Ukrainian window blinds SolarGaps – Solar Panel Window Blinds that generate power from sunlight are in demand around the world. SolarGaps is an innovative solution that has no analogs in the world that help to reduce the electricity bill by 30-40%.
Highlights of the story about the company:
?Yevhen Erik, a founder of the SolarGaps company, has always promoted effective and environmentally friendly uses of energy. Initially, he intended to modernize his own house and make it energy efficient.
?The first major step for Yevhen became his participation in IoT Hub’s Accelerator in 2016 (the acceleration program helps startups to enter Ukrainian and global markets), where he met Roman Kravchenko, his first Angel Investor.
Another important step was participation in various local and international technology events, such as Innovation Market and iForum.ua, where the SolarGaps team received their first feedback and requests from potential clients.As soon as the first orders were placed via Kickstarter, well-known American news media, such as TechCrunch, Mashable, Silicon Valley started to write about SolarGaps. Around 70% of all the backers have already received their orders and are very satisfied with the product.The team received a grant of €50,000 as a part of the Climate Innovation Vouchers project, organized by the NGO Greencubator with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union. This climate voucher helped to develop a B2C version of the blinds as well as to get it certified for a European market. SolarGaps also took part in the EU Research and Innovation program Horizon2020.
Now their efforts are focused on expanding the manufacturing and making new versions of the product. The company built a factory where they set up a small series production. Currently, the factory assembles the B2C blinds model intended for private houses and flats. The next stage will be to start making a B2B version — window blinds for large office centers.
Yevhen Erik supports the solar energy industry of Ukraine and believes it has plenty of room for development on a global scale: “We don’t have to live in Poland, the Czech Republic, or Slovakia. The global market can be reached from where we are now and we have trodden this path.”