Company · Nanotechnology Research

Ubiqd, Inc

UbiQD, Inc. is an advanced materials company powering product innovations in agriculture, clean energy, and security. Founded in 2014 by Dr. Hunter McDaniel to commercialize breakthroughs in quantum dot nanotechnology, UbiQD makes use of technology licensed from LANL, MIT, WWU, and UW and is based in Los Alamos, NM. What differentiates UbiQD from its competitors in the quantum dot industry (total 2015 industry sales of ~$300 million with 90% annual growth) is its focus on a specific class of low-hazard semiconductor QDs composed of CuInSeS and ZnSeS, which are synthesized by an extremely low-cost manufacturing process. Typically, quantum dots are composed of either cadmium selenide or indium phosphide, both of which are highly toxic and extremely expensive, which limits their application to displays. UbiQD’s goal is to enter new markets enabled by the dramatically lower costs and negligible toxicity of their materials. In a recent ranking by New Materials News, UbiQD was selected as the #7 QD company with the judges stating: “Despite its age, UbiQD has quickly established itself as one of the most interesting and innovative companies in the sector. The low price point of its low-toxicity QDs means that it is able to enter industries that have so far been off-limits.” The dry Los Alamos climate provides the perfect conditions for reproducible nanomaterial production while the close proximity to Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratory allows for beneficial collaborations with leading scientists in the area.