Boeing HorizonX Invests in Advanced Battery Technology: unmatched energy density and reliability

Subject: Boeing HorizonX Invests in Advanced Battery Technology
Startup Cuberg
From: Boeing News
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2018 15:49:57 +0000 (UTC)

News Release Issued: Jan 29, 2018 (10:47am EST)

To view this release online and get more information about Boeing,
visit: http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.ph...95&item=130115

Boeing HorizonX Invests in Advanced Battery Technology Startup Cuberg

High-energy battery could accelerate the electrification of
transportation



CHICAGO, Jan. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --*Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced its
investment in Berkeley, Calif.-based Cuberg, Inc., a startup founded
by former Stanford University researchers developing next-generation
battery technology for potential aerospace and industrial
applications.

Cuberg developed an advanced battery cell that is designed to be a
drop-in solution to existing large-scale battery manufacturing
processes. It combines a lithium metal anode, proprietary electrolyte
and high-voltage cathode to achieve high energy density and thermal
durability.

"Cuberg's battery technology has some of the highest energy density
we've seen in the marketplace, and its unique chemistries could prove
to be a safe, stable solution for future electric air transportation,"
said Steve Nordlund, vice president of Boeing HorizonX.

Since it was established in April 2015, Cuberg has grown with several
rounds of financing and grant funding, and signed a
multimillion-dollar joint development agreement with an industrial
battery manufacturer. Cuberg CEO Richard Wang is currently a member of
the Cyclotron Road entrepreneurial research fellowship program located
at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Cuberg previously participated in the TomKat Center for Sustainable
Energy's Innovation Transfer Program at Stanford University and was
named one of the top seven startups in the U.S. Department of Energy's
2016 National Cleantech University Prize competition.

"We are excited to partner with the world's largest aerospace company
to extend Cuberg's battery capabilities to help power the aerospace
platforms of the future," said Wang. "With funding from Boeing, we
will expand both our team and our research and development facilities
to help customers integrate our batteries into their products, while
also scaling up our technology to fully automated production."

Boeing HorizonX Ventures led this second seed investment round, which
included a follow-on investment by HPC Energy Services, a Canadian
integrated oil and gas product and service company. This is Boeing
HorizonX Ventures' first investment in an energy storage company since
the fund was established in April 2017.

The Boeing HorizonX Ventures portfolio includes investments in
autonomous systems technology, wearable-enabled technologies,
augmented reality systems, hybrid-electric propulsion and artificial
intelligence. Boeing HorizonX also seeks unique business opportunities
and non-traditional partnerships for the company's aerospace
technology using disruptive innovations and business strategies.

Chicago-based Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and
leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and
security systems.

A top U.S. exporter, the company supports airlines and U.S. and allied
government customers in 150 countries.

Contact:

Megan Hilfer
Boeing Communications
425-237-9375

Richard Wang
Boeing HorizonX Invests in Advanced Battery Technology
626-318-0963

Follow us on Twitter: @Boeing

*

SOURCE Boeing
*
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http://www.cuberg.net

http://www.cuberg.net/#problem

Video: https://player.vimeo.com/video/216762192

Contact:
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http://www.cyclotronroad.org/cuberg/

Cuberg

BUILDING BETTER BATTERIES WITH NEXT-GENERATION ELECTROLYTES
TEAM:

Richard Wang, Ph.D. and Mauro Pasta, Ph.D.

Dr. Richard Wang and Prof. Mauro Pasta worked together extensively at
Stanford for over four years on innovative battery technologies.
Richard worked in Yi Cui’s lab and received his PhD in materials
science from Stanford, engaged in battery research at Tesla Motors,
and received his BS in mechanical engineering from Caltech. Mauro
previously held a postdoctoral position in Yi Cui’s lab at Stanford.
He is now an associate professor at Oxford University and serves as a
technical advisor for Cuberg. He received his PhD and BS in industrial
chemistry from the University of Milan.

They co-founded Cuberg in March 2015, received an Innovation Transfer
grant from the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy, and developed
their business at the Ignite program out of the Stanford GSB. Since
then, they have won the cleantech pitch competition at the 2015 North
Bay Innovation Summit, placed 2nd at the 2016 Berkeley Cleantech
University Prize, and were finalists at both the Caltech FLoW and
National Cleantech University Prizes in 2016. Most recently, they
closed a private investment round of $900,000 in August 2016 from a
strategic partner and customer in the oil & gas industry to
commercialize their technology.
TECHNOLOGY:

Critical need: Lithium-ion batteries do not store enough energy and
suffer from inherent safety challenges. Consequently, they limit
product performance and hamper innovation in industries ranging from
portable electronics to electric vehicles.

Technology vision: Our batteries, based on an innovative electrolyte,
offer dramatic improvements in safety, energy density, specific
energy, abuse tolerance, thermal durability, and voltage. These
benefits make them attractive in a wide range of applications.
Cuberg is developing a safe and stable electrolyte that can deliver a
battery with greatly improved performance and reliability. With our
manufacturing partner, we plan to start scaling up the technology
within the next 12 months.
Cuberg is developing a safe and stable electrolyte that can deliver a
battery with greatly improved performance and reliability. With our
manufacturing partner, we plan to start scaling up the technology
within the next 12 months.

Current state-of-the-art: Conventional lithium-ion batteries utilize a
liquid electrolyte that conducts ions between the cathode and the
anode. However, the electrolyte consists of extremely flammable
organic solvents that can fuel runaway battery fires. Moreover, the
chemical instability of these solvents reduces battery lifespan and
limits the types of energy-dense electrode materials that can be
safely used.

Key innovation: Cuberg’s technology replaces the traditional organic
electrolyte with a safe and stable blend of non-flammable solvents and
salts. Our electrolyte’s chemical stability allows us to combine a
high-voltage cathode with a lithium metal anode in an inherently safe
design that provides unmatched energy density and reliability.
Cuberg is targeting several high-value applications as first markets
for our technology. Ultimately, our batteries can replace lithium-ion
technology in any application where energy density is critical.
Cuberg is targeting several high-value applications as first markets
for our technology. Ultimately, our batteries can replace lithium-ion
technology in any application where energy density is critical.

Manufacturing challenges: Our electrolyte is a drop-in replacement for
existing battery electrolytes. We anticipate early supply-chain
challenges with some of our electrolyte solvents and salts.

Competing technology: Non-rechargeable primary chemistries, such as
lithium thionyl chloride and lithium carbon monofluoride, can deliver
similarly high energy densities, but they are single-use and suffer
from serious safety and performance limitations. Solid-state batteries
may eventually be competitive but are limited by processing and
manufacturing difficulties.

First market hypothesis: We are initially targeting a specialty
battery market serving the oil & gas industry where energy density,
safety, and high-temperature stability are critically important.

Potential for impact: Our technology can displace lithium-ion
batteries by delivering greatly improved performance and reliability.
This will not only expedite growth of burgeoning industries such as
electric vehicles but also enable the creation of entirely new classes
of devices and products. Flying cars, here we come.

We're looking for:

Technical collaborators
Team members - scientists, engineers
Interns
Funders
Joint development partners
Links:

http://www.cuberg.net

Contact:

richard [dot] wang [at] cuberg [dot] net and mauro [dot] pasta [at]
cuberg [dot] net
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https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/cuberg

Cuberg is an energy startup company developing a new generation of
safer and higher energy batteries based on a high-performance
electrolyte technology. When combined with our unique cell design, our
batteries deliver not only improved energy but also greatly enhanced
shelf life, calendar life, and stability at elevated temperatures. Our
technology will power the portable electronics of the future and bring
about electric vehicles with improved affordability and range.

Cuberg is based at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the
Molecular Foundry in Berkeley, California and is part of the second
cohort of the prestigious Cyclotron Road cleantech accelerator.
Cyclotron Road supports the world's best hard energy technology
innovators and provides the tools, capital, and partners needed to
commercialize their technologies.