Dracula Technologies is revolutionizing how IoT devices are powered with its LAYER® OPV technology, a proven, scalable solution that harvests ambient light to eliminate the need for batteries. At the same time, the company is beginning to explore exciting new opportunities in OLED displays and organic electronics, leveraging its expertise in sustainable, additive manufacturing processes.
While OPV remains at the core of its offerings, these early explorations signal the company’s potential to drive innovation across multiple high-growth markets.
Light Energy Harvesting to Power Microelectronics
Light energy harvesting uses photovoltaic technology to capture ambient light—primarily artificial indoor lighting—and convert it into energy. Unlike traditional power sources, this process enables devices to operate autonomously without relying on conventional batteries or cables.
This capability is particularly valuable in industries where continuous data streams are crucial, such as supply chain logistics and asset tracking. In these sectors, battery failures can disrupt data flow and overall operations.
According to P&S Market Research, the global energy harvesting market is projected to reach €1.076 billion by 2027, with photovoltaic energy harvesting accounting for a significant portion—€753 million. This rapid growth highlights the increasing demand for sustainable, battery-free solutions like OPV technology as industries move toward greener and more cost-effective technologies for their IoT deployments.
Organic photovoltaic thin-film modules are particularly well-suited for IoT applications due to their flexibility, lightweight construction, and ability to function efficiently in environments with as little as 50 LUX. They are designed to harness the light present in everyday environments, such as offices, warehouses, or outdoor urban spaces. This makes them an ideal solution for powering sensors, tracking systems, and building automation tools.
By integrating photovoltaic modules into devices, the need for frequent battery maintenance and replacement becomes obsolete as they can function autonomously for extended periods of time. This innovation not only ensures a constant power supply but also reduces the overall complexity and cost associated with maintaining large IoT networks while supporting a more sustainable approach to energy consumption.
Taking Organic Photovoltaic Technology to a New Level
LAYER® technology, developed by France-based industrial scale-up Dracula Technologies, exemplifies ultra-thin, flexible, and scalable light energy harvesting technologies that operate effectively even in low-light conditions (below 50 LUX).
LAYER’s energy-harvesting modules are not only designed for efficiency but are also made with organic materials, enhancing their sustainability. This eco-friendly composition reduces the environmental footprint of IoT deployments to 3 kg eq CO2/m², aligning with global efforts to minimize the use of non-renewable resources and lower electronic waste.
By using organic materials, it supports a more sustainable approach to powering IoT devices, offering both high performance and environmental responsibility.
The modules are printed using droplet inkjet techniques, enabling rapid IoT deployments and offering at least ten years of durability. LAYER’s flexibility and free-shape form factor make it the only product worldwide that provides fully customizable, eco-friendly modules to support the diverse shapes and sizes of IoT devices—and at a lower overall TCO for customers.
Moreover, this technology integrates seamlessly with major IoT communication protocols like BLE, Zigbee, LoRaWAN®, and Wi-Fi, ensuring broad compatibility across systems.
LAYER®Vault, an energy storage solution printed on the reverse side of the harvesting module, also allows devices to harvest ambient light and store excess energy on the same thin-film product. This integration reduces bulky storage components required for applications such as smart labels, enabling more compact designs.
Combined, LAYER and LAYER®Vault provide a sustainable, cost-effective solution that addresses TCO challenges by eliminating the need for frequent battery replacements and maintenance.
A Future Powered by Light
The adoption of Organic Photovoltaic technology represents a paradigm shift in powering IoT systems. From reducing Total Cost of Ownership to advancing environmental sustainability, OPVs offer a practical, long-term solution for powering IoT.
As industries increasingly adopt IoT systems, the flexibility, scalability, and eco-friendliness of OPV technologies will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of energy-efficient, autonomous IoT networks.
Dracula Technologies’ LAYER® and LAYER®Vault technologies are transforming the way IoT devices are powered. By harnessing ambient light and providing integrated energy storage, these innovations ensure a continuous, reliable power supply without the need for batteries. Not only do they reduce TCO for businesses, but they also contribute to a greener, more sustainable future by minimizing environmental impact.
Beyond OPV: Unlocking New Opportunities in OLED and Organic Electronics
While Dracula Technologies’ LAYER® technology is already transforming IoT markets with its proven OPV solutions, the company is also beginning to explore applications of its intellectual property in OLED displays and organic electronics. These efforts build on its core expertise in organic materials and advanced printing processes.
OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology offers immense potential, particularly in displays and lighting. Although still in its early stages, Dracula Technologies is investigating how its additive manufacturing techniques could address longstanding challenges in OLED production, such as scalability, material waste, and cost efficiency. By leveraging its knowledge of organic materials, the company aims to unlock new possibilities in flexible, lightweight, and energy-efficient displays.
Eliminating Indium Tin Oxide (ITO): A Sustainable Breakthrough
A cornerstone of Dracula Technologies’ work in organic electronics is its innovative approach to eliminating Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) from manufacturing processes. ITO, a material commonly used as a transparent conductor in OLEDs and other electronic devices, presents several challenges: it is expensive, relies on scarce resources, and its extraction and processing have significant environmental impacts. Additionally, ITO is a brittle material, making it unsuitable for applications involving flexible substrates.
Dracula Technologies addresses these challenges by developing alternatives to ITO, offering a transformative solution that reduces costs and mitigates environmental concerns. Instead of relying on ITO, the company employs advanced printing techniques to create conductive layers using entirely organic materials.
These organic alternatives are not only more abundant but also easier to recycle, aligning with the global push toward circular economies and sustainable manufacturing. They can be deposited via inkjet printing or other industrial methods onto various substrates, including plastics and glass, and require low-temperature processing.
Dracula Technologies’ solution provides superior environmental stability and can be processed under ambient conditions, eliminating the need for controlled atmospheres or vacuum treatments. This approach significantly reduces implementation costs compared to ITO-based electrodes. Furthermore, these organic conductive layers are compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing processes, making them ideal for large-scale production.
The elimination of ITO also unlocks new possibilities for flexible and stretchable devices. Traditional ITO layers are brittle, limiting their use in flexible electronics. By replacing ITO with flexible organic conductors, Dracula Technologies enables the production of more durable and adaptable devices, including foldable displays, wearable sensors, and stretchable electronics for medical applications.
Moreover, the organic materials developed by Dracula Technologies exhibit very low electrical resistance at room temperature and high transmittance for visible light—two fundamental characteristics for the efficient operation of OPVs and OLEDs.
Unlocking Cross-Market Potential
The innovations pioneered by Dracula Technologies underscore the versatility of its intellectual property. By addressing critical pain points like scalability, cost, and sustainability, the company is unlocking cross-market applications that bridge multiple industries.
In Korea, where advanced industries thrive, Dracula Technologies’ innovations hold particular significance. Korea stands at the forefront of technology development, especially in OLED displays and next-generation smart devices. Dracula Technologies’ solutions align closely with the region’s priorities of sustainability and advanced manufacturing.
By leveraging its expertise, the company is well-positioned to become a key partner for Korean manufacturers, enabling them to integrate cutting-edge, eco-friendly solutions into their product lines.
From IoT and smart devices to OLED displays and beyond, Dracula Technologies continues to push the boundaries of organic electronics, delivering transformative innovations that benefit not only individual industries but the broader global economy. By eliminating barriers such as ITO dependence and scalability challenges, the company is driving a more sustainable and connected future.
