The Renaissance Of Lithium Metal: SolidEnergy's Role In The Future Of Lithium Batteries (Energy Storage Innovations USA 2016)

The pursuit of high energy density is at the heart of smartphones, wearable gadgets and electric vehicles - devices that are quickly becoming extensions of our bodies. Lithium, which is the lightest and most electronegative metal in the periodic table, is a natural choice as anode. However, because lithium metal is highly reactive it was sidelined during much of the 1990s and 2000s and replaced with Li-ion batteries that do not contain lithium metal. With recent advances in electrolyte, lithium metal is making a strong comeback. SolidEnergy was founded in 2012 during the turmoil of the lithium battery industry meltdown. It revolutionized portable energy storage with the introduction of the "anode-free" lithium metal battery in 2014. SolidEnergy's two material platforms, dual-layer electrolyte and ultra-thin lithium metal anode, provide transformational energy density and safety across all rechargeable lithium batteries and can be seamlessly integrated into existing Li-ion manufacturing capability.

Received his PhD in Applied Physics from Harvard and BS in Physics from MIT. Started SolidEnergy during his postdoctoral work at MIT. Raised almost $20M in two rounds of equity financing from some of the world's largest strategic investors; formed joint development agreements with leading equipment and materials suppliers, battery manufacturers, consumer electronics and auto OEMs; built a team of world class scientists and engineers; led the product development effort to demonstrate 2X in energy density in real 2Ah cells in less than 2 years, unprecedented in the industry; and spearheaded the design and construction of a brand new state-of-the-art pilot facility.

SolidEnergy revolutionized portable energy storage with the introduction of the "anode-free" lithium metal battery in 2014. SolidEnergy's two material platforms, dual-layer electrolyte and ultra-thin lithium metal anode, provide transformational energy density and safety across all rechargeable lithium batteries and can be seamlessly integrated into existing Li-ion manufacturing capability. The final applications include drones, watches & wearables, smart phones, and electric cars. SolidEnergy was founded in 2012 during the turmoil of the lithium battery industry meltdown. Its mission is to power people's lives, whether they are communicating with loved ones on a phone or driving with family in an electric car.