SunDrive

Founded in 2015 by Allen and his university flatmate David Hu, the company began in a Sydney garage and has since achieved significant technical milestones. SunDrive has set multiple world records for commercial-sized solar cell efficiency, with results verified by Germany's Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH). In September 2021, it reached 25.54% efficiency, surpassing the previous record holder. This was followed by further records, including 26.07% in March 2022. These high-efficiency ratings mean that more power can be generated from a smaller surface area, a key benefit for the rooftop solar market.

SunDrive's business model is centered on solar cell metallisation, the final and critical step in the cell production process. The company plans to integrate its copper plating technology into the production lines of established solar panel manufacturers. To facilitate this, SunDrive has entered into strategic collaborations and joint development agreements with global solar equipment and manufacturing leaders like Maxwell Technologies, Vistar Equipment Technology, and Trinasolar. These partnerships are crucial for scaling its technology from pilot production to commercial-scale manufacturing. The company is initially targeting next-generation cell structures like heterojunction (HJT) technology, which typically require more silver, amplifying the cost-saving benefits of its copper-based process. SunDrive has secured substantial funding from a mix of venture capital firms, including Blackbird Ventures and Main Sequence, and government bodies like the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). These investments are fueling the expansion of its production capacity, with plans to establish large-scale manufacturing facilities in Australia.