Ascent Solar Technologies
- Company typePublic
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersColorado Springs, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Ascent Solar Technologies firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ascent Solar Technologies
- Legal name
- Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc.
- Website
- https://ascentsolar.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ascent Solar Technologies industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Thin-film photovoltaic solar modules
- NAICS
- Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (334419), Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (335), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)
- SIC
- Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar PV Module Manufacturing (Cells, Modules, Thin-Film) (EUAMABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Solar PV Module & Cell Manufacturing (Crystalline, Thin-Film) (EUAMAHAA), Solar Roofing & Roof-Mounted PV Systems (IMADAFAO)
Keywords
Where Ascent Solar Technologies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Colorado Springs
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Ascent Solar Technologies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Thin-Film Solar Panel Sales: Sale of flexible CIGS photovoltaic modules and solar arrays to customers in space, aerospace, defense, agrivoltaics, and consumer goods markets. Products include 25W modules with 20V-120V output options and Space HDK product lines.
- Space Hardware Developer Kits (HDKs): Pre-configured space-grade solar technology packages including Cubesat HDK, EP-500V HDK, Smallsat HDK, and upcoming EP-1kV HDK and Flatpack Rollable HDK products designed to simplify space mission power design.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Custom enterprise pricing for space and aerospace applications |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Ascent Solar Technologies product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ascent Solar Technologies manufactures and sells flexible, ultra-lightweight thin-film CIGS photovoltaic modules and space-grade Hardware Developer Kits (HDKs). Products are built on a 25-micron polyimide substrate using a patented monolithic integration process, yielding panels with ~52 micron thickness, 68.4 g/m² weight, up to 450 W/kg specific power, ~3 mm bend radius, and configurable 20V–120V (or up to 1kV) outputs. Customers include space and aerospace integrators, defense agencies, UAV/HAPS developers, agrivoltaics operators, and ocean-monitoring programs.
Product overview
Ascent Solar Technologies offers a portfolio of flexible thin-film CIGS photovoltaic products centered on their proprietary monolithic integration technology. The core offering is their CIGS technology on polyimide substrate (15.7% efficiency), which feeds into the Space Hardware Developer Kit (HDK) product line including Cubesat HDK, EP-500V HDK, and Smallsat HDK for spacecraft power applications. Additional modules include the 25W module family with multiple voltage options and the Superlight Solar Modules line for UAVs and high-altitude platforms. The company also has upcoming HDK products including EP-1kV, Flatpack Rollable, and xkW configurations. All products leverage their proprietary monolithic integration process enabling extreme flexibility (3mm radius of curvature), lightweight (68.4 g/m²), and radiation tolerance for space applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CIGS Thin-Film Photovoltaic Technology Proprietary CIGS (Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenide) photovoltaic technology manufactured on flexible 25-micron polyimide substrate with monolithic integration, delivering 15.7% production-scale efficiency, 450 W/kg specific power, ~52 micron thickness, 68.4 g/m² weight, and up to 100-sun concentration operation. Sold as a technology foundation that underpins the company's module and HDK product lines for space, aerospace, defense, UAV, agrivoltaics and ocean-monitoring customers.
- 25W Module 25-watt photovoltaic module available in 20V, 40V, 60V, and 120V output variants, optimized to meet customer power, size and environmental requirements using Ascent's flexible CIGS thin-film technology.
- Cubesat HDK (Space Hardware Developer Kit) Space Hardware Developer Kit optimized for CubeSat power systems, offering 28V 0.5U and 1U cells, body-mountable and folding array configurations in 1U, 3U, and 6U formats, engineered for widely adaptable CubeSat power systems.
- EP-500V HDK (Space Hardware Developer Kit) Space Hardware Developer Kit featuring 500V ESPA and ESPA Grande footprint folding flatpack arrays, engineered to increase electric-propulsion performance while decreasing power system mass.
- Smallsat HDK (Space Hardware Developer Kit) Space Hardware Developer Kit with 28V ESPA and ESPA Grande optimized flatpack folding arrays, designed with a flatpack form factor that enables more payloads per launch.
- Superlight Solar Modules Ultra-lightweight thin-film solar modules with specific power exceeding 450 W/kg, designed for integration into UAVs, high-altitude platform systems and aerospace applications to deliver extended flight times (e.g., 50% range extension on Silent Falcon UAV).
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% flight time extension for UAVs (Silent Falcon)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Ascent Solar Technologies
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Ascent Solar Technologies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Ascent Solar Technologies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NOVI Space Inc.coreMaster Services Agreement for rollable PV array blankets. Ascent's flexible CIGS photovoltaic blankets integrated into NOVI's Pathfinder and N1-ATLAS spacecraft generating 150W for hyperspectral imaging satellites.
- Leading Space Company (Unnamed)coreProvided thin-film PV modules for power generation testing aboard spacecraft in cislunar space. Preliminary results showed promising capabilities for deep space radiation environments.
- NovaSpark Energy CorpcoreTeaming agreement to bring lightweight, reliable power solutions for drone powering and other terrestrial defense applications. Partnership connected to Defense Innovation Unit, AFWERX, and Army Contracting Command programs.
- CisLunar IndustriescoreTeaming agreement to bring power solutions that lengthen missions to U.S. space market. Targeted at NASA and national security space stakeholders for advanced space power solutions.
- Defiant Space Corp.coreStrategic partnership to advance global defense and space market opportunities using Ascent's thin-film solar technology.
- Emtel Energy USAminorTeaming agreement to advance thin-film PV energy storage capabilities for space applications.
- Star Catcher IndustriesminorMOU to improve power capabilities for thin-film solar technology in space applications.
- US Defense Solutions Provider (Unnamed)coreTeaming agreement to supply thin-film solar technology for orbital application to US-based defense solutions provider.
- NASA Marshall Space Flight CentercoreCollaborative agreement for thin-film PV power beaming for orbital applications. MISSE-10 experiment on ISS validated technology performance. LISA-T mission launched with Ascent modules.
- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)coreCollaboration for deep space missions providing combined solar arrays to accommodate advanced payloads, sensors and PV for upcoming missions.
- MomentuscoreASTI's Plug & Fly solar panels integrated into Momentus's Tape Spring Solar Array (TASSA) on Vigoride-6 mission, achieving TRL 9 validation.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ascent Solar Technologies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SolAero Technologies (now part of Rocket Lab):
- First Solar: First Solar is the largest US thin-film PV module manufacturer, producing CdTe (rather than CIGS) utility-scale panels. It is a broad incumbent in thin-film solar with comparable product category but vastly larger scale, terrestrial focus, and different chemistry—useful as a scale benchmark for Ascent.
- Spectrolab (Boeing subsidiary): Spectrolab, a Boeing subsidiary, is a leading supplier of space-grade solar cells and panels, including both silicon and multi-junction III-V technologies. It is the dominant space solar incumbent and the principal competitor for high-value satellite and defense power programs.
Direct peers
- MiaSolé Hi-Tech Corp. MiaSolé is a CIGS thin-film PV manufacturer producing flexible copper-indium-gallium-selenide modules on flexible substrates, directly competing with Ascent's core technology. It targets building-integrated PV, rooftop, and specialty applications with similar efficiency and flexibility characteristics.
- Global Solar Energy: Global Solar Energy manufactures CIGS thin-film solar cells on flexible stainless steel and polymer substrates, directly comparable to Ascent's flexible CIGS approach. The two are among the very few commercial suppliers of flexible CIGS thin-film photovoltaic technology.
- Azur Space Solar Power: Azur Space Solar Power manufactures high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells for space satellites. As a leading space-grade solar cell supplier, it is a direct peer for Ascent's space PV ambitions, though it focuses on III-V multi-junction cells rather than CIGS thin-film.
Emerging players
- Redwire Corporation: Redwire provides space solar arrays and roll-out arrays for satellites and spacecraft through its deployable space systems business. It overlaps with Ascent's space HDK product line for satellite power applications, particularly around rollable and deployable array architectures.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ascent Solar Technologies social profiles
Digital presenceAscent Solar Technologies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ascent Solar Technologies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Ascent Solar Technologies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds18 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ascent Solar Technologies M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ascent Solar Technologies
What does Ascent Solar Technologies do?
Ascent Solar Technologies manufactures and sells flexible, ultra-lightweight thin-film CIGS photovoltaic modules and space-grade Hardware Developer Kits (HDKs). Products are built on a 25-micron polyimide substrate using a patented monolithic integration process, yielding panels with ~52 micron thickness, 68.4 g/m² weight, up to 450 W/kg specific power, ~3 mm bend radius, and configurable 20V–120V (or up to 1kV) outputs. Customers include space and aerospace integrators, defense agencies, UAV/HAPS developers, agrivoltaics operators, and ocean-monitoring programs.
Is Ascent Solar Technologies a public or private company?
Ascent Solar Technologies is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Ascent Solar Technologies founded?
Ascent Solar Technologies was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Ascent Solar Technologies based?
Ascent Solar Technologies is headquartered in Colorado Springs, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ascent Solar Technologies make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Thin-Film Solar Panel Sales are the primary driver. The others are space Hardware Developer Kits (HDKs).
Who are Ascent Solar Technologies's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SolAero Technologies (now part of Rocket Lab), First Solar and Spectrolab (Boeing subsidiary). Direct peers are MiaSolé Hi-Tech Corp., Global Solar Energy and Azur Space Solar Power. Redwire Corporation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Ascent Solar Technologies have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ascent Solar Technologies.
What industry is Ascent Solar Technologies in?
Ascent Solar Technologies's product category is Thin-film photovoltaic solar modules. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMABAD, Solar PV Module Manufacturing (Cells, Modules, Thin-Film), with a secondary code of EUAMAHAA, Solar PV Module & Cell Manufacturing (Crystalline, Thin-Film). Its NAICS code is 334419 and its SIC code is 3600.