For information on the Prize timeline, please refer to the Guidelines tab.
Challenge Overview
The American-Made Perovskite Startup Prize is a $3 million prize competition designed to accelerate the growth of the U.S. perovskite industry and support the rapid development of solar cells and modules that use perovskite materials. Through two contests, established perovskite researchers will launch a company and move toward commercialization in under a year.
As part of the American-Made Challenges series, the Perovskite Startup Prize unites the world’s best-in-class research base with the unparalleled entrepreneurial support system of the American-Made Network. Consisting of pioneering maker spaces, dozens of energy incubators, universities, and 17 U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, the Network is primed to assist entrepreneurs in bringing perovskite-focused concepts to market.
Prize Contests
The Perovskite Startup Prize consists of two consecutive contests that accelerate efforts to develop new, innovative perovskite solar companies with the potential to manufacture commercially viable products in the United States. The best-performing competitors in the Countdown Contest are awarded with cash prizes and are eligible to compete in the Lift-off Contest. This cycle of contests repeats until 2-3 final winners are selected for successfully completing the challenge.
Please review the official rules for the complete submission process and instructions for participating.
The Perovskite Startup Prize is composed of two contests: Countdown and Liftoff. Each contest has a set amount of funding allocated for winning submissions. Finalists and winners will be chosen upon merit, and contests will be open on a quarterly basis until all prize money has been won. DOE expects to select approximately six to nine companies that will receive $200,000 in cash and become eligible to compete in the Liftoff Contest. It is not expected that all winners will be selected in the first open-application period. However, the Countdown Contest will close once these awards are made, which may be before the final dates indicated on the table above. The Liftoff Contest will end when the prize pool is exhausted, regardless of whether all Countdown winners have applied to enter the Liftoff Contest.
Please note the prize administrator, at its sole discretion, may decide to hold interviews with a subset of the Countdown Contest competitors. The interviews would be held prior to the announcement of winners, typically within two weeks of the submission deadline, and would serve to help answer questions the judge may have. If you are invited for an interview, you will be contacted 48 hours in advance; participation in the interview will be a prerequisite to receiving an award. An interview invitation is not an indication of winning.
Currently, 4 Countdown and 0 Liftoff awards have been made.
Below is a table with submission deadlines each quarter and a timeline mapping out the remainder of the Countdown and Liftoff Contests*:
Liftoff – Must have won Countdown #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, or #6
*All dates subject to change.
If you want to receive updates on the prize or have any questions, please subscribe by clicking the “follow” button at the top of this page. You can pose questions in the “Forum” tab or reach out to prize administrators by emailing .
Today, Thursday, March 23, at 5 p.m. ET, is the deadline to enter the Perovskite Startup Prize Countdown Contest. This is the last time the competition will be open to new competitors! Be sure to get your submission in early to avoid any technical difficulties.
As a reminder, your submission must include:
Company eligibility verification
120-second video (public)
Cover page
Narrative answers to four questions (not to exceed 2,500 words)
Mentor Engagement Output - required for resubmission competitors, optional for new competitors
You can find a template in the Resources tab on HeroX
Résumés
Technical assistance request (public)
One summary PowerPoint slide (public)
Letters of commitment or support (optional)
We highly recommend submitting before the 5 p.m. ET deadline to avoid connectivity or upload issues. We will not accept late submissions.
Come hear Perovskite Startup Prize Liftoff Contest competitors present their technologies on April 11 at the MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco!
If you’re planning to attend the Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting, stop by Symposium EL02 on April 11, 1:30–4 p.m. PT, to hear teams competing in the Liftoff Contest talk about the technologies they’re working on during this contest—with the hopes of winning a $500,000 cash prize!
That afternoon, members of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will be on hand to talk more about perovskite photovoltaics. Register now for the MRS Spring Meeting to participate!
As a reminder, the final Countdown Contest closes March 23. Participants must assemble a team of strong technical and business experts, then submit plans for a viable perovskite solar business with quantifiable goals. View the official rules for complete submission requirements.
Remember that the final deadline to submit to the Perovskite Startup Prize Countdown Contest is next week—Thursday, March 23, at 5 p.m. ET. This is the last time the competition will be open to new competitors! Be sure to get your submission in early to avoid any technical difficulties.
As a reminder, your submission must include:
Company eligibility verification
120-second video (public)
Cover page
Narrative answers to four questions (not to exceed 2,500 words)
Mentor Engagement Output - required for resubmission competitors, optional for new competitors
You can find a template in the Resources tab on HeroX
Résumés
Technical assistance request (public)
One summary PowerPoint slide (public)
Letters of commitment or support (optional)
We look forward to seeing your ideas. If you need assistance or need to connect with the Mentor Network, please reach out to ADL Ventures at .
Make sure you mark your calendars so you don't miss the 5 p.m. ET deadline on March 23. We highly recommend submitting before the deadline to avoid connectivity or upload issues. We will not accept late submissions.
Reminder! We are approaching the FINAL deadline for the Perovskite Startup Prize Countdown Contest! Did you get a chance to connect with the Mentor Network? Contact for more information on the Mentors.
This is the FINAL chance to apply to the Countdown Contest. The Countdown Contest is open now and accepting applications until March 23 at 5 p.m. ET. The Countdown Contest will close after this deadline.
Anyone interested in competing is encouraged to apply. All entrants who are not selected as finalists will receive constructive feedback to help them further their innovation, but there will be no more chances to apply to the Countdown Contest.
The Perovskite Startup Prize will be at the Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting in San Francisco in April. Prize administrators from the U.S. Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory will be in attendance and Perovskite Startup Prize programming will take place on April 11. If you are interested in attending, you can learn more about this industry event and register for the conference here.
Remember, the final Countdown Contest submission deadline is March 23. Its your last chance to win $200,000 cash prize and be eligible to compete in the Liftoff Contest. Both new and previous applicants are encouraged to apply.
If you are resubmitting, you will need to complete the Mentor Engagement Output submission material and you still have time to engage with new Mentors in the Mentor Network! Reach out to to set up a meeting to talk to new Mentors or reconnect with Mentors you've already worked with.
Lastly, we are pleased to announce that the Perovskite Startup Prize will be at the Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting in San Francisco. Prize administrators from the U.S. Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory will be in attendance and Perovskite Startup Prize programming will take place on April 11. If you are interested in attending, you can learn more about this industry event and register for the conference here.
