A Chicago-area startup that's building diamonds in a lab has been selected by the U.S. Army to participate in a small business competition that aims to connect the Army with innovative technology companies.
AKHAN Semiconductor, a startup that's creating lab-grown diamonds that are used to create durable and more powerful electronics, announced Monday that it has been chosen for 2019 Army Expeditionary Technology Search (xTechSearch).
xTechSearch is a chance for startups to pitch tech solutions to the Army, allowing the Army to connect with companies and aren't typically related to the defense industry.
AKHAN, based in suburban Gurnee, submitted a proposal to the Army for protective coatings that can enhance protection and survivability of aircraft developed under the Army’s Future Vertical Lift initiative.
Using diamonds as a semiconductor material, AKHAN says it can make flexible and transparent displays on smaller and more powerful devices, as diamonds allow electronics to be thinner and to operate at higher temperatures. Its flagship product, Miraj Diamond Glass, is used for consumer electronic displays and is 6x stronger 10x harder than competitors like Gorilla Glass, the startup says.
“Our multi-layer Miraj Diamond materials have broad applicability for protection of both optically transparent and opaque surfaces including aircraft canopies, sensor windows, and other sensitive structures,” AKHAN CEO Adam Khan said in a statement.
While AKHAN focuses on diamonds for electronics, lab-grown diamonds are also being increasingly used to create jewelry. Diamond Foundry, a Santa Clara startup with backing from Leonardo DiCaprio, can grow diamonds up to nine carats in just two weeks, which it then sells to jewelry designers.
