Michael Kanellos
Founding members of Solyndra walking out the door May 13, 2008 at 3:40 PM
CIGS start-up Solyndra has raised over $79 million, but that’s not helping the company keep some of its original engineering talent.
Three key members of the technical side of the company have left the company in the last several months, according to press releases and other sources. Last year, Benny Buller, one of the company’s founding members and the former vice president of engineering and technology at Solyndra, took off to become director of device improvement at First Solar.
In February 2008, Ratson Morad hit the road to join DayStar Technologies as President and COO. Morad also served as a vice president of engineering and technology and was part of Solyndra’s founding team, according to a press release from DayStar.
Jonathan Michael, one of the founders and former CTO of Solyndra, is no longer with the company. This occurred recently.
“I am no longer with Solyndra,” read the automated response to an email I sent him today. I’ve called Solyndra’s corporate number to get a more full explanation but the corporate phone number listed on the web site goes to an individual phone mail box with no name attached. (Solyndra, like chip start-up Montalvo Systems, is big on secrecy. Not a lot of releases, email addresses or public information. Montalvo burned through millions before getting gobbled up by Sun Microsystems earlier this year. )
Solyndra right now is in the midst of raising more money, according to sources, and has reportedly argued that it is worth $1 billilon. (Read this masterpiece of erudition I wrote at my former job on Solyndra’s valuation here.)
The departures can be interpreted in a number of ways and we’re trying to get in touch with everyone involved. On one hand, you could say the shifts are the result of good opportunities. Everyone seems to want to work at fast-growing First Solar, so good move, Ben. Morad got an opportunity to jump from being a VP to serving as a president of a company. DayStar, however, has had to delay mass production like many other CIGS companies. (CIGS, by the way, stands for copper-indium-gallium-selenide. CIGS solar cells aren’t as efficient as regular silicon solar cells but proponents say they will be cheaper.) We don’t know where Michael is at the moment, but we will try to find out. Solyndra is also actively recruiting.
On the other hand, CIGS isn’t the easiest material to work with. So far, only Global Solar and Nanosolar have moved into commercial production. Recently, HelioVolt said it had achieved over 12 percent efficiency on some of its cells but it is not selling them commercially yet. Engineers started leaving Miasole, another CIGS makers, as problems started to arise. Again, this is speculation, but it’s a possibility. These were three high-level people too.
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VC’s own solyndra now. that rocket is on the launch pad, the countdown has begun and ready to launch. out of their hands now. these guys have the magic formula, and are heavily recruited to do it again…and again…
Solyndra’s $/W cost turned out to be too high once management figured out how to include everything they need to include — not competitive with First Solar. Miasole has the same problem. Two of a bunch of solar companies which VCs funded in 2005 oblivious to the low cost that First Solar was just about to deliver then. The VCs thought that the startups would be able to get out faster but manufacturing process development takes time and now these startups are out there behind the curve — and the manufacturing business is brutal to anyone who has higher technical cost. Plus First Solar is in volume in Malaysia and these startups are in California. Watch them to be the first casualties of a recalibrating market!
There’s more wrong in Kanellos’ entry then right. Solyndra is over $79M, but the statement is wrong in spirit. Solyndra has over $400M. With 400+ employees there burning over $10M per month. Every engineering vendor around knows that there building a second factory for the next 100 MW plant. If Kanellos could offer anything, he’d tell us if Solyndra’s product works, not a bunch of mis-information: Mr. J. Michael was not the CTO. He was the CFO. And Nanosolar is not in commercial production. But Global is. And Honda, Shell, Avancis, and Wurth. Miasole didn’t lose engineers. They fired 40% of the company when the new CEO came in. Now, they’re having employment fairs to find replacements. Why does Kanellos bother? If he can’t get the facts right and he can’t comment on the points that are brought up by the two previous comments here, he should look for a job that he can contribute to.
Mr.Michael are you crazy?? Dont u smell something fishy?? Why would someone “leave” a winning team?..Thats what we hear in the Solar Circles in the valley.Mr.Kanellos get good insiders in Solyndra and save at least this job of yours…3 more plants of Solyndra with a combined capacity of 1000 MW are coming up over next 3 years..only mass production can push the $/watt less and less..IMHO Nanosolar is crowing about for last 7 years…how many installations do they have? And Solyndra is not even 3 years old..still they have already shipped to several customers…Mr.Kanellos..r u listening?? cook a better story next time..