Research at MAAD Labs
At MAAD, we research everyday problems by asking a different first question.
Many of the technologies we rely on today are improved versions of solutions invented decades—or centuries—ago. We use modern chemistry, materials science, and physics to revisit those original problems and ask: is there now a cleaner, simpler, more elegant way to solve the same need?
How MAAD research works
- Start with the real-world problem, not the industry built around it
- Question inherited solutions instead of endlessly optimizing them
- Prove ideas small and honestly before scale
- Design for affordability, durability, and environmental benefit from day one
A recurring insight ties solar, materials, environment, and diagnostics together: surfaces and interfaces matter.
What we’re working on
Solar power you can spray onto fabric
MAAD MAX Solar Spray • Proof-of-concept complete via Riipen with UC Merced
The old way: Solar power usually means rigid panels, heavy frames, and fixed infrastructure.
The MAAD approach: We explore whether flexible solar layers can be anchored directly onto fabric, paired with small, modular battery systems designed for safety and repair.
Our proof-of-concept goal was intentionally simple and verifiable: charge during the day, and power light after dark.
- Surface-anchored solar layers instead of rigid mounts
- Designed to survive bending and movement
- Modular, repairable energy storage
Next: durability, washability, and long-term field performance.
Color without dye
Textiles • Curtains • Hair
Instead of dyeing, we explore surface chemistry and optical physics to attach color at the surface—reducing water use, chemical waste, and damage to fibers.
Environmental cleaning that pays for itself
Air • Water • Waste → Resources
Closed-loop systems that remove contaminants while capturing and concentrating them for reuse—turning cleanup into resource recovery and ROI.
Skin care & beauty that makes sense
Sunscreen • Lotions • Daily use
Chemistry that anchors where it belongs so protection stays effective longer—less friction, less waste, and better long-term skin health.
Affordable vision & eyewear
Access • Manufacturing • Equity
Reimagining prescription lenses so custom eyewear can be built quickly, locally, and affordably—because vision shouldn’t be a luxury.
Pet care without environmental harm
Prevention, not chemicals
Non-toxic surface treatments that make it harder for pests to attach—reducing chemical runoff by blocking the problem at the interface.
Electronics without billion-dollar cleanrooms
Nanotech • Manufacturing access
Using nanoscale targeting and self-assembly to guide materials—lowering barriers for chip-adjacent manufacturing beyond ultra-clean facilities.
Diagnostics without antibodies
Healthcare • Environment • Field use
Replacing fragile, expensive antibody systems with stable, affordable molecular recognition—enabling diagnostics that work outside major labs.
Research directions in development
Not every important idea is ready for immediate funding. As a research foundry, we maintain technically grounded directions that are waiting for the right partner or moment.
- Tire-toxin capture systems to protect salmon and waterways
- Zero-brine salt and metal recovery from industrial water
- Smarter, circular desalination systems
- Field-ready diagnostics and screening tools
These are shared not as promises, but as invitations for collaboration.
Bring your mad scientist idea to life
Have a problem that feels over-engineered? An idea too early for a startup but too applied to disappear? Let’s test it carefully, responsibly, and for the public good.