What Ambient Photonics does

Ambient Photonics was a low-light photovoltaic technology company that developed solar cells capable of harvesting energy from indoor and ambient light to power small electronic devices without disposable batteries. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Scotts Valley, California (with principal place of business in Mill Valley), the company operated as a Delaware-incorporated private enterprise with 51–100 employees at peak.

The company's sole core product was its proprietary low-light energy harvesting PV cell technology, engineered to convert indoor and ambient illumination into electrical power sufficient for low-power consumer electronics including keyboards, remote controls, and IoT devices. The underlying technology is described as a novel method/architecture differentiated for indoor energy harvesting conditions. No software, AI/ML, or recurring-subscription product layer is present in the source data.

Ambient Photonics pursued an OEM-embedded go-to-market, commercializing through technology licensing and hardware sales to consumer electronics manufacturers rather than direct or retail channels. Named OEM partners included Lenovo and Google; the company served a single primary segment: consumer electronics manufacturers needing battery-free or sustainability-positioned peripherals. The company raised more than $60 million in Series A funding cumulatively, including a Regulation D filing of approximately $31 million in April 2022 and a $30 million Series A2 led by Fine Structure Ventures in September 2023. Operations ultimately ceased in January 2026 after lead investor At One Ventures was unable to finalize a sustaining funding deal and import tariffs made materials and equipment costs prohibitive; the manufacturing facility and equipment were put up for auction.

Name

Ambient Photonics

Legal name

Ambient Photonics, Inc.

Website

https://ambientphotonics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ambient Photonics developed low-light photovoltaic cells that harvest indoor ambient light to power battery-free consumer electronics such as keyboards, remote controls, and IoT devices. The company licensed and sold its cells to OEMs including Lenovo and Google before ceasing operations in January 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photovoltaic Energy Harvesting Cells

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513)

SIC

Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar PV Module Manufacturing (Cells, Modules, Thin-Film) (EUAMABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Smart Lighting & Electrical (Bulbs, Switches, Outlets, Panels) (HSAPAQAC)

Keywords

• Low-light solar cells
• Energy harvesting technology
• Battery-free electronics
• Indoor photovoltaic cells
• IoT power solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Scotts Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware/Technology Licensing: The company developed low-light solar cell technology for electronic devices and appeared to generate revenue through licensing its technology to major electronics manufacturers for integration into consumer products like keyboards and remote controls.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Ambient Photonics develops and manufactures low-light energy harvesting photovoltaic (solar) cells that convert indoor and ambient light into electrical power. These cells are designed to be embedded into consumer electronics such as keyboards, remote controls, and other low-power IoT devices, enabling battery-free operation.

Product overview

Ambient Photonics offered a single core product: low-light solar cell technology for energy harvesting in battery-free devices. The company developed indoor light-powered photovoltaic cells that could replace traditional batteries in small electronic devices like keyboards and remote controls, addressing environmental concerns related to e-waste from disposable batteries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Low-Light Solar Cell Technology

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LenovocoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 28 January 2026Partnership with major electronics producer Lenovo to integrate Ambient Photonics' low-light solar cell technology into electronic devices.
• GooglecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 28 January 2026Partnership with major electronics producer Google to integrate Ambient Photonics' low-light solar cell technology into electronic devices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Powercast: Powercast provides RF and ambient light energy-harvesting solutions that enable battery-free or battery-extended operation of IoT sensors and consumer devices. It targets the same end use case (battery-free electronics) via a complementary harvesting modality.
• EnOcean: EnOcean is a pioneer in self-powered wireless sensor and IoT solutions using energy harvesting (light, motion, temperature). It is directly comparable in enabling battery-free smart-home and building automation devices.
• Exeger: Exeger (Sweden) develops indoor dye-sensitized solar cells for powering consumer electronics such as headphones and IoT devices. It is the closest direct competitor to Ambient Photonics, addressing the same indoor light-harvesting, battery-replacement use case.
• Dracula Technologies: Dracula Technologies (France) manufactures organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells designed to harvest ambient indoor light for IoT and connected devices. It competes head-to-head with Ambient Photonics in the low-light PV cell category for self-powered electronics.

Broad incumbents

• SolarEdge: SolarEdge manufactures power optimizers, inverters, and PV system electronics for the solar industry. Comparable as an established player in solar power electronics, though oriented to grid-tied utility-scale and rooftop systems rather than indoor energy harvesting.
• First Solar: First Solar is a large-scale manufacturer of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film PV modules. While not focused on indoor applications, it is a comparable solar cell/module manufacturer at vastly larger scale.
• Panasonic (Energy Company): Panasonic is a major diversified manufacturer of photovoltaic cells and modules (notably HIT) for residential, commercial, and utility applications. Comparable as a large incumbent PV cell manufacturer, though not specialized in indoor low-light cells.
• SunPower: SunPower designs and manufactures high-efficiency solar cells and panels primarily for residential and commercial rooftop applications. Comparable as a solar PV manufacturer, though not in the indoor/IoT niche.

Emerging players

• Ossia: Ossia focuses on wireless power-at-a-distance technology for IoT and consumer devices. It addresses the adjacent problem of powering electronics without batteries, making it a thematic peer in battery-free device enablement.
• Lightricity: Lightricity (UK) develops indoor photovoltaic energy harvesters optimized for low-light conditions to power IoT devices. It is a smaller, more specialized player in the same indoor PV niche.

Market position

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors11 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ambient Photonics