Every Monday, we present to you a company that innovates.
An anti-reflective treatment applied directly to the glass, which makes it almost 100% transparent and hydrophobic. In particular, it allows a 12% increase in the electrical production of solar panels and the elimination of glare in photography.
The research for this technology was carried out about ten years ago by teams belonging to the United States National Laboratories. It was in 2018 that the Montreal incubator TandemLaunch acquired the rights and launched the process to build a business around its operation. That year, we founded Edgehog (inspired by the English name of the hedgehog, hedgehog) with Calvin Cheng, Nasim Sahraï and Siamak Kashi. The first holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Toronto, the second holds a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the National University of Singapore and the third, a master’s degree from Polytechnique Montréal in engineering physics.
“The team of co-founders didn’t know each other, we met through job postings and the TandemLaunch incubator,” says Calvin Cheng, now Edgehog’s chief operating officer. Ms. Sahraï is the product manager and Mr. Kashi was the director, processes and manufacturing, until his departure last May. A fourth partner, François Jeanneau, became CEO.
Edgehog has about ten people at its offices on Peel Street in Montreal.
Conventional anti-reflective coatings add a layer of a particular material to the surface of the glass. The technology selected and marketed by Edgehog will transform the surface of the glass to create a layer that will attenuate the transition of light passing from air to glass. It is this “shock” of passing between two materials that creates the reflections and a partial return of light.
“We’re inspired by the eye of the moth, we call our technology ‘Moth-Eye 2.0,'” Cheng explains. This concept has been known for decades, it is only now that we have exploited this capability. »
After its treatment by Edgehog, the glass acquires an almost complete transparency which increases the flow of light passing through it. For a solar panel, this means an increase in energy production of around 12% on an annual basis, or more than 25% at sunrise and sunset, when the light strikes at an angle.
Integrated into a camera or video camera, this glass reduces reflection and cancels halo effects. The treatment also makes the lens “superhydrophobic”, allowing it to be cleaned with water without drops clinging to it.
“It works for all types of light and for all angles,” says Cheng.
Edgehog has industrial customers for whom it processes the glasses used in the composition of their products, particularly in aerospace and photography. No associated company name has been made public.
The pandemic has been difficult for many companies, and especially for Edgehog, which could not fall back on teleworking. “We are a materials company, our work is physical,” says the operations manager. We had to stop for a few months. »
Since we are dealing with businesses and not consumers, Edgehog must work within the time constraints imposed on him. “We operate in their planning,” says Mr. Cheng.
Edgehog does not manufacture the glass parts itself, it transforms them. “Our challenge is to grow our manufacturing capacity,” says the manager. We use existing facilities, our challenge is to access larger equipment. »
Solar panels and photographic equipment are the two areas where the need for anti-reflection technologies is most evident. “For a small company, we have to focus on these applications,” notes Cheng. When it is mature, we will be able to enter new markets. »