Insider Brief
- UbiQD has signed an exclusive multi-year supply agreement with First Solar to integrate its quantum dot (QD) technology into thin-film bifacial solar panels.
- The deal follows successful joint R&D and could scale UbiQD’s production to over 100 metric tons annually, marking the first high-volume QD supply agreement outside of display applications.
- The collaboration supports U.S. manufacturing and energy goals, with QDs expected to significantly boost bifacial light conversion efficiency and solar energy yields.
PRESS RELEASE — UbiQD®, a global leader in quantum dot (QD) nanotechnology, announced today that it has entered into an exclusive, multi-year agreement to supply its proprietary fluorescent QD technology to First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR). The agreement paves the way for the incorporation of QD technology into First Solar’s thin film bifacial photovoltaic (PV) solar panels.
The supply agreement is expected to enable the early adoption of QD in thin film modules, which has the potential for UbiQD to grow to over 100 metric tons of production per year. The two companies previously announced a joint development collaboration in 2023, the results of which have supported the new supply agreement and expanded R&D collaboration announced today.
This collaboration between two U.S.-based companies comes as the country seeks to rapidly expand competitive power generation capacity to serve demand from data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), and manufacturing.
“This is a turning point for the quantum dot industry with this first high volume QD supply agreement outside of display,” said Hunter McDaniel, PhD, founder and CEO of UbiQD. “This partnership showcases how U.S. innovation and manufacturing can deliver differentiated performance especially at a time when making breakthroughs in efficiency and materials is more vital than ever. First Solar has been an excellent partner, and together we’ve demonstrated not just performance benefits, but also the cost-effectiveness and scalability of our materials for solar spectrum optimization.”
Breakthrough Technology Momentum for US-Manufacturing and Thin-Film Solar Modules
UbiQD’s core proprietary quantum dot technology was originally developed at U.S.-based research institutions, Los Alamos National Laboratory and M.I.T. When incorporated into solar panel encapsulation, QDs can more than double the bifacial quantum efficiency of light conversion for specific wavelengths/colors — a critical edge as solar manufacturers compete globally on performance and price.
“At utility-scale, even incremental gains in bifaciality translate into significant real-world impact on energy yield,” said Markus Gloeckler, chief technology officer, First Solar. “We’re excited about the potential for quantum dot technology to contribute meaningful gains to the performance of our bifacial modules.”
This momentum represents as a fast follow to the New Mexico-based company’s $20M Series B fundraise announced in April 2025, which is enabling UbiQD’s plans over the next year to build one of the highest volume QD manufacturing facilities in the world, in New Mexico in the coming year. The initiative will cement UbiQD’s position as the global leader in quantum technology, and bolster domestic production capacity for this critical nano materials technology.
