UbiQD- First Solar deal is a
US quantum dot company UbiQD has entered into a multi-year agreement to supply its proprietary QD technology to First Solar, Inc. The agreement paves the way for using QD technology in First Solar's thin film bifacial photovoltaic 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 this latest R&D collaboration.
"This is a turning point for the quantum dot industry with this first high volume QD supply agreement outside of display," said Hunter McDaniel, founder and CEO of UbiQD. "This partnership showcases how US 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 optimisation."
UbiQD's core proprietary quantum dot technology was originally developed at US-based research institutions, Los Alamos National Laboratory and MIT. When incorporated into solar panel encapsulation, QDs can more than double the bifacial quantum efficiency of light conversion for specific wavelengths/colours — 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.
