Alum’s company produces ‘world changing idea’

Alum’s company produces ‘world changing idea’
Monday, May 25, 2020

Atom Power, the standout energy company co-created by UNC Charlotte alumnus Ryan Kennedy ’04, was recently recognized as part of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards.

The Charlotte-based company’s digital circuit breaker, the “Atom Switch,” was an honorable mention in the energy category and the only North Carolina company recognized in that area.

Atom Switch is the world’s first and only solid-state circuit breaker, according to the company. It uses semiconductors to regulate electrical current digitally, which allows power to be better controlled and safer, preventing dangerous arc flashes. 

Kennedy and CTO Denis Kouroussis founded Atom Power in 2014, and the organization was headquartered at UNC Charlotte’s PORTAL industry-university partnership hub through 2017. Read more on Atom Power’s Fast Company Recognition from Charlotte Inno.