By Andrew Webb
Of the Albuquerque Journal

QYNERGY HONES BIZ PLAN: The Air Force Research Lab has tacked an extra $1 million to its $3.1 million contract with Qynergy Corp.
Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., helped secure the federal appropriation for the Albuquerque developer of tiny power cells, said Qynergy business development manager Patricia Knighten. Wilson will visit the firm Tuesday to announce the additional funding.

The original contract, announced in the summer, was one of the first for Qynergy. Since August 2002, the company has received about $4 million in venture funding from In-Q-Tel, a Virginia-based nonprofit venture-capital fund operated by the Central Intelligence Agency.

Under the contract, Qynergy is building tiny power cells for applications in the Air Force Research Lab's Space Vehicles Directive.

The firm, which recently moved from the Corrales area to new offices at 3,800 Osuna NE, has also recently proven its concept and is preparing to transition to product development, Knighten said.

Qynergy's proprietary QynCell technology resembles a solar cell, which harnesses the energy of photons given off by the sun. In the QynCell, radioisotopes embedded in a special semiconductor give off electrons. The device harnesses that energy and transforms it into useful electricity, which can be used to recharge batteries in remote wireless sensors and other devices.

The firm aims to produce the systems to power remote sensors used by military intelligence agencies to detect chemicals, weapons, intrusions or other threats, Knighten said.

"It literally enables operations that were previously impossible," Knighten said.
The company is also exploring the possibility of developing its own sensors, which could be powered by the QynCell technology, she said.

Qynergy, which employs eight, could grow to 12 by the end of the year, she said.

back to top