Enovix Raises $45 Million To Launch 3D Silicon Lithium-ion Battery

Enovix Raises $45 Million To Launch 3D Silicon Lithium-ion Battery

by | Apr 9, 2020

Category: EV's

[ad_1]

Enovix Corporation, a California-based lithium-ion battery developer, announced recently that it has secured $45 million in new funds to produce and commercialize its “3D Silicon Lithium-ion Battery”.

The company was already backed by strategic investors like Intel, Qualcomm and Cypress, and now has over $200 million in venture, strategic and private funding. Enough to start the production at its facility in Fremont, California by the end of 2020.

Harrold Rust, Enovix co-founder and CEO, said:

“The composition of this round is a testament to the performance we’ve achieved and progress we’ve demonstrated towards production and commercialization of our silicon-based lithium-ion battery. Anchoring the round is a $25 million strategic investment from a leading California technology company. Present investors have added $10 million, and customers have contracted $10 million to develop batteries for specific products and to reserve production capacity.”

Enovix has developed a 3D lithium-ion battery cell architecture, which incorporates a 100% active silicon anode (unlike conventional anodes, which eventually get only a small content of silicon).

The early prototypes from 2019 noted volumetric energy density of over 900 Wh/L and full-depth of discharge cycle life of over 500.

“We initially attracted customers when we sampled cells about a year ago with energy density over 900 Wh/l and full-depth of discharge cycle life over 500,” said Rust. “As customers and investors visited our production site and saw our proprietary electrode laser patterning and high-speed stacking tools in action, their confidence in our production capability was sufficient to generate revenue and secure additional funding.”

The company also says that its production process with proprietary laser patterning and high-speed stacking tools improves production line capacity by 30%.

“Enovix will use the bulk of the funds to complete its Fremont, California high-volume battery production facility, where about 75% of the equipment and processes are identical to standard pouch lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Enovix has developed proprietary electrode laser patterning and high-speed stacking tools that replace the standard electrode winding process to increase production line Mega-Watt hour (MWh) capacity by 30%.”

Production will be launched this year, but it will be for various application and rather in MWh scale we guess. The production for the EV market to be launched within 5 years.

Enovix 3D Silicon Lithium-ion Battery

Enovix 3D Silicon Lithium-ion Battery

The gravimetric energy density – according to initial R&D – might exceed 340 Wh/kg, at some point in the future (the company did not reveal the current number).

The other goals are over 1,250 Wh/l energy density with over 1,000 cycle life by 2022.

“The facility is expected to produce batteries for delivery in late 2020 and to reach a run-rate of 8-million units per year as it ramps in 2021 and 2022.”

“Enovix has also signed new agreements with two additional portable electronics companies. The company now has agreements with four category leading customers to develop and produce silicon-anode lithium-ion batteries for portable electronic devices, worth an anticipated $250 million in annual revenue once fully ramped. Based on successfully deploying 3D Silicon Lithium-ion Battery technology in portable electronic devices, Enovix is now working with leading international automobile manufacturers to develop its patented battery technology for the electric vehicle (EV) market. Initial R&D indicates that cells can achieve gravimetric energy density greater than 340 Wh/kg at a cost equivalent to or below present industry forecasts. Enovix expects to supply the EV market within 5 years.”

Hide press releaseShow press release

Enovix Secures $45 Million from Investors and Customers to Produce and Commercialize its 3D Silicon™ Lithium-ion Battery

Enovix replaces electrode winding in a standard pouch lithium-ion battery production process with proprietary laser patterning and high-speed stacking tools to increase line capacity by 30%

FREMONT, Calif., March 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Enovix Corporation has secured $45 million in new funds to produce and commercialize its 3D Silicon Lithium-ion Battery. The funding sources include a major new strategic investor, current investors (including T. J. Rodgers and York Capital), and non-dilutive funding from market leading customers. Harrold Rust, Enovix co-founder and CEO, said, “The composition of this round is a testament to the performance we’ve achieved and progress we’ve demonstrated towards production and commercialization of our silicon-based lithium-ion battery. Anchoring the round is a $25 million strategic investment from a leading California technology company. Present investors have added $10 million, and customers have contracted $10 million to develop batteries for specific products and to reserve production capacity.”

Enovix will use the bulk of the funds to complete its Fremont, California high-volume battery production facility, where about 75% of the equipment and processes are identical to standard pouch lithium-ion battery manufacturing. Enovix has developed proprietary electrode laser patterning and high-speed stacking tools that replace the standard electrode winding process to increase production line Mega-Watt hour (MWh) capacity by 30%. “We initially attracted customers when we sampled cells about a year ago with energy density over 900 Wh/l and full-depth of discharge cycle life over 500,” said Rust. “As customers and investors visited our production site and saw our proprietary electrode laser patterning and high-speed stacking tools in action, their confidence in our production capability was sufficient to generate revenue and secure additional funding.” The facility is expected to produce batteries for delivery in late 2020 and to reach a run-rate of 8-million units per year as it ramps in 2021 and 2022.

Enovix has also signed new agreements with two additional portable electronics companies. The company now has agreements with four category leading customers to develop and produce silicon-anode lithium-ion batteries for portable electronic devices, worth an anticipated $250 million in annual revenue once fully ramped. Based on successfully deploying 3D Silicon Lithium-ion Battery technology in portable electronic devices, Enovix is now working with leading international automobile manufacturers to develop its patented battery technology for the electric vehicle (EV) market. Initial R&D indicates that cells can achieve gravimetric energy density greater than 340 Wh/kg at a cost equivalent to or below present industry forecasts. Enovix expects to supply the EV market within 5 years.

Enovix has developed a lithium-ion battery that incorporates a 100% active silicon anode using its patented 3D cell architecture to significantly increase energy density and maintain high cycle life. The company is backed by strategic relationships with Intel, Qualcomm and Cypress and over $200 million in venture, strategic and private funding. It has been awarded over 70 patents and has over 40 applications pending to create sustainable enterprise value and provide a competitive barrier for years to come. For more information, go to www.enovix.com.

[ad_2]

Source link

Related Articles

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Scientists look deep inside batteries with a molecular eye

Scientists are closer to understanding exactly what happens inside batteries that make them prone to fire, thanks to a molecular eye of sorts. Scientists at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory teamed with researchers from...

MRI scanning assists with next generation battery charging

The technique, of recharging batteries with MRI, is almost possible. The new battery charging technology, which was developed to detect the movement and deposition of sodium metal ions within a sodium battery, will enable faster evaluation of new battery materials,...