UbiQD, Inc., the New Mexico-based leader in quantum dot (QD) technology and manufacturing, announced today that it was named winner in the What the Future (WTF) category of the prestigious 25th Annual SXSW Innovation Awards competition, where the company showcased its new UbiGro® Cover greenhouse film product for enhancing crop yield using fluorescence.
Hunter McDaniel, CEO and Matt Bergren, CPO on stage to accept the SXSW 2024 Innovation Award. Image credit: UbiQD, Inc
The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Innovation Awards recognize the most exciting creative developments in the connected world, celebrating a variety of technological advancements, achievements, and discoveries. According to SXSW organizers, UbiQD’s ‘WTF’ category collects “futuristic projects that don’t fit elsewhere. From quantum physics to nanotech to bio-engineering moonshots, this category pulls together all the amazing endeavors that make us excited about tomorrow.”
“The Innovation Award is highly competitive, especially in our futuristic catch-all category. We are honored by the recognition and commend all the finalists for pushing the boundaries of their respective fields,” said Dr. Hunter McDaniel, CEO at UbiQD. “Our team is humbled, and yet hungry to deliver more innovation.”
Later in the week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded UbiQD a Phase I Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) grant to develop a glass version of its award-winning UbiGro greenhouse technology. The $175,000 grant will also support plant trials for the new QD-glass product at University of California-Davis later this year.
“Less than 10% of global greenhouse acreage is covered with glass, however more than 40% of the industry revenue is associated with glass greenhouses, so it’s a high value segment,” said Dr. Matt Bergren, Chief Product Officer at UbiQD. “Our SXSW-winning UbiGro Cover product is a great offering for 90% of the market, and now we are thrilled to receive new funding from the USDA to develop QD-glass for the rest.”