NanoGraf has been named a Rising Star finalist for 1871’s 2020 Momentum Awards program! This award recognizes a company that is early in its progression but has a proven track record of success, has achieved significant traction in their market, makes an impact on the community and is well-positioned to grow into a leader in its market.

Battery tech startup NanoGraf – formerly known as SiNode Systems – has received a $1.65 million SBIR grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop longer-lasting batteries that will provide better portable power for military equipment.

The UIC Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE) is an annual workshop for future energy and sustainability leaders. In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, the 10th annual program was conducted digitally from July 13-17, 2020.

NanoGraf received $1.65M from U.S. Department of Defense. The company develops advanced battery materials. The funds will be put toward creating a longer-lasting lithium-ion battery to provide the U.S. military with better portable power.

“Just like we civilians are increasingly relying on cell phones and tablets and everything else, the modern soldier is also transitioning towards these really power heavy devices in the field, [like] night vision goggles, weapon optics, all of the communications devices, GPS,” said Chip Breitenkamp, NanoGraf vice president of business development. “All of those things require more and more power.”

Battery tech startup NanoGraf has landed a $1.65 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop longer-lasting batteries to power military equipment. The grant from the DoD is meant to develop silicon anode-based lithium-ion technology that is compatible with all portable batteries. The goal is to increase equipment runtime by 50-100% when compared to traditional graphite anode lithium-ion cells, and allow batteries to have a shelf life of more than two years and operate across a wide temperature range from -4° F to 131° F.

Contributed Commentary By Francis Wang, CEO of NanoGraf

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Today startups across the globe have an unexpected opportunity to continue driving innovation in their respective industries to help themselves and their customers adapt. The good news for the entrepreneurs drafting the new playbooks on innovation is that they’re used to moving fast and adapting to changing markets. Here are three ways EU startups can win with innovation in the post-COVID era.

The battery startup landscape isn’t just populated by battery cell producers, it’s fueled by the success of a series of businesses that contribute to a thriving supply chain. From raw materials extraction to material processing to manufacturing cells, the lithium-ion battery industry relies on substantial financing to support innovation.

Our Business Advisor, Ralph Wise, takes a detailed look at the current battery industry and what it means for startups like NanoGraf in the coming decade.

The COVID-19 crisis is bringing into the public eye the US’ dependency on importing goods, particularly batteries for advanced energy storage and electric vehicles, the CEO, Dr Francis Wang, head of Nanograf, has said.

Better batteries have the potential to provide a more sustainable future. But our CEO, Francis Wang, argues in POWER Magazine that this can't happen at the pace it needs to without the stability of public investment.

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To mark the ten-year anniversary of the EFRC program, the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences selected ten awardees that embody the extraordinary impact that the EFRCs have had on people, scientific ideas, and technologies and tools.