Prieto Battery is another Colorado battery startup. Prieto is developing a three-dimensional lithium-ion structure to increase energy density and cycle life. It has raised an undisclosed investment from Stanley Ventures, the venture arm of the tool-making giant. The startup has also raised money from investors including Intel.

Sakti3, acquired by vacuum builder Dyson, was developing solid-state batteries, as was the Bosch-acquired Seeo with its polymer electrolyte. Toyota has made significant investments in sulfide solid electrolytes.

More than $1.3B invested in energy storage this year

Despite the challenges of battery science and manufacturing, venture capital and private equity firms have invested more than $1.3 billion in energy storage technologies in 2018, according to Wood Mackenzie.

The rapid growth of a viable EV industry is driving the advanced battery industry to new heights in revenue and technological progress. This is why corporate investors and venture capitalists are eager to invest in batteries, relative to say, solar hardware. Assorted forecasters peg the 2025 market for electric car batteries as ranging from $36 billion to $125 billion a year. That’s big enough to get any investor’s attention.

And so, despite the less-than-stellar record for VC-funded battery firms such as A123, Envia, Aquion, Imergy, Alevo, etc., there is still a movement of talent and capital into the battery business.

As Ben Kellison, GTM’s Director of grid research, recently noted, “Strategic investors have really taken over grid VC investment over the last 18 months or so, leading to lower total investment totals, but more meaningful investments.” The bulk of “grid” investment still goes to energy storage technologies.

Source: greentechmedia