Founded in early 2022 by battery expert and Carnegie Mellon professor Dr. Jay Whitacre, Pittsburgh-based Stratus Materials develops and produces LXMO™, a lithium manganese-rich, cobalt-free cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. The company is building domestic supply for electric vehicles and energy storage, producing LXMO on a 1-ton-per-year pre-pilot line while moving toward a 30-plus-ton pilot operation. Its materials are designed as a drop-in alternative for existing battery manufacturing processes.
AquaLith Advanced Materials, IncAquaLith Advanced Materials, founded by physicist Gregory Cooper, develops and manufactures next-generation lithium-ion batteries and battery materials from its Maryland base. Its University of Maryland-licensed technology combines a high-energy cathode, silicon anode, and non-flammable aqueous electrolyte to create safer, lower-cost batteries that can operate efficiently below -50°C. The company’s work was recognized as the University of Maryland’s 2020 invention of the year.COLLEGE PARK, MD
Xerion Advanced Battery CorpFounded in 2010 out of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dayton-based Xerion Advanced Battery Corp. develops DirectPlate™, a single-step electrochemical process for refining critical minerals and producing advanced battery electrodes. The company has spent more than a decade developing electrodes with up to 100% active material and is commercializing the technology through operational cobalt-refinement and LCO-electrode pilot plants. Xerion’s team includes 15 PhDs and holds more than 23 patents.KETTERING, OH
LiBama PowerBinghamton-based LiBama Power develops advanced metal anodes for higher-energy batteries, using its patented Advanced Metal Anode (AMA) structure to improve charging and energy storage without requiring battery makers to retool existing lines. Founded by Wentao Li, PhD, whose background spans more than 20 years in lithium batteries, the company is developing finished anodes for applications including electric vehicles and renewable-energy storage. Its initial prototypes are made in-house with existing machinery, with pilot manufacturing planned as customer evaluations progress.BINGHAMTON, NY
NatrionNatrion develops U.S.-made battery materials and cell components, including its LISIC ceramic-polymer solid-state electrolyte and Active Separator, designed to improve battery safety and performance without requiring manufacturers to replace existing production equipment. Founded by battery materials engineers and supported by strategic partners, the company works with battery manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Defense on scalable technologies for next-generation lithium-metal, solid-state, and sodium-ion batteries.BUFFALO, NY