The Micromanipulator Company is a manufacturer of analytical probing equipment used to test 150, 200 and 300mm semiconductor wafers, solar cells, nanotechnology and MEMS devices. Micromanipulator aims to provide probe stations and accessories for applications including reliability testing, low current/low noise IV/CV testing, high frequency testing, and probing for flat panels and PCB's. Micromanipulator is located in Carson City, Nevada.

The COMET Group is a manufacturer of systems and components for the growth markets of non-destructive testing, security and semiconductors. Since acquiring the YXLON group in July 2007, COMET has been the global market leader in non-destructive testing and examination using X-Ray technology. Based on the core competencies of vacuum technology, high voltage engineering and materials science, as well as the core products of X-Ray tubes and vacuum capacitors, the COMET Group supplies a and highly flexible range of components, modules, systems and services from a single source. COMET and YXLON have operated in the market for X-Ray-based non-destructive testing for decades and their operations represent dedicated divisions within the COMET Group. While COMET primarily manufactures high-tech components and modules, YXLON offers system solutions, including software and services. The major markets are the automotive, aerospace, pipeline and electronics industries, as well as security at airports and borders. In addition, COMET's Vacuum Capacitors business develops and manufactures customized components and modules for systems used in semiconductor fabrication. End products, aside from memory chips, include flat panel displays and solar panels. Vacuum capacitors are also used for frequency stabilization in radio transmitters. Today, the COMET Group is represented in all world markets, manufactures in Switzerland, Germany and Denmark, and maintains subsidiaries in the USA, China and Japan.The business activities are reflected in divisions for OEM and end customer business. Employees' educational level is exceptionally high; nearly 90% are trained specialists, a third of whom hold degrees from universities or polytechnics. About 10% of sales is invested in research and development, ensuring a sustained high rate of innovation. The COMET Group's culture is customer-oriented throughout. Commitment, respect and transparency characterize the company and its relations with stakeholders. The company's aspiration to be aims to drive everything the company do.

Quadra Power, established in 2016, is a renewable energy company whose key focus area is solar project construction and development of PV plants, both “on” and “off-grid”. QPI brings an experienced construction management team, with over 200 MW of direct solar power construction projects, together with the business, finance, and engineering experience of its sister company Quadra Solar, which was established in 2007.

microJoining Solutions (mJS) is an internationally provider of the field of packaging and assembling miniature and micro-miniature electro-mechanical components and assemblies using the latest feedback controlled resistance welding, pulsed YAG laser welding, and ultrasonic metal welding equipment. nnThe company's focus is on saving users money by improving yields in their present welding processes and preventing welding failures in their product design phase. nnmJS has developed a special expertise in welding automotive components and sensors, medical devices, and solar cell assemblies. mJS is very familiar with both automotive and FDA process documentation and validation.

Solarno is a company that received a STTR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Synthesis of multifunctional nanofibrous polyaniline/carbon composites. Their their award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and their project will develop novel multifunctional materials based on polyaniline (PAni) nanofibers (PANFs) and carbon nanofibers(CNFs) for energy storage. Although PAni composites have been reported for a wide range of applications, including sensors, biosensors, photoelectrochromic cells, etc., due to their excellent electrical, thermal and mechanical properties, none capitalize on the enhanced properties expected from the combination of PANF with CNF. PANFs have greater electronic conductivity than PAni nanospheres and nanorods and can be synthesized on a variety of substrates. Solarno will use a proprietary process for synthesizing composites of PANFs on CNFs. In Phase I Solarno will use these composites as electrode materials for asymmetric supercapacitors, an enabling technology that provides both high energy and power, with the specific technical objectives of: synthesizing and characterizing PANFs on CNF substrates, and achieving supercapacitor performance of 15 Wh/kg, 10 kW/kg and >10 cycles, thus far exceeding current lead acid batteries in terms of power and cycle life. In Phase II we will improve the energy density of these devices to enable potential replacement of such batteries, and explore other functions for the composites, such as sensors and electro-chemical devices. The PANF/CNF composites developed by Solarno will be introduced to the supercapacitor market via materials sales, and partnering/licensing arrangements, and later to related electrochemical functions/applications. Solarno is targeting requirements of the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) market for its initial supercapacitor designs, and as such, the ultimate customers will be major automobile manufacturers. The market requires that capacitors provide higher energy density, reduced size, higher reliability, and lower cost. Commercially available EDLCs commonly provide energy densities around 4 Wh/kg, and power densities between 15-21 kW/kg. The supercapacitor developed here can excel in this market by providing energy density > 25 Wh/kg and better reliability (>2.0 x 104 cycles); the Phase I work will optimize the properties of our PANF/CNF composite to meet this goal. The supercapacitors will also be well-suited for load-leveling for renewable energy sources; direct societal benefits will come from improving the viability of HEVs and renewable sources, tied to reductions in fossil fuel consumption, providing bridge power for wind and solar power farms, and partially replacing lead acid storage batteries. The results of this work in optimizing PAni composites for supercapacitors will translate well into improved functionality for other applications.

Mayaterials is a company that received a SBIR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Solar Grade Silicon from Agricultural Byproducts. Their project will develop a process to convert renewable agricultural byproducts to solar grade silicon metal in an energy efficient and environmentally friendly manner. The hulls of rice and many other grain plants are rich in silica derived from the soil in which they are grown. This silica can be extracted in a highly purified form from rice hull ash to produce useful specialty chemicals. It can also be extracted to provide a basic feedstock for the production of solar grade silicon for the production of photovoltaic cells. This process will bypass the capital and energy intensive methods, such as the Siemens process, which are currently in use. The broader impact/commercial potential from this technology could develop a process which will enable the production of high purity silicon directly from agricultural byproducts without the use of the current energy intensive methods such as the Siemens process. The process uses an abundant waste product as a renewable material source in an energy-efficient manner to achieve a valuable product at low cost and with minimal environmental impact. Current production of crystalline photovoltaic cells is limited by the bottleneck of poly-silicon production. This innovative new process will enable downstream PV plants to run at full capacity, unconstrained by shortages of raw material, thus allowing more rapid adoption of solar energy at lower cost per kWp. Furthermore, the proposed process will be better for the environment in that it is much less energy intensive and uses less toxic chemicals than existing methods.