This startup manufactures lithium-metal batteries using a composite membrane that replaces traditional ceramic separators, enabling large-area processing at a lower cost. Their technology increases energy density, addressing the limitations of current battery materials in terms of efficiency and production scalability.
Funding
$18.8M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Current lithium-ion battery separators often rely on thick, heavy ceramic coatings, which can limit energy density and increase vehicle mass. These separators may also lack the ion selectivity needed to prevent transition metal migration, potentially reducing battery performance and lifespan.
Solution
Sepion Technologies offers a novel coated separator technology for lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries, replacing traditional ceramic coatings with a thinner, lighter polymer coating. This coated separator maintains the same polyolefin base layer while providing enhanced performance without requiring changes to existing gigafactory equipment. Sepion's technology improves energy density by up to 5% and reduces vehicle mass by up to 10kg by eliminating dense ceramic coatings. The proprietary coating filters ions at the atomic level, allowing lithium to pass through while blocking harmful transition metals, thus stabilizing the lithium interface and preventing dendrite formation.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes automakers, cell manufacturers, and component manufacturers seeking to improve EV performance through advanced battery separator technology.
Features
- Thin, lightweight polymer coating applied to a polyolefin base layer
- Tunable pore size (0.5-4.0nm) for ion selectivity
- Blocks transition metals (nickel, cobalt, manganese, iron) from migrating to the anode
- Compatible with a broad array of cathodes and anodes
- Demonstrated fast charge capabilities in lithium-metal batteries
- Achieved UN38.3 certification for 2Ah lithium-metal cells
- Can achieve around 500 cycles to 70% capacity in LMB cells
- Operates a 25,000 ft2 prototype/pilot facility with dry room and slot-die coater