Plextronics snaps up $14M for organic lighting, solar cells

Plextronics snaps up $14M for organic lighting, solar cells

Plextronics, a unique company developing organic solar cells and light emitting-diode displays — including television screens so flexible you can bend them — announced today that it’s brought in $14 million in second-round funding. The Pittsburgh company says it will use the money to continue research and spearhead manufacturing operations that will hopefully reach commercial scale.

Organic light emitting-diodes (OLED) include an extremely thin layer of organic compounds that are literally printed onto their surfaces. Because… Continue Reading

ClearCount absorbs $4M to ensure surgical sponges don’t get left behind

Who knew that leaving surgical sponges inside patients was actually not that rare? At least that’s the message from ClearCount Medical Solutions, a developer of RFID technology used to detect and track the location of surgical sponges. The Pittsburgh company just brought in $4.1 million in first-round financing, earmarked for the wide release of its commercial product next year. The round was led by Draper Triangle Ventures and included unnamed angel investors.

Its product, the SmartSponge… Continue Reading

Plextronics gets $20.6M more for plastic solar cells, organic RFID tags

Plextronics, a Pittsburgh-based start-up developing organic photovoltaic technology for solar power, said it has raised $20.6 million in a second round of financing.

The round was led by the Solvay Group, a Brussels-based chemical-pharma group, and included Firelake Capital Management, Birchmere Ventures, Draper Triangle Ventures and Newlin Investment Company. Plextronics has raised a total of $37 million in equity capital over the last five years.

The company specializes in “printed electronics,” a field that covers next-generation light… Continue Reading