Durham startup Semprius on list of world's most promising technologies

A Durham technology company that claims to have set a world record for solar panel efficiency was named on a prestigious list of the world’s most important emerging technologies.

Semprius is among 10 companies, including Facebook, that made the annual list compiled by Technology Review, a journal published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIT’s criterion for selecting emerging technologies is their potential to change the world.

Semprius’ high-performance solar cells are expected to significantly lower the cost of solar power and will be produced near Henderson, where the company is planning to open a manufacturing plant in the second half of this year. The company is now involved in global demonstration projects for its advanced solar cells.

The Semprius cells convert nearly 34 percent of sunlight into electricity, beating the previous record by about 50 percent.

Among technology cognoscenti, the six-year-old company has long been on the short-list of potential blockbuster technology companies.

The startup netted a $3 million federal stimulus grant to help develop its solar technology, and Semprius co-founder John Rogers won a $500,000 “genius grant” in 2009 for his work in applied physics and semiconductors.

Semprius has raised $44 million from venture capitalists and Siemens, the European conglomerate that recently bought a 16 percent stake in the startup.

Last year Semprius qualified for state and local incentives exceeding $18 million for building its solar cell manufacturing facility near Henderson, where the company plans to add 256 jobs over five years.

Semprius is not the only North Carolina winner of the MIT award. In 2010 MIT named an “intelligent transformer” developed by N.C. State University’s FREEDM Systems Center, which develops smart grids and related technologies.