James Hamilton, Amazon Senior Vice President and Distinguished Engineer, to Join Board of Directors
Funding Will Drive Commercialization of Blue Current’s Safe,
High-Performing Domestically Scalable Batteries
HAYWARD, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Blue Current, Inc., a leader in safe, high-performance silicon solid-state batteries, today announced a more than $80 million Series D extension funding round. The round is anchored by Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”), with participation from Koch Disruptive Technologies (“KDT”), Piedmont Capital, Rusheen Capital Partners, and Allen & Company. The fundraise accelerates the commercialization phase of Blue Current’s silicon composite battery platform, delivering best-in-class safety and performance for the mobility and stationary storage sectors.
In connection with the fundraise, James Hamilton, Amazon Senior Vice President and Distinguished Engineer, is joining Blue Current’s Board of Directors.
Blue Current’s solid-state battery platform has been designed from first principles to deliver on the promise of next generation solid-state batteries – improved energy density and charge rates, inherent safety and thermal stability, and the ability to operate at low pressures. The Blue Current platform employs earth-abundant silicon and elastic polymer anodes paired with fully dry electrolytes across multiple formulations optimized for mobility applications and stationary energy storage systems. The result is a cost-effective, highly scalable solution that can be manufactured at scale using today’s established lithium-ion battery equipment.
“To meet the urgent energy demands of today’s technology-driven world we need a de-risked approach to solid-state battery commercialization that unlocks domestic manufacturing capacity,” said Susan Stone, CEO of Blue Current. “Our technology platform fundamentally addresses the mobility and stationary storage sectors’ unique needs on an accelerated timeline to safely and reliably power the world. This commercialization phase will enable multiple high-value use cases that will allow us to quickly move to a safe and effective commercially available next-generation battery.”
“Our team has dedicated more than a decade of research and development into creating an industry-leading battery that sets our technology apart from other approaches. By prioritizing battery safety as our north star from day one, we came to our silicon-based design, not only drastically reducing fire risk but greatly improving energy density, cycle life, and charging speed,” said Kevin Wujcik, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Blue Current. “With KDT’s continued investment and Amazon’s investment, we look forward to entering the next stage of commercialization and overcoming current market limitations to energy storage.”
“Blue Current has a missionary approach to transforming battery technology and their talented team is pioneering solid-state batteries that address the need for safe, high-performance, U.S.-based solutions,” said James Hamilton, Amazon Senior Vice President and Distinguished Engineer. “Scaling new battery solutions requires more than lab breakthroughs – and Blue Current’s approach could make solid-state batteries more affordable and accelerate their adoption to meet the growing demand for stationary storage and longer-range electric vehicles with faster charging times. We’re excited to see what they do next.”
About Blue Current:
Blue Current is the industry leader in the development of silicon solid-state batteries. Free of flammable liquid electrolytes, Blue Current’s inherently safe batteries significantly reduce risks to human and environmental health while providing a higher-performance alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries. Blue Current’s silicon-based platform is highly adaptable, enabling a cost-effective, highly scalable solution for mobility, stationary storage, and other energy-reliant industries. Blue Current’s team works out of its state-of-the-art headquarters and pilot line facility in Hayward, CA. To learn more about Blue Current, Inc., visit https://bluecurrent.com/.
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Eric Kuo
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