Ateios Systems secures $350,000 NSF Engines grant

Ateios Systems, a leader in battery component manufacturing, has been awarded a $150,000 R&D grant and a $200,000 SuperBoost grant from the NSF Engines: Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine. This funding will support the company’s pioneering approach to manufacturing next-generation, high-energy dense, environmentally friendly battery electrodes.

Ateios Systems was identified as a potential high-impact company while participating in the U.S. National Science Foundation-funded ChargeUp Accelerator at Binghamton University.

Ateios’ breakthrough technology, developed in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, aims to disrupt the $85 billion lithium-ion battery market by eliminating toxic solvents, harmful chemicals and CO2 emissions from production. At the same time, it enhances battery performance and reduces production costs. The proprietary RaiCure™ technology enables the creation of “forever-chemical-free” battery electrodes, making the manufacturing process cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable. In July 2024, Ateios Systems released its first rechargeable electrode product, RaiCore™ High Voltage Lithium Cobalt Oxide (HV LCO), as the dominant chemistry that makes up 33% of the battery market for consumer electronics.

Highlights:

• RaiCore™ HV LCO has been demonstrated to increase battery capacity by 20%, improve capacity retention by 8% over PVDF-based electrodes, and reduce energy consumption by over 90%.
• Performance metrics were demonstrated at production speeds and quantities with reputable suppliers and toll manufacturers, capable of generating $400 million in annual revenue.
• The new process eliminates toxic solvents, “forever chemicals” and harmful emissions, making it a cleaner alternative for the battery manufacturing industry.
• If scaled, the technology could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 38 million tons annually, based on projections for 2,000 GWh of lithium-ion batteries in 2024.

“This grant is a significant step forward in our mission to bring battery electrode manufacturing back to the U.S. and position Upstate New York as a global leader in clean energy innovation,” said Rajan Kumar, CEO of Ateios Systems. “We are excited about the opportunity to disrupt the battery manufacturing industry and contribute to a more sustainable and efficient future for energy storage.”

The SuperBoost grant will help Ateios Systems scale its technology by supporting the fabrication of production-grade battery cells. These cells, produced using a 1+ km electrode run generated at Kodak, will undergo qualification testing before being shipped to multiple customers for further adoption. With this support, Ateios is set to accelerate its timeline, bringing the product to market at least a year ahead of schedule.

“This SuperBoost grant is propelling our efforts to advance the maturity of our RaiCore™ electrodes while expanding into new chemistries vital for mobility and grid storage. I’m proud to play a role in strengthening the U.S. edge in battery manufacturing, and it’s significant to do so in upstate New York, where I grew up,” Kumar said. “From chipping flint to etching silicon wafers and now pioneering battery-coated films, manufacturing innovations have always been the key to unlocking scalable performance improvements that benefit everyone. Our team is thrilled to be at the forefront of disrupting the battery manufacturing industry and driving a more sustainable, efficient future for energy storage.”

The Ateios R&D project aims to leapfrog current battery manufacturing with thick electrode processing, significantly lowering energy use and production costs. The project will also emphasize working with domestic suppliers and production capabilities to ensure that performance claims (energy density, power and cycle life) are backed with production data (speed, yield and costs).

The SuperBoost grant will help Ateios Systems accelerate getting RaiCore LCO to more prospective customers and expand its other chemistries, such as Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC), which mobility and grid storage manufacturers have inquired about. The SuperBoost grant will fund multiple 1km+ production runs of RaiCore electrodes for various battery chemistries that apply to consumer devices, mobility and grid storage at Kodak’s toll manufacturing facility in Rochester, N.Y. With this support, Ateios is set to accelerate its timeline, bringing the product to market at least a year ahead of schedule, especially for chemistries LFP and NMC, which have received multiple inquiries from leading auto OEMs across the globe.

Fernando Gómez-Baquero, who directs the translation pillar for the Upstate New York Engine, said both Ateios and the region will benefit by combining the efforts of several federal initiatives.

“This SuperBoost award shows our Upstate New York Engine commitment to accelerate the commercial success of promising energy storage companies, supporting faster regional economic growth and national security by bringing battery manufacturing back to the United States,” he said. “We’re going to ensure that this region becomes America’s battery capital.”

Ateios has demonstrated that its solution would enable a 44% price reduction compared to buying electrodes directly from Chinese suppliers.

“We’re excited to help develop a technology that eliminates the use of toxic solvents and forever chemicals,” said M. Stanley Whittingham, Nobel laureate in chemistry and director of the R&D pillar of the Upstate New York Engine. “This is a good step toward our goal of a sustainable, domestically produced battery supply chain that will support a renewable energy economy.”

Ateios was one of four companies that participated in the first cohort of ChargeUp, a six-month accelerator program that supports battery-related startups by advancing their technology commercialization and investor readiness. During the program, startups went through a rigorous, competitive review and pitching process, evaluated by a panel of technical and business experts.

“ChargeUp, which is now recruiting its second cohort, will propel domestic battery industry innovation while fostering economic growth upstate,” said Bandhana Katoch, assistant vice president for entrepreneurship and innovation partnerships at Binghamton University and leader of the ChargeUp program. “Our goal for ChargeUp is to create a pipeline of companies, many of which could benefit down the road from Engine funding and support.”

Katoch noted that ChargeUp draws on lessons from two proven accelerators: Luminate, the world’s largest accelerator for startups developing technologies enabled by optics, photonics and imaging; and the Manufacturing Accelerator, which helps early-stage companies reduce the risk, waste and cost associated with getting hardware from prototype to mass production. Both programs leverage university, community and industrial involvement to guide the development of emerging technologies.

Meera Sampath, CEO of the Upstate New York Engine, said Ateios exemplifies a core strategy of the Engine: to leverage complementary investments and amplify their impact.

“The combined support from the Engine and the ChargeUp program, both of which are from the NSF’s Technology Innovation and Partnerships directorate, enables Ateios to significantly accelerate its technology and market readiness and ultimately its commercial success,” Sampath said.

She has invited Ateios’ leaders to participate in this week’s Roadmap Summit in Washington hosted by the National Science Foundation and the Economic Development Administration.

“The event is an opportunity to connect the country’s innovation ecosystems with policymakers and investors,” Sampath said, “and I’m excited to see the company on the national stage.”