A startup that grew out of research in Materials Science and Engineering Associate Professor Xudong Wang’s lab was among the finalists in the 2017 Governor’s Business Plan Contest.
The startup, EWPanel, has developed a solution for dead batteries in personal fitness trackers—Fitbits and the like—with a nanogeneration device that creates small electric currents from a thin film. The device is based on an invention by Wang and PhD student Chunhua Yao. The 60 million fitness trackers sold each year could be powered by batteries that would be recharged with a membrane housed in the shoe.
The contest, which had 171 entrants in 2017, links upcoming entrepreneurs with a statewide network of community resources, expert advice, high-quality education, management talent and possible sources of capital.