Advancing lithium metal batteries with solid polymer electrolytes

What inspired you to start Nuvvon in 2022, and what was your initial intention for the company?

Nuvvon was preceded in 2018 by Sidhu Labs, which had been developing polymer SPEs (solid polymer electrolyte) for solid-state batteries (SSBs). We met in 2020, and our basic vision was to deliver a true solid-state for the original reason of safety, and to continue that transparency in terms of performance and manufacturability.

What were some of the key challenges you faced during the startup phase, and how did you overcome them?

A startup has lots of ideas but little bandwidth, which directly links to market distractions. In 2022, we spoke to two journalists/ advisors who both spoke highly about LNMO (lithium nickel manganese oxide) battery technology. Coincidentally, we had recently proven LNMO high voltage stability (up to 5.5V) with our Solid Polymer Electrolyte (SPE). We were momentarily inclined to prioritize this chemistry, but quickly realized the strategic players really needed us to focus on high-nickel NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) chemistry. We overcame distractions by maintaining direct communication with producers and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).

Can you share how partnerships and collaborations contributed to Nuvvon’s growth and what impact they’ve had on your technology development?

Nuvvon was internally funded until 2024 and remains privately owned. This year we raised seed funding from like-minded investors. This allows us to focus the technology where we think strategic players need to go. For example, a common market view is fast charging. But most SSB players have not yet eliminated the risks of liquid electrolyte (i.e., most use liquid catholyte) and are deafeningly silent on the high pressures required for operation.

How did securing seed funding impact your business strategy and ability to innovate?

Securing funding is as big a task as developing the technology. Ultimately, we found investors who shared our vision, which allowed us to stay true to our strategy and focus on innovation without compromising our goals. We have to remain open to funding options, so the key is to find alignment.

What sets Nuvvon’s Solid Polymer Electrolyte battery technology apart from other solid-state battery companies?

Can you elaborate on the role of the solid catholyte in your system and how it improves battery performance? 

A key benefit of our solid catholyte is its temperature performance. Unlike liquid electrolytes, it maintains a stable physical/chemical state over a wide temperature range, ensuring ionic conductivity from subzero to 80 °C (176 °F). We have undertaken limited temperature testing, but our results so far have been promising, showing stability beyond the melting temperature of lithium and even up to 240 °C (464 °F).

What do you think are some of the most difficult challenges in the current battery landscape, and how is Nuvvon addressing them?

The market emphasizes low cost, long range, and fast charging, especially for EVs. Meanwhile, stationary storage markets emphasize low cost and safety. I think the starting point for SSB should be consumer electronics due to the near-term reality of scale, but compression or safety issues make this challenging for most players. Nuvvon is unique in that it is compressionless and liquidless, making it suitable for markets that require both high nickel compatibility and safety.

We have learned that solid-state batteries face challenges such as scalability and cost effectiveness. How is Nuvvon addressing these challenges differently than your competitors?

This is true. However, all players in the SSB the sector claim that their technology is easily scalable. Lithium SSB must be designed to fit into existing Li-ion factories, and that’s exactly what we are doing. Our cells are made using standard battery lab equipment and existing lithium-ion processes. OEMs and Strategics (battery manufacturers) are now using their own processes to make our cells at lab scale, demonstrating our commitment to practical scalability.

Many battery technologies still require complex packaging solutions for thermal or pressure management. How does Nuvvon avoid these complexities?

Compression is a common requirement among most SSB players, but it is not discussed openly. This means that energy density claims can be misleading because they omit system level requirements such as compression. Nuvvon avoids these complexities entirely—our cells operate without compression or external heating, eliminating the need to add complex and unproven packaging solutions.

What specific problems in battery technology are you aiming to solve?

On a broad level, we are addressing challenges related to safety, performance and manufacturability. On the technical side of battery technology, we’re focusing on ensuring compatibility in terms of electrical and chemical properties, handling high voltage and high nickel content, and reducing interfacial resistance between solid layers.

How do your technologies enhance the safety of electric vehicle (EV) batteries compared to traditional lithium-ion solutions?

The wide temperature stability of your batteries is an interesting feature. How does this specifically benefit applications like electric vehicles or renewable energy storage?

In EVs, keeping liquid electrolyte batteries below 50 °C (120 °F) is in itself a battery drain and a problem for cars, even when parked. For renewable energy storage, our batteries can operate safely at elevated temperatures without additional cooling systems, reducing fire risk. They can also perform at cold temperatures, continuing to function even at –20 °C (-4 °F) so long as the rest of the battery can do that, meaning NMC cathodes versus LFP cathodes.

And what are your expected benefits of eliminating external cooling or heating systems for electric vehicles and stationary storage?

The obvious benefits are improved energy density and lower cost. As an aside, cycle life is degraded by liquid electrolytes at elevated temperatures so we hope to prove that SPEs will mitigate that too.

Can you share your plans for scaling Nuvvon’s polymer electrolyte technology for mass production, and what is your expected timeline?

Our strategy is to design our technology to fit into existing factories. Unlike others, we are not investing in building our own pilot line because we are already producing using existing setups. While others might claim “5-year plans” for scalability, we acknowledge that it is a long and challenging process. Strategics and OEMs are currently making our cells themselves, and it could still be 5 years before we reach mass production.

Looking ahead, how do you see Nuvvon contributing to the growth of solid-state batteries in the coming years? 

We will remain focused on releasing the next breakthrough technologies, all linked back to our core SPE technology.

After eliminating liquids, our roadmap involves transitioning to lithium metal, and eventually anodeless configurations, focusing on resource-efficient alternatives like organic cathodes and lithium-sulfur to serve aviation and other demanding applications.

In your view, how will the landscape of solid-state battery technology change in the next ten years?

The landscape will be tough, and I expect more failures than successes among the SSB startups. More than 60 companies are competing, but several have already failed despite significant investments. We need to stay focused and always tell the full story, not just the good bits.