Technology

Countertops That Charge Your Phone Are Here

A Shark Tank innovation partners with an industry-leading surface manufacturer, allowing designers to specify wireless charging capabilities into surfaces
Nov. 7, 2024
3 min read

Cosentino and FreePower announced a partnership that makes it simple for contractors to turn any hard surface into a wireless charger.  

We all know those charging pads and stations that require a perfect placement of your phone to actually work, but FreePower has developed a charging product that rids itself of those well-known frustrations. The charging zone charges up to three devices and doesn’t require precise placement.

 

Leading surfacing manufacturer Cosentino will now offer customers the free placement wireless charging capability from FreePower to transparent surfaces in its Silestone and Dekton lines. The partnership also expands FreePower’s accessibility, expanding it to more than 300 certified fabricators. Previously, the patented product required a pre-order and certification of a fabricator. 

 

In 2025, the surface add-on will be viewable in all Cosentino City showrooms and distribution centers. They’re already in talks with leading home builders Toll Brothers and DR Horton. 

What is FreePower? 

It’s an exciting new move for wireless charging company FreePower, which launched its FreePower for Countertop innovation at the 2024 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Vegas this past February. The company first hit the market as Aira, name used when founders were featured on Shark Tank in 2019 (and secured three shark investments). 

 

The company has proven the success of its free placement wireless charging innovation for outside companies, such as Tesla and its Tesla Wireless Charging Platform.  

 

It’s won several awards since the countertop launch earlier this year, including 2024 Kitchen Product of the Year by KBB, Best of Products – Technology winner from The Architect’s Newspaper, and the International Interior Design Association’s Product Design Award—to name a few. 

 

But this partnership marks the first major move for the technology company’s accessibility. 

How the FreePower for Countertop System Works 

FreePower’s mission is to “bring power to every surface, so we never think about charging again.” (A dream for constant low battery mode folks like myself.) 

Within countertops, the system consists of six layers. These layers are embedded into the surface during fabrication, but FreePower says it’s a simple process, as simple as cutting a sink and using the same tools. 

 

Beneath the surface is a system of copper coils that provide the power, followed by the patented Charging Halo. The Charging Halo is an interactive light that denotes the charging section of a surface and offers edge-to-edge power. Users can customize the Halo color and brightness. Another vital layer is the reinforced mounting system. 

 

“This collaboration will allow our valued partners the opportunity to offer their clients a truly one-of-a-kind design feature,” said Patty Dominguez, vice president of Business Development for Cosentino Americas, in the official release. “With this show-stopping technology in their hands, we believe the possibilities are endless no matter the surface application.”

About the Author

Caroline Broderick

Caroline Broderick is the Editor of Custom Builder Online where she manages and creates impactful multimedia stories for custom home builders, in addition to running the product coverage in Pro Builder. 

Most recently, Broderick served as the managing editor for Pro Remodeler where she earned two Jesse H. Neal Awards for her range of work and coverage of mental health in the construction industry. She also produces the Women at WIRC podcast where she spotlights women in construction, and co-hosts the annual Women in Residential + Commercial Construction Conference. Broderick can be reached at [email protected].

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