Blue Current, a leading manufacturer of silicon elastic composite solid-state batteries, has secured a new investor, as Umicore announces a minority stake in the US-based start-up. The partnership between the two companies started with a joint development agreement signed about a year ago, allowing Blue Current to use Umicore battery materials for its solid-state battery technology.
Now, with the investment from Umicore, the two companies plan to drive market adoption of Blue Current’s innovative technology towards the mid-decade. Stéphane Levasseur, Senior Innovation Director New Business Incubation at Umicore, expressed his excitement for the collaboration: “Umicore is looking forward to taking the next step in our collaboration with Blue Current on solid-state battery technologies and build on the first promising outcome during a year of joint research.”
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This investment also marks a significant move for Umicore in the development of solid-state battery technology, which the company says “will have a number of benefits compared to current lithium-ion battery technologies with liquid electrolytes.” By utilising composite electrolytes and silicon anodes, solid-state batteries offer EV designers the ability to create smaller, lighter, and lower-cost battery packs, with greater safety at the cell level, and higher energy density at the cell and system level.
Blue Current was founded in 2015 with the aim to commercialise non-flammable electrolytes for Li-ion batteries. With this latest investment, the company continues to demonstrate its commitment to developing and advancing new battery technologies that can help drive a more sustainable future. As Blue Current CEO, Marc Kohler, states: “We are pleased to have Umicore on board as an investor and look forward to working with them to accelerate the development of our solid-state battery technology.”
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Innovation is key to driving the EV industry forward, and this partnership between Blue Current and Umicore has the potential to significantly advance the adoption of solid-state battery technology. As the world looks for more sustainable energy solutions, the need for innovative battery technology continues to grow, and partnerships like this are essential in driving progress towards a greener future.
