About Us
BlueDot Photonics was founded on a simple premise: rather than make a better solar panel, what if you made a better sun?
We are a team of researchers and engineers who look to challenge the status quo. Our expertise in the synthesis and characterization of photoactive materials and in the design and manufacturing of devices allows us to rethink and innovate along every dimension of a device's performance.
We are committed to finding new ways to harvest, manipulate and transform light using unique materials and simple manufacturing techniques. BlueDot is commercializing proprietary technology to create the next generation of solar panels and photonic devices.
Our Team
Daniel Kroupa, PhD - Chief Technical Officer
Dan sets the overall technology roadmap and strategy for BlueDot. Dan founded BlueDot as a research fellow in the Clean Energy Institute at the University of Washington. Here, his research focused on doped semiconductors capable of downconversion for solar energy applications. Dan received his PhD training at the University of Colorado Boulder and US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). His background is in optical spectroscopy and optoelectronic device fabrication/ characterization using solution-processable semiconductors for next-generation solar applications. In 2019, Dan was selected as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 leaders for Energy.
Matthew Crane, PhD - Chief Science Officer
Matt oversees all R&D activities for BlueDot and serves as research liason with the University of Washington. At the time of founding, Matt was a Washington Research Foundation research fellow in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Washington. His research at UW focused on detailed-balance calculations for quantum-cutting solar energy technologies and developed new photonic structures for downconversion solar energy devices. Matt received his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington investigating organic photovoltaics, modeling and implementing light-matter effects in nanomaterials, and engineering materials for quantum applications.
Jared Silvia, PhD - Chief Executive Officer
Jared is responsible for overall operations and business development activities for BlueDot. Jared brings a combination of technical knowledge and experience solving business challenges to the company. Jared joined BlueDot after working in the cleantech sector for Doosan GridTech. While at Doosan, Jared oversaw overall business and product strategy development and helped the newly formed company commercialize solutions for integrating distributed energy resources into the electric grid. Prior to Doosan, Jared worked at McKinsey and Co. where he served companies in the energy and materials sectors on strategy and operation topics. Jared has a PhD in Chemistry from MIT where his thesis focused on carbon dioxide conversion schemes.
Prof. Daniel Gamelin - Chief Science Adviser
Daniel is the Nicole A. Boand Endowed Chair in Chemistry at the University of Washington and Director of the UW Molecular Engineering Materials Center, a US NSF MRSEC. He has extensive experience in inorganic materials development and spectroscopy and is a world expert in doped semiconductors for spectral down- and up-conversion.