PowerBeam

Summary Description:  PowerBeam’s patented wireless electricity system uses optical transmitters and recievers to deliver power without wires. The optical technology turns electricity into optical power. That power is then beamed across open space into a receiver. Similar to a solar cell, the receiver turns the optical power back into electricity. Whatever device is attached to the receiver is powered without any wires.   

David Graham - CEO
David Graham is the founding CEO of PowerBeam. Prior to PowerBeam he founded Poa Sana, which created a leading optical touch sensor design. Poa Sana’s technology was acquired by National Semiconductor in 2003. He has also worked for National, Microsoft, DIVA Systems (a spin-out of SRI International), and a series of other high tech companies. He holds fundamental patents in the field of electronic and optical systems. David Graham has a BA in Government from Harvard University, “the only meaningful credential for an inventor and entrepreneur.”

 

Christopher Surdi - Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing

Mr. Surdi is a serial entrepreneur with a specialty in Marketing and Business Development. His interest in life changing, disruptive technologies is what attracted him to PowerBeam. Mr. Surdi firmly believes that PowerBeam has figured out what scientists have been trying to discover since the discovery of the light bulb and feels that wireless electricity will not only improve our current electrical needs but will spawn a wave of new inventions and technologies useful on this earth and beyond.

Mr. Surdi has extensive knowledge in the start up environment, has many entrepreneurial achievements and a great deal of experience in leadership. In 2002, Mr. Surdi launched an internet company called Phastcash.com which returned its investment in nine months. In 2006, he co-founded a company called Global Educational Program which is currently the premier firm providing Business Development for foreign executives and students in the Silicon Valley. He has also won a number of awards in entrepreneurship at both the local and national level.

 

Aakash Sahai - Research Scientist
Aakash Sahai brings with him to Powerbeam, valuable R&D experience in successfully commercialized communications technologies. While at Qualcomm’s MediaFLO technologies he was intricately involved with the development of mobile-TV Physical layer based on wideband-OFDM receive & transmit systems. He has also worked on multi-carrier DSL systems, developing algorithms for Network capacity optimization in real-world A/VDSL deployments. He graduated with an MS in EE from Stanford University in 2005.

 

Problem to be Solved:  No matter what you do, you can not have an outlet in every square or cube foot within a room.  With PowerBeam, you can.  The main problems with a cord are; expensive installs, placement limitations, aesthetics, convenience and, most importantly, the dead battery.  

 

Solution: PowerBeam has the ability to “beam” power to any device anywhere within line of sight.  Meaning, you can place your PowerBeam Floor Lamp anywhere you want in the room.  You can hang a 14 inch Digital Photo Frame on the wall without the unappealing cord hanging down.  You can install Lights without calling an expensive electrician and most importantly, you can power your laptop and other mobile devices at any time without having to plug it in to recharge the battery.  With PowerBeam’s solution, the word “recharge” will be deleted from our everyday vocabulary and devices will work continuously all day long without any inconvenience or interruptions due to power lose.  

 

Market Size:  The initial markets are wireless power supplies to wireless audio speakers, digital picture frames, advertising displays, lights, and home automation products.  These “low hanging fruit” opportunities addressable only by PowerBeam combine to $200M in 4 years.  Over time, PowerBeam will sell its components into other devices as well.

 

By 2013 the high volume market will be consumer electronics, including laptop computers, cell phones, and other devices. The hardware opportunity is comparable to the 802.11 market, currently $3.45B per year. 

 

Revenue Model: Initially, PowerBeam is a component vendor in the consumer and industrial electronics markets.  Over time, the model will evolve to sell original products and license technology. 

 

Stage/Current Customers: Currently we are making custom prototypes for several large Consumer Electronic companies.  Should these samples meet specification, these CE companies plan to make a purchase for volume production.     

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PowerBeam’s Strategic Advantages

1.      Regulatory compliance

a.       Globally accepted standard

b.      Complies with the IEC 60825-1 standard

c.       Simple TUV test will prove compliance and can sale immediately, globally 

2.      Manufacturing

a.       Can manufacture and deliver within 6 months

b.      No new inventions required

c.       Meat and potatoes process    

3.      Completely safe

a.       Eye safe laser diodes that are invisible

b.      Compiles with IEC standard 

c.       With PowerBeam safety system, no one will ever come in contact with energy 

4.      Interference

a.       Does not interfere with any wireless data technology

b.      Does not emit RF

5.      Power

a.       Power is scalable from 20 mW to 10’s of watts and more if required

6.      Distance

a.       Distance is scalable from 1 ft to 100 meters and more if required 

7.      Size

a.       Can be very small and fit within the framework of many devices both on transmit and receive side

b.      Long term, it would be ideal to create PowerBlubs and PowerTubes on the transmit side  to run off the lighting infrastructure

8.      Presence

a.       Invisible and safety system make its presence completely unknown

b.      No one will ever know it’s in the room

9.      Tech Trade Wave

a.       Transmit: laser diodes are getting smaller, more powerful, more efficient and cheaper without PowerBeam intervention

                                                              i.      Quantum-Dot lasers (co: QD Laser)

                                                            ii.      Result of Optical Communications Industry

b.      Receive: solar cells becoming more efficient and cheaper without PowerBeam intervention

                                                              i.      Result of the Solar Industry and green movement   

c.       Power: power requirements for many CE products have reduced dramatically 

10.  IP

a.       PowerBeam has a blocking position on optical power transfer

b.      Patents relate to safety and usability

11.  Data

a.       We can also transmit data if required

b.      Already have an IRDA back channel so could piggyback off of that