Case Study: Aquila Earth’s Journey to Develop Advanced Optical Power Converters

Company Overview: 

Aquila Earth, a Sydney-based technology company, is advancing energy transmission solutions through innovative engineering and research. To support a high-impact application such as wirelessly charge inflight remote vehicles (drones), Aquila is developing specialised components using the latest advances in optoelectronics and semiconductor fabrication. They are committed in breaking new ground in energy technology through their precision engineering and strategic partnerships.  

Challenge: 

Aquila Earth faced a significant challenge in acquiring or fabricating a core component for their system: optical power converters (OPCs). These converters are essential to their wireless power transmission systems and had to meet highly specialised requirements and stringent performance standards in terms of wavelength, voltage and laser intensity. With their funding round nearing completion, timelines and costs required careful consideration. The specific requirements of these optical converters, including high tolerance to energy density and optimised performance metrics, meant that the company had to explore the best available options for both short-term prototype development and long-term mass production. Additionally, timelines and cost efficiency were critical factors in Aquila’s decision-making process. 

To address this, Aquila sought two main pathways: 

1. Short-term Development: Engage with existing fabrication facilities to produce tens of OPC prototypes for testing and optimisation. 
2. Long-term Manufacturing: Explore potential partners with expertise in optoelectronics fabrication with the feasibility for scaled production.                                                       

How S3B Supported Aquila Earth: 

1. Prototype Development and Fabrication Partnerships: 
   • Access to Partner Facilities: S3B connected Aquila with fabrication partners in Canada and Europe, providing options for prototype fabrication through molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) processes. These prototypes were designed to help Aquila validate and optimise their initial OPC design. S3B has also provided guidance on potential partnerships with Australian institutions, including CSIRO, ANU and USyd, for further development support. 
2. Exploring Long-term Production Options: 
   • Engagement with Large-scale Fabricators: Aquila initially explored a partnership with Fraunhofer, a leading research institution. However, due to a projected timeline of 3-5 years and a cost estimate of 4-5 million USD, this collaboration was postponed. Nonetheless, Aquila remains open to partnering with Fraunhofer for future projects.  
3. Technical and Strategic Guidance: 
   • S3B offered Aquila technical insights into fabrication methods and materials, ensuring their prototypes met performance and reliability standards. By leveraging S3B’s extensive network, Aquila gained valuable resources and strategies to move forward with their initial development. 

Results and Next Steps: 

With S3B’s support, Aquila Earth has initiated prototype development and established valuable industry collaborations. These prototypes are currently undergoing testing, keeping Aquila on track with their development timelines. 

While the Fraunhofer collaboration has been deferred, Aquila continues to explore partnerships within Australia, supported by S3B, to establish a long-term fabrication solution. S3B remains committed to providing Aquila with ongoing technical and strategic support, helping them achieve both immediate project milestones and long-term scalability. 

By leveraging S3B’s expertise, Aquila Earth is advancing toward a scalable solution, ensuring both product innovation and market readiness. 

Testimonial from Aquila Earth: 

“I would like to express my appreciation for S3B, especially Madhu Jambunathan’s exceptional support, which was crucial for Aquila Space Technologies in advancing the development of photovoltaic cells-based receivers for free-space power beaming. His extensive connections in the semiconductor processing industry, both in Australia and internationally, offered invaluable insights. Madhu’s proactive approach in connecting us with the most relevant vendors significantly improved our project outcomes. I look forward to future collaborations,’’ Muhammed Hanif, Principal Engineer, Aquila Earth.