FlexiCharge

FlexiCharge, LLC, founded by Dr. Deepa Madan, is a company developing flexible thermoelectric generator (TEG) technology. This technology is engineered to power wearable health monitoring devices by harvesting the wearer's body heat. It operates by utilizing the temperature difference between the human body and the surrounding air to create an electrical potential, which can generate 2-5 volts of power.

The core of FlexiCharge's technology is a proprietary manufacturing process designed to produce these flexible TEGs at a lower cost and faster rate, making them commercially viable. The TEGs are designed to be both flexible and tunable, allowing product designers to reduce the required battery size while maintaining or extending device uptime. These TEGs can serve as a supplemental power supply, charging a capacitor or a small battery to enable "off-grid" power for wearables.

The technology was developed by Dr. Madan, an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and her students. The company has received backing through the NSF CAREER Award in 2023 and Phase Three funding from the Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) in 2024 to advance the commercialization of the university's research. FlexiCharge is currently in the early stages of development, working on a proof-of-concept and evaluating potential trial partners to integrate the technology into their devices.

Keywords: thermoelectric generator, TEG, wearable technology, body heat energy, energy harvesting, supplemental power, health monitoring devices, sustainable energy, flexible electronics, off-grid power, battery life extension, wearable sensors, power generation, material science, chitosan composites, bismuth telluride