Singapore Startup Cosmos Innovation Harnesses AI to Supercharge Solar Efficiency

In the global pursuit of renewable energy solutions, Singapore-based startup Cosmos Innovation is making significant strides by integrating AI into solar cell development. Founded by AI scientists Dr. Vijay Chandrasekhar and Dr. Joel Li, the company aims to overcome the efficiency limitations of traditional silicon solar cells by leveraging AI-driven processes.

Breaking the Silicon Efficiency Barrier

Silicon solar cells currently dominate about 95 percent of the global market but are nearing their practical efficiency limit of approximately 27 percent. Recognizing this plateau, Cosmos Innovation is turning to perovskite—a material known for its remarkable semiconductor properties—to create tandem solar cells that can achieve higher efficiencies.

“There’s AI everywhere, but there was no one working on AI for semiconductors, and more specifically for process optimisation and recipe development,” says Dr. Chandrasekhar, CEO and co-founder of Cosmos Innovation. This gap inspired the founders to apply AI in a novel way to accelerate advancements in solar technology.

The Recipe for High-Efficiency Solar Panels

Dr. Li, the company’s CTO and co-founder, likens their approach to culinary arts. “Similar to finding the recipe to make the best dish, we are working on finding the process recipe to make the most efficient solar panel,” he explains. By optimizing the combination of materials and processes, they aim to significantly boost solar cell performance.

Mobius: The AI Engine Accelerating Innovation

At the heart of Cosmos Innovation’s strategy is Mobius, their proprietary AI-powered optimization platform dedicated to recipe development in the solar and semiconductor industries. The platform addresses complex combinatorial challenges, enabling rapid development cycles.

“The biggest pain point was getting access to data sets to build our models and capabilities for this particular domain. This is where ASTAR proves invaluable,” notes Dr. Chandrasekhar, referring to Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research. Collaborations with ASTAR provided essential data and expertise that fueled Mobius’s development.

Building In-House Capabilities

In 2023, Cosmos Innovation constructed its own research and development line to gain greater control over data quality and process efficiency. “We know how to run the line in the best way possible so as to collect the highest quality data needed for our AI engine,” says Dr. Li. This move has streamlined their operations and accelerated progress.

Accelerating Progress Through Strategic Partnerships

Access to top-tier talent has been crucial for the startup’s rapid advancements. “Smaller firms would typically have to compete with larger, established companies for talent, but through the T-Up scheme, we could work with experts at A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R), cutting short hiring time and directly gaining access to talent,” Dr. Li shares. The Technology for Enterprise Capability Upgrading (T-Up) scheme has enabled Cosmos Innovation to tap into a pool of specialized expertise without the typical barriers faced by smaller companies.

With these resources, the team achieved remarkable results. “Equipped with talent and unparalleled AI capabilities, the team was able to accelerate process optimisation by 10 times with Mobius,” states Dr. Li. He emphasizes the impact: “The results achieved were a game changer. What would normally have taken a year happened in just one month.”

Looking Ahead to a Sustainable Future

Despite their significant progress, the founders acknowledge that their work is far from complete. Dr. Li stresses the importance of transitioning from research to practical applications: “What is important is to continue leveraging on our AI’s capabilities to develop next-generation solar cell technology and translate research to mass production in the near future.”

By harnessing AI and innovative materials like perovskite, Cosmos Innovation aims to play a pivotal role in addressing the urgent need for low-cost, high-efficiency solar technology. Their efforts could significantly contribute to the fast-growing solar market, projected to reach $260 billion by 2030, and support the global transition to renewable energy.