PRESS RELEASE
Jun 29, 2026
LabForInvention Corp. Receives NSF SBIR Phase II Award to Advance Wireless Signal-Penetrating Low-E Window Technology
FREMONT, Calif., June 29, 2026 — LabForInvention Corp. today announced that it has received a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research Phase II award to advance its scalable manufacturing technology for wireless signal-penetrating, energy-efficient low-emissivity windows.
Low-emissivity, or low-E, windows are widely used to improve building energy efficiency by reducing unwanted heat transfer. However, the electrically conductive coatings used in many commercial low-E windows can also weaken wireless signals, including cellular, 5G, and Wi-Fi, creating a tradeoff between energy performance and wireless connectivity.
LabForInvention is developing a scalable, low-cost manufacturing technology that enables wireless signals to pass through low-E windows while maintaining strong energy-saving performance and high visible-light transmission. The technology is being developed for potential applications in commercial buildings, residential buildings, transportation, and other environments where both energy efficiency and reliable wireless connectivity are increasingly important.
The NSF SBIR Phase II award builds on the company’s successful Phase I study and will support technology scale-up, product and process validation, industry collaboration, and preparation for commercialization.
“This NSF SBIR Phase II award represents an important milestone for LabForInvention,” said Dr. Guowen Ding, Founder and CEO of LabForInvention Corp. “Our goal is to eliminate the tradeoff between energy-efficient glass and reliable wireless connectivity. We are developing a scalable low-E window technology that can support both building energy performance and the connectivity needs of modern homes, offices, transportation systems, and smart infrastructure.”
Dr. Ding added, “We are grateful for the support of the U.S. National Science Foundation. This award will help us further validate the technology, work with glass manufacturers and industry partners, and move closer to commercial implementation.”
The company’s mission is to use science and heart to drive innovation that benefits people and society.
About LabForInvention Corp.
LabForInvention Corp. is a Silicon Valley technology company based in Fremont, California. The company develops advanced low-E window technologies, supported by deep research and development capabilities in thin-film coating, physical vapor deposition, photolithography, optical and electrical characterization, advanced materials development, and rapid prototyping.
For more information, visit www.labforinvention.com.
About America’s Seed Fund
America’s Seed Fund, powered by NSF, awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million in non-dilutive funds to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $9 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.
For more information, visit seedfund.nsf.gov.
Award Information
NSF SBIR Phase I — Feasibility and Proof of Concept
View Phase I Award →
NSF SBIR Phase II — Scale-Up, Validation and Commercialization
View Phase II Award →