U.S. Army Awards NanoGraf and South 8 Technologies Over Half a Million Dollars to Increase Battery Safety for Soldiers – June 2023

CHICAGO, June 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - NanoGraf, an advanced battery materials company and enabler of the world’s most energy-dense lithium-ion cylindrical battery cell, and South 8 Technologies, developers of a novel liquefied gas electrolyte for the next generation of safe and high-performance lithium-ion batteries, with leading low-temperature performance, today announced a joint award for over half a million dollars from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to pair NanoGraf’s battery cell with South 8’s electrolyte for cold temperature and safety testing.

The overall weight of batteries that‍ Soldiers carry during missions can be cumbersome, and sometimes need to have backups, as some batteries perform poorly in harsh weather conditions or after being physically damaged.

‍The DoD award will fund a project to make sure batteries with NanoGraf and South 8’s technology reduce or eliminate catastrophic failure, in accordance with military performance specifications. Successful completion of the testing will validate the extreme cold temperature performance of the cell and maintain existing capacity and cycle life, allowing the cell to operate at extreme temperatures and pass safety testing.

Current Li-ion cells are plagued by poor low temperature capacity and experience thermal runaway at high temperatures or when crushed/punctured. Combining NanoGraf and South8 technologies has the potential to maintain high capacity and safety, yielding a cell with few drawbacks.

“We’re thrilled about this recent grant, as it provides even more performance differentiation for our Department of Defense customer,” said Dr. Francis Wang, CEO of NanoGraf. “Adding the safety and cold temperature test with South 8 further extends NanoGraf’s performance profile from other commercial cells.”

This funding comes on the heels of some major milestones for both NanoGraf and South 8. In March of 2023, NanoGraf announced an oversubscribed Series B funding round of $65 million. In November of 2022, the company was awarded a $10 million contract from the U.S. Government to develop an advanced manufacturing facility in the Midwest. In January of 2023, South 8 was awarded over $3 million by the Department of Energy to participate in its American Low-Carbon Living (EVs4ALL) program.

“We are excited for the opportunity to work with NanoGraf towards a commercial cell that combines our two differentiating technologies into one powerful product,” said Cyrus Rustomji, CEO and co-founder of South 8 Technologies. “The Department of Defense and NanoGraf are incredible partners, and we’re thrilled to be working towards enhancing soldier capabilities across critical missions in increasingly more difficult climates.

About NanoGraf

NanoGraf is an advanced battery material company whose patented technology enables longer-lasting, higher-energy, and higher-power lithium-ion batteries. NanoGraf works with more than 50 companies, including some of the world’s leading consumer electronics, household appliance, and power tool brands, and over 12 strategic partners in electric mobility (from startups to Fortune 100s). NanoGraf is a spinout of Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory.

To learn more about NanoGraf, visit www.nanograf.com.

About South 8 Technologies

South 8 Technologies, Inc. has developed a novel liquefied gas electrolyte, to power the next generation of lithium-ion batteries and advance the world's clean energy future. The venture-backed cleantech company's Series A round of $12 million with multiple external partners.

‍For more information about South 8 Technologies, visit www.south8technologies.com or follow South 8 on LinkedIn.