Nanoptek was founded by John Guerra in 2002 in Concord, Massachusetts to develop and commercialize nanoscale optical technology that produces lower-cost hydrogen just using sunlight, water, and minimal electricity (also provided by sunlight), without any carbon byproduct.  Driven mostly by recognition that large-scale adoption of clean hydrogen will help avert or reduce climate change, the tragic events of 9/11 and subsequent wars also brought home the need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  And beyond our shores, the distributive nature of hydrogen that can be produced locally on-site without grid or pipeline will enable countries, especially those without reserves of oil and gas, to produce their own hydrogen for use in manufacturing, transportation, or storage of  photovoltaic electricity (EES and DES) for a better standard of living. Nanoptek, headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts, is a privately-held C corporation first incorporated in Massachusetts in 2002 and re-incorporated in Delaware in 2007 in preparation for a Series A funding in that year.  Earlier funding included competitive grants from NASA (Phase I and II SBIR), the Dept. of Energy, and The Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust (MTC), as well as several generous private investors.  

The lead Series A investor is The Quercus Trust, with additional investors including MTC (now transferred to MCEC), and all of the same private investors.  The Board comprises David Gelbaum and John Guerra.  All funding throughout the life of the Corporation has been dedicated to the development of photocatalysts with enhanced efficiency and broadened spectral response for use in splitting water with sunlight, and photochemical hardware platforms (Solar Hydrogen Generators) for using the photocatalysts to best advantage. Nanoptek has five U.S. patents and one international patent, with nine more pending and applied for, including four international. The patents include the use of our photocatalysts to clean water and air, in addition to producing hydrogen.  Nanoptek’s intellectual property portfolio also includes numerous trade secrets, trademarks, registered trademark, and license to 9  U.S. Patents encompassing photon tunneling microscopy and other near-field and nano-optical technology that the founder invented while at Polaroid. {Historical note:  To augment the NASA Phase I award, Nanoptek self-funded through domestic and international sales of its Digital Photon Tunneling Microscope; this instrument was used in the discovery of water splitting with bandgap-shifted titania, which in turn resulted in the NASA award.}