May 23, 2013 at 8:45 pm13 battery startups worth watching in 2013
GIGAOM spoke about 13 startups developing revolutionary battery technologies for electric vehicles, power supply systems and mobile devices.
Batteries do not usually appear on the pages of the media and are “quiet horses” that power our phones and mobile devices and potentially can change the way the existing energy supply systems and vehicles work. It is no secret that innovation in this area is a complex matter, since it takes a lot of time and high financial costs to develop and universally introduce a new type of battery.
We want to bring to your attention several promising projects that use nanotechnology, new printing methods, super computers and other innovations to develop new generation batteries. Good luck, competent leadership and, perhaps, a little support from the government can change our understanding of how to store and use energy.
Ambri
Ambri is one of the most famous projects to date, formerly called the “Liquid Metal Battery” (Batteries from Liquid Metal). The company was founded by MIT professor Don Sadoway, the only "battery man" who gave an interview on The Colbert Report, a super-famous television program in America. People like Bill Gates, Vinod Khosla and the oil giant Total invest in startups. Ambri develops batteries for power systems by placing molten salt between two layers of liquid metal. The project needs at least a year and a half before commercial implementation.
Imprint Energy Using zinc instead of lithium and screen printing technology, the Imprint Energy team has developed an ultra-thin, high-energy, flexible and inexpensive battery.
Due to these characteristics of the battery, the company is targeting companies that manufacture mobile devices that are wearable on the body (e.g. Google Glass, Jawbone UP). The company already produces small batches of its batteries for first customers, and plans to launch full-scale production within a couple of years.
Alveo energy
Alveo Energy is only half a year old. Their goal is to create and commercialize a battery made of water, Prussian blue dye (used to paint jeans and pencils, for example), iron and copper. The battery must be ultra-cheap and durable, and if successfully implemented, it can help make a breakthrough in energy storage technology for energy supply systems. Research and development is conducted by Stanford University entrepreneur and graduate student Colin Wessells and Stanford University professor Robert Huggins. The company received a $ 4 million grant from the US Department of Energy.
Pellion
Pellion decided to search for the chemical composition for the ideal battery in an advanced way: the researchers created advanced algorithms and computer models that allowed them to test more than 10,000 potential cathode materials for perfect compatibility with the magnesium anode. Co-founder of the company, professor of MIT, Gerbrand Ceder, also helped to create the “The Materials Genome” project at MIT, a computer program that allows the use of virtual models to achieve innovative results in materials science. Pellion says their batteries will be very energy-intensive - more energy-intensive than modern lithium-ion batteries. The project is funded by the US ARPA-E program and Khosla Ventures.
QuantumScape
QuantumScape is in an early stage of development and is located in Silicon Valley. The startup is founded by Infinera co-founder and CEO Jagdeep Singh and is funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Khosla Ventures.
Envia
Last year, Envia announced that their lithium-ion batteries will be able to provide electric vehicles with 300 miles (482.803) mileage for prices ranging from $ 20,000 to $ 30,000. The company was founded in 2007 and has since developed a low-cost cathode and created a cell with a silicon and carbon anode and high voltage electrolyte. The company is invested in General Motors, the Japanese giant Asahi Kasei, Pangaea Ventures, Redpoint Ventures and the US ARPA-E program.
GELI
The GELI project does not create new types of batteries, but it creates software and an operating system for grid batteries. Companies that own buildings and premises can buy GELI-powered complexes and use them to store energy for solar-powered systems, or, for example, to store and release energy in conditions when it needs more than what the main power source can provide .
Sila Nanotechnologies The company was founded in 2011 in Silicon Valley together with Georgia State University of Technology. The company is engaged in the creation of a new type of lithium-ion batteries, which can increase the capacity of existing ones by 2 times. The company received a grant of $ 1.73 million from the US government. Boulder ionics
The company deals with battery electrolytes, in which the flow of ions between the anode and cathode is carried out. The development of a cheaper electrolyte that can work stably at high temperature and voltage is underway.
Prieto Battery This startup, the brainchild of Professor Amy Prieto, is developing a lithium-ion battery that can charge in 5 minutes and run 5 times longer than existing ones. The company uses nanotechnology to create the copper nano-wires that make up the battery anode. A solid polymer is used as the electrolyte. Sakti3
A startup from Michigan, which is creating an ultra-high-capacity lithium-ion battery made of solid polymers. This approach can significantly increase the safety of electric vehicles, as these batteries will not contain flammable liquids. The startup is funded by Khosla Ventures, GM Ventures and Itochu.
Xilectric
Company is improving the “Edison Battery”, a traditional iron-nickel battery. Xilectric also makes the battery of aluminum and magnesium, which, according to them, will make the battery more capacious and less expensive. The company received a grant of $ 1.73 million from the US government.
Amprius
The company's development is based on research by Yi Cui from Stanford University, which describes batteries using a nanostructured silicon anode. This technology can reduce the anode by four times, which will significantly increase the battery capacity. The company is funded by Trident Capital, VantagePoint Venture Partners, IPV Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Eric Schmidt.
Sincerely,
Mugen Power Batteries
http://mugen-power-batteries.ru
Batteries do not usually appear on the pages of the media and are “quiet horses” that power our phones and mobile devices and potentially can change the way the existing energy supply systems and vehicles work. It is no secret that innovation in this area is a complex matter, since it takes a lot of time and high financial costs to develop and universally introduce a new type of battery.
We want to bring to your attention several promising projects that use nanotechnology, new printing methods, super computers and other innovations to develop new generation batteries. Good luck, competent leadership and, perhaps, a little support from the government can change our understanding of how to store and use energy.
Ambri
Ambri is one of the most famous projects to date, formerly called the “Liquid Metal Battery” (Batteries from Liquid Metal). The company was founded by MIT professor Don Sadoway, the only "battery man" who gave an interview on The Colbert Report, a super-famous television program in America. People like Bill Gates, Vinod Khosla and the oil giant Total invest in startups. Ambri develops batteries for power systems by placing molten salt between two layers of liquid metal. The project needs at least a year and a half before commercial implementation.
Imprint Energy Using zinc instead of lithium and screen printing technology, the Imprint Energy team has developed an ultra-thin, high-energy, flexible and inexpensive battery.
Due to these characteristics of the battery, the company is targeting companies that manufacture mobile devices that are wearable on the body (e.g. Google Glass, Jawbone UP). The company already produces small batches of its batteries for first customers, and plans to launch full-scale production within a couple of years.
Alveo energy
Alveo Energy is only half a year old. Their goal is to create and commercialize a battery made of water, Prussian blue dye (used to paint jeans and pencils, for example), iron and copper. The battery must be ultra-cheap and durable, and if successfully implemented, it can help make a breakthrough in energy storage technology for energy supply systems. Research and development is conducted by Stanford University entrepreneur and graduate student Colin Wessells and Stanford University professor Robert Huggins. The company received a $ 4 million grant from the US Department of Energy.
Pellion
Pellion decided to search for the chemical composition for the ideal battery in an advanced way: the researchers created advanced algorithms and computer models that allowed them to test more than 10,000 potential cathode materials for perfect compatibility with the magnesium anode. Co-founder of the company, professor of MIT, Gerbrand Ceder, also helped to create the “The Materials Genome” project at MIT, a computer program that allows the use of virtual models to achieve innovative results in materials science. Pellion says their batteries will be very energy-intensive - more energy-intensive than modern lithium-ion batteries. The project is funded by the US ARPA-E program and Khosla Ventures.
QuantumScape
QuantumScape is in an early stage of development and is located in Silicon Valley. The startup is founded by Infinera co-founder and CEO Jagdeep Singh and is funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Khosla Ventures.
Envia
Last year, Envia announced that their lithium-ion batteries will be able to provide electric vehicles with 300 miles (482.803) mileage for prices ranging from $ 20,000 to $ 30,000. The company was founded in 2007 and has since developed a low-cost cathode and created a cell with a silicon and carbon anode and high voltage electrolyte. The company is invested in General Motors, the Japanese giant Asahi Kasei, Pangaea Ventures, Redpoint Ventures and the US ARPA-E program.
GELI
The GELI project does not create new types of batteries, but it creates software and an operating system for grid batteries. Companies that own buildings and premises can buy GELI-powered complexes and use them to store energy for solar-powered systems, or, for example, to store and release energy in conditions when it needs more than what the main power source can provide .
Sila Nanotechnologies The company was founded in 2011 in Silicon Valley together with Georgia State University of Technology. The company is engaged in the creation of a new type of lithium-ion batteries, which can increase the capacity of existing ones by 2 times. The company received a grant of $ 1.73 million from the US government. Boulder ionics
The company deals with battery electrolytes, in which the flow of ions between the anode and cathode is carried out. The development of a cheaper electrolyte that can work stably at high temperature and voltage is underway.
Prieto Battery This startup, the brainchild of Professor Amy Prieto, is developing a lithium-ion battery that can charge in 5 minutes and run 5 times longer than existing ones. The company uses nanotechnology to create the copper nano-wires that make up the battery anode. A solid polymer is used as the electrolyte. Sakti3
A startup from Michigan, which is creating an ultra-high-capacity lithium-ion battery made of solid polymers. This approach can significantly increase the safety of electric vehicles, as these batteries will not contain flammable liquids. The startup is funded by Khosla Ventures, GM Ventures and Itochu.
Xilectric
Company is improving the “Edison Battery”, a traditional iron-nickel battery. Xilectric also makes the battery of aluminum and magnesium, which, according to them, will make the battery more capacious and less expensive. The company received a grant of $ 1.73 million from the US government.
Amprius
The company's development is based on research by Yi Cui from Stanford University, which describes batteries using a nanostructured silicon anode. This technology can reduce the anode by four times, which will significantly increase the battery capacity. The company is funded by Trident Capital, VantagePoint Venture Partners, IPV Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Eric Schmidt.
Sincerely,
Mugen Power Batteries
http://mugen-power-batteries.ru