THORNTON, Colo., July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. ("Ascent" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: ASTI), the leading U.S. innovator in the design and manufacturing of featherweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, today recapped its commercial progress and solar material development in the first half of 2026, and outlined its objectives to spur growth and advancement throughout the second half of the year.
"We've experienced a significant deal of momentum in the first half of 2026, most notably as our customer base has expanded," said Paul Warley, Chief Executive Officer of Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. "While addressing the fast-growing needs of the space market remains our key focus, we're simultaneously pursuing adoption from customers looking for solar solutions in marine and high-altitude (HAPS/HALE) applications. As our products' efficiency and capabilities continue to improve amid increased market demand, we expect our sales revenue and customer base to grow throughout the rest of the year."
Key Company milestones and achievements from the first half of 2026 include:
Entering the year by rapidly completing prepaid orders for customers looking to use Ascent's thin-film PV in space, HAPS/HALE, and unique terrestrial applications;
Completing Atomic Oxygen exposure testing on Ascent's space solar products, which did not incur any damage during the testing process with 1 mil FEP as the primary barrier and encapsulant;
Continuing development of the Company's PV modules' space beaming capabilities to address the growing market demand for power beaming and receiving technologies in space;
CEO Paul Warley conducting business travel to Europe, in addition to attending the 2026 SATShow and 2026 SOF Conference, where he liaised with strategic industry players to establish potential partnerships and secured several viable commercial leads;
Closing an up to $25 million private placement; and
Increasing the Company's industry presence through features in relevant and prominent media outlets read by customers, including The Cool Down, CleanTechnica, Renewables Now and PV Magazine, among others.
Ascent's leadership plans to build upon these achievements throughout the remainder of the year by executing upon the following strategic goals:
Cultivating new business relationships and making deliveries to new customers in need of repeat orders across multiple sectors to continue the expansion of the Company's strategic partners and customer base;
Making further enhancements to the Company's thin-film PV technology;
Executing advanced environmental testing to quantify product performance and resilience in the punishing conditions of space and marine environments;
Continuing development of UAV and HAPS arrays and pilot designs for delivery to Ascent's European partners in the near future; and
Further building upon existing strategic partnerships to meet mutually beneficial goals and delivery of combined solutions for space prototype deployables.