Brilliant Matters

What Brilliant Matters does

Brilliant Matters Inc. is a Quebec-based specialty materials manufacturer founded in 2016 that produces high-purity, solution-processable organic semiconductors for printed and organic electronics. Its core platform is Direct Heteroarylation Polymerization (DHAP), a proprietary green-chemistry polymerization method developed at Université Laval that forms carbon-carbon bonds between aromatic units without generating toxic organotin by-products. The company operates from a headquarters and multi-kilogram manufacturing facility in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec, and serves OPV module manufacturers, printed electronics companies, IoT device makers, and emerging applications in building-integrated photovoltaics, indoor energy harvesting, agrivoltaics, and computing.

The product portfolio centers on ready-to-print OPV active layer systems (BM7 at 7% efficiency and BM10 at over 10% stabilized efficiency, both designed for roll-to-roll manufacturing using non-halogenated solvents), complemented by a catalog of donor polymers (PM6, PTQ10, PBDB-T series), acceptor materials (Y5, Y6, Y7, L8BO, BTO), and printable interlayer materials such as BM-HTL-1. Manufacturing is differentiated by ±5% molecular weight tolerance for batch-to-batch reproducibility and proprietary purification systems that remove residual palladium and metallic nanoparticle contaminants. The materials are sold as kilogram-scale specialty chemicals with quote-based pricing and multi-year contracts, supported by technical onboarding and a qualified-partner program.

Brilliant Matters generates revenue through direct B2B sales of organic semiconductor materials, custom synthesis and formulation services, and licensing of its DHAP technology. Distribution is primarily direct, with strategic channel partner GSI Creos Corporation handling Japan-market access. Notable commercial and development relationships include Ricoh (supplying materials for OPV IoT devices and wearable electronics), Epishine (indoor solar cells via Eurostars project), ARMOR (roll-to-roll ASCA film manufacturing), Nano-C (joint development of photoactive layer materials), and Raymor Nanointegris (DARPA-funded 3D system-on-chip project). The company has raised CAD $8.6M cumulatively across a 2021 seed round and a 2023 Series A co-led by Ecofuel Fund and GSI Creos.

Name

Brilliant Matters

Legal name

Brilliant Matters Inc.

Website

https://brilliantmatters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brilliant Matters is a Quebec-based specialty materials manufacturer producing high-purity organic semiconductors via proprietary Direct Heteroarylation Polymerization for OPV modules, printed electronics, IoT devices, BIPV, and emerging computing applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Semiconductor Materials

NAICS

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)

akta.pro primary industry

Thin-Film Deposition Materials (PVD/CVD/ALD Targets & Precursors) (HDAHAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Deposition Precursors (CVD/ALD Precursors, Metalorganics) (IMAEAKAG)

Keywords

• Organic semiconductor materials
• Printed electronics manufacturing
• Organic photovoltaic materials
• Solution-processable polymers
• OPV active layer formulations

Headquarters

HQ city

Quebec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Organic Semiconductor Materials Sales: Sale of high-purity organic semiconductor materials including donor polymers, acceptor molecules, and interlayer materials to OPV manufacturers and printed electronics companies. Revenue generated from kilogram-scale production of specialized materials like PM6, PTQ10, Y6 series, and custom formulations.
2. Custom Synthesis Services: Custom synthesis and formulation services for specialized organic semiconductor materials. Includes technical support, prototyping of OPV devices, material characterization, and printing/encapsulation testing.
3. Licensing of Technology: Licensing of proprietary DHAP technology and manufacturing processes to partners seeking to produce organic semiconductors using Brilliant Matters' green chemistry platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brilliant Matters designs, develops, and manufactures high-purity, solution-processable organic semiconductor materials for printed and organic electronics. Its core catalog includes ready-to-print OPV active layer systems (BM7 and BM10), donor polymers (PM6, PTQ10), non-fullerene acceptor materials (Y5, Y6, Y7, L8BO, BTO), and printable interlayer materials (BM-HTL-1). Materials are produced using the company's proprietary Direct Heteroarylenation Polymerization (DHAP) green chemistry platform at kilogram scale for roll-to-roll printed photovoltaics, photodetectors, electrochromic devices, and thin-film transistors.

Product overview

Brilliant Matters is a materials manufacturer specializing in high-purity, solution-processable organic semiconductors for printed electronics. Their product portfolio centers on two ready-to-print OPV active layer formulations (BM7 at 7% efficiency and BM10 at 10% efficiency) designed for roll-to-roll manufacturing. Supporting these core offerings is a comprehensive catalog of donor polymers (PM6, PTQ10, PBDB-T, PPDT2FBT) and acceptor materials (ITIC series, BTP/Y5/Y6/Y7 series, L8BO, BTO) that function as p-type and n-type semiconductors respectively, plus interlayer materials like BM-HTL-1. Together these materials enable fabrication of organic photovoltaics, photodetectors, electrochromic devices, and thin-film transistors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BM7: Active layer formulation for OPV delivering 7% efficiency with high transparency, blue color, suitable for indoor and outdoor applications including smart windows, battery-free electronics, and asset tracking.
• BM10
• BM-HTL-1

Products and services

• BM7 Active Layer A ready-to-print OPV active layer formulation designed for indoor and outdoor energy harvesting applications. Offers 7% efficiency with high transparency and a blue color aesthetic, suitable for smart windows, battery-free electronics, and asset tracking.
• BM10 Active Layer A groundbreaking OPV active layer system achieving stabilized 10% power conversion efficiency in fully printed, full-size modules. Engineered for real-world roll-to-roll manufacturing using industry-standard non-halogenated solvents and low-temperature processes; supplied as a pre-mixed formulation.
• BM-HTL-1 Hole Transport Layer A fully printable, high work function hole-transporting layer for organic optoelectronic devices such as solar cells and photodetectors. Provides good film properties, wettability, and processability while retaining favorable electronic properties, eliminating the need for evaporated MoOx layers.
• PM6 (PBDB-T-2F) A fluorinated p-type polymer donor material for organic photovoltaics, achieving PCE > 16% when combined with non-fullerene acceptors. Features lowered HOMO level for increased open-circuit voltage.
• PTQ10 A low-cost p-type polymer donor material demonstrating PCE up to 16.5% with Y6 acceptor. Features simple 2-step synthesis and processability from non-chlorinated solvents like xylene.
• BTP-4Cl (Y7) A chlorinated non-fullerene acceptor with narrow bandgap and high absorption. Achieves PCE of 16.5% when combined with PM6 donor polymer.
• BTP-4F (Y6) Also known as Y6, a narrow bandgap non-fullerene acceptor achieving maximum reported PCE of 15.7% (14.9% certified). Versatile material for both conventional and inverted device architectures.
• L8BO A high-performance molecular acceptor for organic solar cells achieving 18% efficiency. Pairs efficiently with PM6 donor polymer.
• BTO A high-performance non-fullerene acceptor molecule for OPV. Offers stable and reproducible packing morphology from non-halogenated solvent p-xylene, enabling >14% efficiency in 36 cm² OPV cells.
• BTP (Y5) Also known as Y5, a non-fullerene acceptor featuring an electron-deficient molecular core enabling low bandgap with high absorption coefficient. Applicable to both conventional and inverted device configurations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14.5% module efficiency achieved in world record OPV module using Brilliant Matters materials
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• EpishinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2023Swedish manufacturer of indoor organic solar cells. Eurostars collaborative project combining Brilliant Matters' high-performance materials with Epishine's roll-to-roll manufacturing expertise. Goal to advance indoor light harvesting performance for IoT and battery replacement applications. Epishine produces cells optimized for ambient light at 200-10,000 lux.
• Nano-CcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2022Signed MOU for joint development of next-generation materials for higher-performing, cost-effective organic printed electronics. Nano-C provides n-type carbonaceous materials (fullerenes, CNTs) while Brilliant Matters provides p-type polymers. Combined materials form photoactive layer deposited from single ink solution without doping. Partnership addresses materials needed for mass production of organic electronics.
• RicohcoreTechnology or Integration · 18 August 2021Global leader in printing and imaging equipment and first Japanese multinational to publicly announce OPV commercialization. Using Brilliant Matters' organic semiconductor materials for flexible, metal-free solar panels and optical sensors. Ricoh's Energy Harvesting Business Center aims for 'A World without Charging' vision. Focus on high conversion efficiency from low to medium illuminance for IoT devices.
• ARMORmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2020French company pioneering roll-to-roll printed OPV through ASCA® project. Collaboration on challenges of industrial-scale printing including processability from non-halogenated solvents, stability requirements, and batch reproducibility. ARMOR provides manufacturing expertise while Brilliant Matters supplies optimized materials.
• Raymor NanointegriscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership since 2017 for carbon nanotube (CNT) technology. Brilliant Matters' semiconductor polymers used to create high-purity semiconducting CNT ink for 3D system-on-chip (3DSoC) computing. DARPA-funded project with SkyWater, Stanford, and MIT to commercialize 3DSoC technology achieving 50x performance-per-watt improvement over 7nm architecture.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ossila: UK-based supplier of organic semiconductor materials, equipment, and testing services for organic electronics research and small-scale production. Directly comparable as a materials supplier serving the same OPV and printed-electronics customer base with similar donor polymers and acceptor molecules.
• Raynergy Tek: Taiwan-based supplier of organic photovoltaic active layer materials including high-performance non-fullerene acceptors and donor polymers. Comparable as a specialty OPV materials vendor competing for similar module-maker customers.

Broad incumbents

• Heraeus: Global specialty chemicals giant whose Clevios PEDOT:PSS and other electronic materials are widely used in OPV and organic electronics. Comparable as a much larger incumbent in the same end market with broader product portfolios and deeper customer relationships.
• Merck KGaA (Performance Materials): Global science and technology company whose Performance Materials business supplies lisicon PV and other organic electronics materials. Comparable as a large, diversified incumbent serving overlapping OPV/printed-electronics customers with established scale.
• Sumitomo Chemical: Japanese chemical company with a significant OPV materials business including PCE-10 donor polymer. Comparable as a large incumbent, particularly relevant given Brilliant Matters' Japan-focused commercial strategy via Ricoh and GSI Creos.

Emerging players

• Heliatek: German OPV module developer using vacuum-deposited small-molecule organic semiconductors for building-integrated solar films. Comparable as a downstream OPV technology player whose material requirements overlap with Brilliant Matters' potential customer base.
• Saule Technologies: Polish company developing inkjet-printed perovskite and OPV modules for building integration. Comparable as an emerging printed-electronics player operating in overlapping BIPV end markets, albeit with a different active material chemistry.
• Solarmer Energy: US-based OPV developer with internal materials synthesis capabilities targeting flexible and transparent solar applications. Comparable as a downstream OPV player whose material needs and end-market focus overlap with Brilliant Matters' product portfolio.
• ARMOR (ASCA): French company with ASCA OPV film brand, focused on roll-to-roll printed organic photovoltaics. Comparable as both a partner and adjacent player; uses roll-to-roll printing expertise that overlaps with Brilliant Matters' material design targets.

Others

• Nano-C: US-based supplier of fullerene and carbon nanotube materials used in organic electronics and OPV. Existing partner via 2022 MOU for co-developed photoactive layer inks; comparable as an adjacent specialty-chemicals peer in the OPV materials ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Brilliant_Mat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brilliant-matters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors7 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 Brilliant Matters