Battery technology developer Addionics hit the headlines in July 2024, by closing a USD 39 million Series B funding round. The round was co-led by GM (General Motors) Ventures and Deep Insight, with participation from Scania (Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer) and other investors. Addionics now intends to use the investment to expand its manufacturing and commercialisation activities and accelerate the construction of its planned Gigafactory in the United States.
The plant is expected to be operational in 2027 and produce anodes for approximately 90 gigawatt-hours of battery capacity per year. By the 2024 end, the company plans to begin supplying prototype battery cells to automakers for testing. The company aims to supply products on a large scale by 2027/2028.
In today’s episode of the “Start-up of the Week,” International Finance will talk about Addionics in detail.
Knowing The Company In Detail
Established in 2017, Addionics specialises in battery technology within the energy sector. The company offers rechargeable batteries with architecture applicable to current and emerging lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology. Addionics is serving sectors requiring advanced energy storage solutions, leveraging both hardware innovations in smart 3D current collectors and software-driven AI optimisation for performance attributes. It was founded in 2017 and is based in London, United Kingdom.
“As well as investing in Addionics, General Motors and Scania are potential customers for the company’s porous, three-dimensional copper and aluminium electrode battery materials that use less material – including 60% less copper,” Reuters reported.
Addionics says the electrodes, which look like sheer silk scarves when held up to the light, provide faster charging and boost electric vehicle range by 30%. It forecasts savings for automakers up to USD 7.50 per kilowatt hour.
Addionics CEO Moshiel Biton told Reuters that the company has been working with or talking to virtually all the major automakers in Europe, Japan and the United States.
As per Addionics, “3D Current Collectors” allow cheaper, lighter, faster-charging, and more conductive batteries. The unique architecture of the product allows a higher loading of the active material, while reducing weight and cost. And the start-up is here to make the “3D Current Collectors” a reality.
Addionics’s Breakthrough Technology
The “3D Current Collectors” enables higher battery output while also achieving greater savings. When it comes to the cost factor, the “3D Current Collectors,” during its construction phase, use up to 60% less copper and aluminium. In terms of performance, the product provides higher power, faster charging, more energy-dense, and lower cost with no safety and lifecycle compromises.
A proprietary battery cell modelling platform guides Addionics’ 3D battery manufacturing, optimising structures for specific performance outcomes. The same manufacturing process also turns recycled scraps of copper into advanced current collectors. It also reduces emissions during the production phase by optimising the electrodes’ drying process and minimising material use. Along with improved vehicle efficiency, the process can impact the industry and the global effort of decarbonisation.
Addionics remarked, “We did not invent the concept of 3D metal structures for battery electrodes. The concept and its benefits were previously mentioned by the academia while some companies tried to integrate these structures into batteries by using products from different industries. However, their efforts were unsuccessful, due to the lack of a battery-graded product. This means that there was no manufacturing process dedicated to battery current collectors, and this is exactly what we have been focusing on since day one.”
“Addionics’ novel 3D structure minimises the internal resistance and improves mechanical longevity, thermal stability and other fundamental limitations and degradation factors in standard batteries. This process results in a significant step-change in production costs and the performance of all key battery characteristics simultaneously,” the start-up commented.
Addionics employs unique in-house optimisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and a modelling platform that integrates into a battery’s hardware to create a smart, complete solution.
Here Is The Product Line-Up
Talking Addionics’ advanced “3D Current Collector” technology, delivers superior performance, apart from reducing production costs and boosting capacity. The unique 3D structured foil increases the coating surface area, strengthening the bond with the active material, and creating a highly porous structure for better performance.
“This design minimises degradation, improves capacity, and shortens charging time, enhancing efficiency and battery life. Our scalable manufacturing processes ensure high-quality, cost-effective 3D structured foils for diverse energy storage applications. Addionics’ advanced 3D Current Collectors offer superior performance while achieving up to 60% copper reduction, showcasing their exceptional efficiency and material optimisation,” the start-up noted.
The “3D Current Collector” provides higher energy density, allowing for enhanced battery performance, apart from enabling higher loading of the active material, enhancing the capacity of the battery. The enhanced structure reinforces the electrode, reducing the risk of deformation, cracking, or delamination during the battery operation.
“The manufacturing of 3D aluminium foil represents an innovative and efficient solution for EV battery-grade materials. With its scalable design, it offers adaptability to changing production needs while reducing reliance on manpower. The flexible design enables quick pattern changes and customisation. This advanced manufacturing method opens up new possibilities for creating superior batteries, empowering clients to unlock enhanced performance and efficiency in their battery technologies,” Addionics commented.
The next prominent product is the “3D Anode Current Collector.” which boosts the coating of the battery’s surface area, strengthening the bond with the active material for better performance.
“Our proprietary design minimises degradation, improves capacity, and shortens charging time, leading to greater efficiency and longer battery life. With scalable manufacturing, we deliver high-quality, cost-effective 3D foils, making our technology accessible for diverse energy storage applications,” the start-up explained its “3D Anode Current Collector” in the following words.
Addionics’ advanced “3D Current Collectors” offer superior performance while achieving up to 60% copper reduction, showcasing their exceptional efficiency and material optimisation. The tool has emerged as a cost-effective solution for energy storage applications with a favourable price-performance ratio, thereby promoting sustainable practices in the battery industry.
These “3D Current Collectors” seamlessly integrate into current battery production needs, offering a drop-in solution for easy adoption. Their enhanced electrode mechanical stability reinforces the electrode, reducing the risk of deformation, cracking, or delamination during battery operation.
The facility, being set up to produce “3D Copper Current Collectors,” (designed for EV battery-grade applications) has also been a first of its kind. The facility enables fast changes and flexible adjustment of the 3D porous media parameters, ensuring efficient manufacturing, along with enabling quick setup, rapid changes, and seamless deployment. Additionally, it minimises manpower requirements, ensuring efficient utilisation of resources.
Addionics’ Contribution To The Circular Economy
Addionics’ unique manufacturing process for anode copper collectors uses scraps of copper, helping the EV industry save natural resources and prevent emissions associated with mining and refining this metal. As copper demand rises with the growth of electrification, the supply and price of the material are becoming major issues for the industry and nations.
Addionics’ answer to the problem has been the usage of 100% recycled copper to produce its advanced “3D Anode Current Collectors.”
“Addionics’ innovative solution, which can work with both recycled copper and aluminium, reduces copper usage by 60%, enhancing cost-effectiveness and sustainability by minimising reliance on this critical resource. Through optimised battery architecture, Addionics significantly decreases the environmental impact associated with battery production, reducing emissions per battery pack across various chemistries,” the venture stated.
Addionics’ technology enables highly efficient manufacturing processes, leading to a significantly lower carbon footprint per square metre of foil produced. This energy-efficient approach aligns with circular economy principles, enhancing production efficiency while reducing resource consumption. Additionally, Addionics’ battery architecture contributes to weight reduction in the final battery pack, translating to a lower carbon footprint and reinforcing circular economy ideals.
By improving vehicle efficiency and prolonging battery life, Addionics is reducing the frequency of battery replacements and supports the generation of less waste, something which has helped it to earn the “Bloomberg NEF Pioneer” award in 2022.