Full-Time
Lead Optical Engineer
Exowatt
51-200 employees
Modular full-stack renewable energy for businesses
No salary listed
Austin, TX, USA
In Person
Relocation to Austin, Texas or Miami, Florida required; relocation assistance provided. On-site role; must work at the designated location.
Master's, PhD
 Electrical Engineering (1) |
|---|
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- Master's or PhD in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline, with a minimum of 3 years of industry experience, or equivalent work experience.
- Hands-on experience with optical systems in a lab environment, including assembly, alignment, integration, and testing.
- Concentrator design experience with Fresnel lenses (ideally molded PMMA or silicone-on-glass), compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs), parabolic troughs, heliostats, or secondary optical elements (SOEs). Designing a coupled primary + secondary stage for CPV or CSP is an ideal match.
- Fluency in the language of concentration limits — étendue conservation, geometric concentration ratio, acceptance angle, and the concentration-acceptance product (CAP).
- Command of the edge-ray principle and tailored-optics design, optimizing for flux transfer over image quality; familiarity with Winston/Miñano/Benítez methods or simultaneous multiple surface (SMS) design is a strong plus.
- Experience designing for irradiance uniformity, hot-spot mitigation, and intercept-factor optimization on a receiver or absorber.
- Proficiency with Monte Carlo ray-tracing tools built for illumination/flux work — TracePro, LightTools, FRED, Photopia, or CSP-specific codes such as SolTrace or Tonatiuh. Zemax/OpticStudio in non-sequential mode counts; sequential-only imaging experience is a weaker fit.
- Ability to build custom ray-tracing or optimization routines in Python or MATLAB, and to construct optical error budgets (slope, tracking, and alignment tolerances rolled into an intercept-factor model).
- Familiarity with sun-shape and DNI modeling, circumsolar ratio, cosine losses, and annual optical-efficiency simulation (often paired with SAM or similar performance models).
- Tracking-system tolerance analysis — how pointing error degrades concentration — with awareness of UL 3703-adjacent tracker considerations.
- Understanding of soiling, UV degradation, and abrasion on polymer optics, and of anti-reflective and anti-soiling coatings.
- Exposure to injection or compression molding of PMMA/silicone Fresnel optics, diamond turning of mold masters, and metrology for large-aperture optics (deflectometry, photogrammetry, VSHOT-type slope measurement).
- Receiver/absorber interface experience — cavity receivers, selective absorber coatings, or thermal receiver flux limits — demonstrating work across the optic-to-thermal boundary that defines the P3.
- Outdoor test experience: on-sun testing, flux gauges and calorimetry, and pyrheliometer-based efficiency measurement.
- A problem-solving mindset, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Excellent communication skills, capable of articulating technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Design and optimize non-imaging concentrating optics — Fresnel primaries and secondary optical elements — to maximize flux transfer, uniformity, and intercept factor rather than image quality.
- Build an optical error budget that rolls slope error, tracking error, and alignment tolerances into an intercept-factor model, and validate it against hardware.
- Design for uniform irradiance on the receiver, mitigating hot spots and the material stress that uneven flux drives on a thermal absorber.
- Design, automate, and optimize optical test setups for our concentrators and complex opto-mechanical assemblies, ensuring efficiency and precision.
- Characterize concentration ratio, acceptance angle, focal-spot flux distribution, and end-to-end optical efficiency, and validate these against Monte Carlo ray-tracing models.
- Automate ray-tracing, test procedures, and analysis using Python (and C++/MATLAB as needed) to streamline workflows and improve accuracy.
- Conduct on-sun testing — flux mapping, calorimetry, and pyrheliometer-based efficiency measurement — and reconcile field results with simulation.
- Feed validated optical performance into annual optical-efficiency models, thermal models, and the system digital twin (developed with NVIDIA and AWS).
- Characterize soiling, UV degradation, and abrasion on polymer optics, and evaluate anti-reflective and anti Soiling coatings to support a 30-year field lifespan.
- Define and validate manufacturing tolerances for optical components produced at high volume in domestic factory settings.
- Collaborate with optical, mechanical, electrical, thermal, and systems engineering teams to ensure alignment across product development stages.
- Maintain clear, organized technical documentation for internal teams and external stakeholders.
Exowatt designs, installs, and maintains modular full-stack renewable energy systems for commercial and industrial clients. Its products are customizable energy solutions built from modular components that can be designed to meet specific energy needs and regulatory requirements, then installed on-site and supported through ongoing maintenance. The company’s approach combines consulting, system design, installation, and long-term service into a single, integrated package, enabling a seamless transition to renewables. This end-to-end service helps clients scale energy capacity as needed and manage energy performance over time. Exowatt differentiates itself by offering a true full-stack, modular package that covers from initial assessment to ongoing upkeep, fostering long-term relationships rather than one-off projects. Its goal is to help businesses lower both their carbon footprint and energy costs by moving to renewable energy with adaptable, scalable systems.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Series A
Total Funding
$90M
Headquarters
Miami, Florida
Founded
2023
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Exowatt closed a $50 million extension in November 2025, signaling investor support.
- July 2026 reports cite a 90 GWh backlog across data center buyers.
- Austin expansion and executive hires strengthen supply chain, engineering, and go-to-market readiness.
What critics are saying
- First ExoRise pilot lands only by end-2026, leaving execution risk acute.
- 90 GWh backlog depends on unproven commercialization and customer conversion.
- Rondo Energy, Antora Energy, and Mainspring intensify competition for AI power contracts.
What makes Exowatt unique
- ExoRise bundles land, power, and P3 thermal storage into one deployment path.
- Austin campus gives Exowatt integrated engineering, manufacturing, and operations capacity.
- P3 targets 24-hour dispatchable solar, unlike conventional PV-plus-battery setups.
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↑ 12%Powering the AI era: Exowatt's new campus in Austin, Texas. March 31, 2026 The digital and physical worlds are converging. As artificial intelligence (AI) demand accelerates globally, the need for resilient, scalable, and clean energy infrastructure is becoming critical, especially for data centers. Exowatt believes energy should accelerate progress, not limit it. The opening of its new 11-acre campus in Austin, Texas marked a major milestone in that mission, and Exowatt, Inc. were proud to host investors, Texas-based team members, and local partners for a formal opening to celebrate this next chapter. Why Austin, Texas? A strategic hub for AI and energy infrastructure. The Southwest has rapidly become the epicenter of AI infrastructure growth in the United States, with Texas leading the way. Austin, in particular, offers a powerful combination of technical talent, energy availability, and pro-growth policy, making it one of the most important regions for data center and energy innovation. "We are witnessing a historic collision between the digital demand for AI and the physical reality of our power grid. Our new Austin campus allows us to scale at the pace of our customers, delivering the foundational infrastructure that will define this decade of technological growth." - Hannan Happi, CEO and CoFounder, Exowatt Built for scale: A new hub for modular energy systems. This facility is more than an office - it's a fully integrated hub for designing, building, and deploying Exowatt's modular energy systems. The 48,000-square-foot campus combines office and warehouse space, enabling close collaboration across engineering, operations, and manufacturing. That proximity matters. Faster iteration cycles, tighter coordination, and streamlined production all contribute to one outcome: speed. And in today's AI-driven economy, speed is everything. Exowatt is also investing in a domestically built supply chain to support U.S.-based energy infrastructure. This approach helps meet rising demand from AI data centers while strengthening national energy resilience and security. Momentum for the future of AI energy infrastructure. The Austin expansion builds on strong momentum for Exowatt. Earlier this year, Exowatt, Inc. launched ExoRise, a platform focused on delivering turnkey powered land solutions across high-solar regions, including New Mexico, West Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. With a $50 million Series A extension closed late last year, Exowatt is well positioned to support the next generation of AI infrastructure, data center energy systems, and scalable compute.
Exowatt, a clean power company targeting AI-era energy needs, has opened an 11-acre Austin office, featuring 48,000 square feet of integrated office and warehouse space. The facility will serve as a hub for engineering, operations and manufacturing as the company scales production of modular energy systems. Founded in 2023, Exowatt recently closed a $50 million Series A extension and launched ExoRise, a business arm focused on turnkey powered land solutions in high-solar regions across the US Southwest. The Austin expansion positions the company in what has become the epicentre of US AI infrastructure buildout. Exowatt is backed by a16z, Atomic, Felicis, Overmatch Ventures and Sam Altman. The company aims to deliver dedicated renewable energy to meet growing AI and data centre demand.
Exowatt, a renewable energy startup, has appointed four executives to scale its dispatchable solar technology for AI data centres. The company's P3 system converts solar energy into heat for long-duration storage and on-demand power dispatch. Nic Bustamante joins as Chief Data Centre Officer to lead ExoRise, Exowatt's turnkey-powered land solution. Bill Flood becomes Head of Engineering, bringing 35 years of aerospace experience from Moog, Boeing and Lockheed. Kalyan Bhamidi joins as Head of Supply Chain & Manufacturing from Apple, where he led OLED technology and Vision Pro Display manufacturing. Pierson Stoecklein is appointed General Counsel & Head of Government Affairs, previously serving at Amazon Web Services. Founded in 2023, Exowatt is backed by a16z, Atomic, Felicis and Sam Altman.
Exowatt launches ExoRise at PTC: breaking the AI energy bottleneck. Fresh off a week of high-level sessions and networking at the Pacific Telecommunications Conference (PTC) in Honolulu, the Exowatt team is back with more than just industry insights. Exowatt, Inc. is proud to announce the official launch of ExoRise, its solution to the infrastructure bottleneck currently stalling the AI revolution. ExoRise is its direct response to the aging U.S. power grid - a physical roadblock that threatens America's leadership in the AI revolution. As hyperscalers race to build capacity, they are hitting a wall of grid interconnection timelines that stretch years into the future. ExoRise is the fast-track around that wall. What is ExoRise? Led by industry veteran and Exowatt's new Chief Data Center Officer, Nic Bustamante, ExoRise delivers turnkey powered land and energy infrastructure purpose-built for AI. By pairing strategic land development in the U.S. Southwest with its proprietary P3 modular solar technology, Exowatt, Inc. bypass the traditional strains on urban grids. Exowatt, Inc. is not just selling a product; Exowatt, Inc. is providing a "plug-and-play" solution for hyperscale deployment. * Accelerated Speed to Power: By developing in high-solar regions (NM, TX, AZ, NV), Exowatt, Inc. bypass years of utility bureaucracy. * 24/7 Dispatchable Solar: Unlike intermittent renewables, its P3 technology stores energy as heat, converting it to electricity on demand to power data centers day and night. * Integrated Infrastructure: As CEO Hannan Happi notes, "Hyperscalers should not have to piece together land, power, and infrastructure on their own." Exowatt, Inc. provide the full stack so its customers can focus on compute. A virtual reality deep dive. To give the industry a true sense of scale, Exowatt hosted an immersive virtual reality (VR) event at PTC. Attendees joined Hannan Happi and Nic Bustamante for a walkthrough of an ExoRise site, experiencing the future of modular energy firsthand. Exowatt, Inc. also took the stage for a featured panel. Hannan and Nic were joined by Bill Mazzetti, SVP, Rosendin and Scott Charter, Director of AI Strategy, Oracle to discuss why ExoRise is essential for maintaining a competitive advantage in the global AI arena. Three key takeaways. Its team of Exonauts walked away with a clear signal: the conversation has shifted from "How do we build?" to "How do we power?" These three insights from the ground in Honolulu confirm that ExoRise is meeting the market exactly where it's headed. * Energy is the New Alpha: Every session related to power and energy was standing room only. Energy is no longer just a utility cost; it has become the hottest "commodity" in the global data center industry. This shift is drawing a new crowd to the table, including high-level financiers, researchers, and policymakers all looking for the same thing: power certainty. * From Real Estate to "Power-First": Historically, data centers have been framed as a real estate game - land, buildings, and leases. While those elements still matter, the industry "moat" has shifted to execution. The winners will be the companies with a proven playbook for delivering physical power systems, navigating complex permitting and interconnection, and mobilizing skilled labor and capital. * Scalability is the Only Filter: The market is full of interesting ideas, but the industry is now applying a strict filter: Can this scale fast enough to keep up with AI? Speed and repeatability are the new gold standards. The winners will be those who can prove scalable, real-world deployment without being sidelined by supply chain or grid constraints. [Building the energy foundation for the future]. ExoRise is already addressing a 90+ GWh backlog of signed customer demand. With its first pilot project slated to be operational by the end of 2026, Exowatt, Inc. is not just building power plants - Exowatt, Inc. is building the energy foundation for the future of intelligence.
Exowatt raises additional $50M in funding. Exowatt, a Miami, FL-based renewable energy company, raised additional $50M in funding. The round, an extension to Exowatt's April 2025 $70M Series A round, was led by MVP Ventures and 8090 Industries, with participation from The Florida Opportunity Fund, DeepWork Capital, Dragon Global, Massive VC, New Atlas Capital, BAM, Overmatch, Protagonist, StepStone, Atomic, and Bay Bridge Ventures. The company intends to use the funds to expand its development efforts. Founded in 2023 by Hannan Happi and Atomic CEO Jack Abraham, Exowatt provides P3, a modular, dispatchable solar system that enables controllable, around-the-clock output by storing solar energy in the form of heat and converting it to power during peak demand hours and throughout the night. Designed for rapid-siting and scale-out, it can be co-located at or near load, providing the firm, sustainable capacity that data centers require while reducing dependence on constrained grid interconnection. Exowatt's initial Seed round of $20M included notable angel investors Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI, and actor and environmentalist, Leonardo DiCaprio.