yr | Responsive space, SBIR/STTR, rad-hard lightweight PV |
| Lunar surface power | $2B | Artemis habitats, rovers, ISRU, portable arrays |
| CubeSat / SmallSat | $1B | 3U–16U platforms needing ultra-thin conformal PV |
| Terrestrial SHINE Flex | $20B+ | Agrivoltaics, low-load rooftops, canopy, RV, marine, fleet, and portable power revenue streams |
Economics
Price to value, not to cost.
At target seed pricing, SHINE APEX is positioned to undercut incumbent space PV while terrestrial SHINE Flex pricing creates a practical early earning platform.
SHINE seed case targets roughly $300K total installed space-array economics versus approximately $10.38M for leading rigid space PV at 100 m², based on panel price plus launch cost.
| Technology | PCE | W/kg | OEM $/W |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHINE APEX pilot | 10% | 2,429 | $25/W |
| SHINE APEX seed | 15% | 3,643 | $15/W |
| Spectrolab XTE/XTE+ | 32–33% | 200–400 | $200–350/W |
| SolAero ZTJ | 29.5% | 350 | $180–210/W |
| Conventional Si space | 22% | 175 | $95–130/W |
| SHINE Flex terrestrial | AM1.5 | Lightweight | $3.50/W pilot · $1.80/W seed · $0.90/W production |
Roadmap
From lab validation to in-orbit demonstration.
A phased 36-month plan uses terrestrial revenue and grant funding to de-risk space qualification before scaling to prime and OEM supply agreements.
Foundation
- Launch $1M pre-seed SAFE
- File rad-hard microgroove PV IP
- Specify R&D processing equipment
- Begin NLR space-relevant testing
Validation + first revenue
- Validate >12% small-format PCE
- Commission R&D equipment at UT Austin
- Submit SBIR/STTR grants
- Launch first canopy/RV/portable OEM sales
- Target Q2 2027 first SHINE Flex commercial revenue
Scale-up
- Validate 15%+ PCE
- Launch $7–8M seed round
- Order pilot R2R line
- Begin DoD SBIR Phase I
- Expand terrestrial OEM sales as APEX qualification bridge
Space qualification
- 18% PCE + rad-hard encapsulation
- In-orbit demonstration
- SBIR Phase II
- Smallsat OEM agreements
Team
Thin-film, microgroove, manufacturing, and space-solar expertise.
Ray Lewandowski
30+ years in thin-film and R2R manufacturing; founding member of Power Roll; named co-inventor on UT Austin perovskite ink IP.
Dr. Brian Korgel
Nanomaterials leader, Energy Institute director, SPF2050 leadership, and co-founder of Innovalight.
Dr. John Topping
Inventor of the microgroove PV architecture and leader in R2R process engineering strategy.
Brendan Crouch
OEM channel access through TempJacket and CanopyWorx, supporting terrestrial beachhead revenue.
Pre-seed SAFE now open
Join the next generation of space solar.
SHINE Labs is raising a $1M pre-seed SAFE at a $6M post-money cap to advance SHINE APEX through validation, IP filings, grant submissions, and early space-qualification milestones — while SHINE Flex terrestrial OEM activity targets first revenue in 2027.