36Kr Exclusive | This Suzhou equipment company overcomes the mass - production bottleneck of perovskite and secures tens of millions of yuan in angel - round financing.
Author | Lin Qingqing
Editor | Peng Xiaoqiu
36Kr learned that "Guangsu Technology" recently completed an angel round of financing worth tens of millions of yuan. This round of financing was led by Jiayu Capital, with joint participation from Zhongsu Capital and Sugao New Angel Fund. Houlang Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor. The funds will be mainly used for the technological upgrading of perovskite inkjet printing equipment and the R & D of supporting ink materials.
"Guangsu Technology" was established in 2024. The company focuses on the core manufacturing process of crystalline silicon - perovskite tandem solar cells, and its inkjet printing equipment has achieved commercial delivery in China for the first time. It is understood that the company's equipment has been put into practical use in the pilot - testing process of several leading photovoltaic enterprises.
Currently, it is becoming increasingly difficult to improve the efficiency of mainstream solar cells (crystalline silicon cells). The "tandem technology" of covering perovskite materials on crystalline silicon cells has become a new direction in the industry due to its higher theoretical power generation efficiency. Leading enterprises at home and abroad have invested in R & D, and policy support has also been provided. However, mass production faces equipment bottlenecks. Traditional processes cause waste of materials at the battery edges, the production speed cannot keep up with existing production lines, and the battery surface is easily contaminated. Moreover, they cannot adapt to the unique textured surface structure of crystalline silicon cells.
"Guangsu Technology" chose inkjet printing as a technological breakthrough. This process deposits materials like a precision printer, avoiding the defects of traditional processes and accurately conforming to the textured surface structure of the battery. Its production speed, which is fully compatible with existing production lines, is the key to solving the mass - production problem. However, the technology conversion is extremely difficult. Perovskite materials easily clog the nozzles, and a single failure can result in losses of tens of thousands of yuan. Wang Yingsong, the founder of "Guangsu Technology", revealed that the team experienced dozens of nozzle clogs when cooperating with overseas customers in the early stage of process R & D, accumulating a large amount of process experience and know - how, and finally forming an exclusive solution, making the company the only domestic service provider that can guarantee equipment delivery and long - term stable operation at present.
Currently, the product line of "Guangsu Technology" covers the entire chain of needs from basic R & D to mass production. Among them, the mass - production equipment supports multiple new technological routes such as tandem perovskite and flexible perovskite. It is worth noting that the company is transforming from pure equipment sales to an "equipment + ink" model. The development of special inks will reshape the business model.
In the global perovskite equipment field, European and American enterprises still dominate. The breakthrough of "Guangsu Technology" lies in the in - depth combination of international experience and local needs. The founder introduced rich experience and technological accumulation from the semiconductor and display industries into the photovoltaic field, and the team completed systematic optimization according to the material characteristics.
As leading manufacturers accelerate their mass - production plans, the equipment verification cycle continues to be compressed. Wang Yingsong said that the company is currently focusing on the stable operation of the delivered equipment and accelerating material development. However, there are still potential challenges in the industry. Some customers require the equipment to be compatible with multiple ink materials, which needs to be coordinated with the company's consumables strategy. Traditional photovoltaic equipment giants are also increasing their attention to this field. A listed company established a special team at the beginning of the year, and its recruitment requirements clearly list relevant process experience. Facing the competitive situation, the technological first - mover advantage of "Guangsu Technology" is expected to be maintained for a certain period. Its subsequent development depends on the speed of production capacity implementation and the construction of customer stickiness.
In terms of the team, its core team members are from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and international semiconductor equipment enterprises, with more than 20 years of experience in the field of general semiconductor process equipment. Dr. Wang Yingsong, the founder of "Guangsu Technology", completed optical research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in his early years and then went to Germany to engage in laser technology development. He led the R & D of several high - end equipment in international semiconductor enterprises. Previously, he provided relevant engineering design and manufacturing services for overseas precision process equipment partners, and this cooperation became the technological origin of the development of perovskite inkjet printing equipment.
Currently, the company revealed that the perovskite inkjet printing R & D center of "Guangsu Technology" has been completed and put into use, and it will soon be able to deliver a one - stop inkjet printing solution of "process + material + equipment".
Views of investors:
Fang Wenjun, the founding partner of the Frontier Technology Fund of Jiayu Capital, said: Perovskite, especially perovskite - crystalline silicon tandem, is an important direction for the iteration of photovoltaic technology. As a high - efficiency and high - precision material transfer technology, inkjet printing shows great potential in the production of tandem cells and can also be applied in many scenarios such as display, semiconductors, lithium batteries, and additive manufacturing. Guangsu Technology is a company with both innovative R & D capabilities and rich engineering experience. The team led by Dr. Wang Yingsong, the founder, has a 20 - year gene in general semiconductor equipment. The company is the only innovative enterprise in China that has achieved commercial delivery of perovskite inkjet printing equipment. Its ultra - precision inkjet deposition system has achieved breakthroughs in four dimensions: precision, efficiency, cost, and flexible manufacturing, successfully solving problems such as wrap - around plating pollution, textured surface conformity, and patterning control in the mass production of tandem cells. It not only reconstructs the thin - film preparation process but also promotes perovskite tandem cells from "laboratory efficiency" to "factory yield" through a full - stack solution of equipment - material - process. As the leading investor in this round of financing, Jiayu Capital highly recognizes the breakthrough achievements of Guangsu Technology in the field of perovskite tandem equipment, is optimistic about the synergy potential between Guangsu and the Jiayu ecosystem in the field of general semiconductor equipment and materials, and looks forward to Guangsu working with many industrial partners to promote the application and popularization of industrial inkjet printing technology.
Qu Zhaohong, the deputy general manager of Zhongsu Capital, said: Silicon - based perovskite tandem solar cells are the next - generation photovoltaic technology, and equipment and materials are the most critical parts. Wang Yingsong, the founder of Guangsu Technology, has 20 years of experience in the equipment industry and has a profound understanding and insight into the industry. The perovskite inkjet printing equipment developed by him has solved the key process difficulties in the production of perovskite tandem cells and has been recognized by many leading photovoltaic enterprises. Currently, the photovoltaic industry is highly competitive. Only enterprises with innovative capabilities can break the deadlock, trigger new demand for incremental equipment, and drive a new cycle in the industry. We firmly believe in the company and the team and support the company to better drive the development of the industry and create social value.