Backed by TechNexus Venture Collaborative and Mark Cuban, Natrion is making high-performance, solid-state batteries
Natrion's 85 mm-wide LISIC separator set up on a roll-to-roll line. Courtesy image.
Natrion, a solid-state battery component developer, has secured new contracts from the U.S. Airforce to bring its high-performance battery materials to the Department of Defense.
The deal: Natrion was selected for two Small Business Innovation Research contracts from the Airforce. One, a Phase I grant from Air Force Global Strike Command, will see Natrion work with the Airforce to upgrade its aging aircraft. The Airforce is working to upgrade aircraft with advanced electronics, which Natrion would help power.
The second contract is a Phase II grant from AFWERX, the Air Force's innovation arm, which will look to Natrion to power batteries for technical radios.
What they do: Natrion makes solid-state battery components that power high-performance lithium batteries. It's products are being designed to power consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and defense needs. Its patented material, called LISIC (Lithium Solid Ionic Composite), uses a metallic lithium anode instead of traditional graphite anode material.
The startup was founded by Alex Kosyakov and Thomas Rouffiac, former high school track teammates who were recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List.
More news: Natrion also announced it has been accepted to the Northrop Grumman Technology Accelerator program, where it will have the opportunity to co-develop solutions with contractors for defense stakeholders. The startup also named John Fox as its new COO. Fox comes to Natrion with more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications and battery industries. He was most recently the founder and director of business development at UK-based battery manufacturer AMTE Power.
Funding: The startup, which participated in Y Combinator in 2019, has raised $4 million in funding from investors like TechNexus Venture Collaborative, Mark Cuban, and Tamarack Global. It has raised an additional $2 million in SBIR contracts.
They said it: "We're different because we make an absolute difference at a technology level," Fox said. "We're different because we unlock the ability to take solid-state batteries to production. And we’re different because were U.S. made and manufactured."