Swedish battery developer Northvolt has acquired Cuberg, a US-headquartered battery technology company that develops high-performance lithium metal cells produced on existing lithium-ion manufacturing lines.
Cuberg spun out of Stanford University in 2015 with the goal of commercializing next-generation battery technology based on a liquid electrolyte, combined with a lithium metal anode. It already counts numerous mobility companies among its customers, including Boeing, BETA Technologies, Ampaire and VoltAero. Its investors and financial backers include Boeing HorizonX Ventures, Activate.org, the California Energy Commission, the US Department of Energy and the TomKat Center at Stanford.
“The Cuberg team has shown exceptional ability to develop world-class technology, proven results and an outstanding customer base in a lean and efficient organization. Combining these strengths with the capabilities and technology of Northvolt allows us to make significant improvements in both performance and safety while driving down cost even further for next-generation battery cells. This is critical for accelerating the shift to fully electric vehicles and responding to the needs of the leading automotive companies within a relevant timeframe,” said Peter Carlsson, CEO and co-founder of Northvolt.
Northvolt and Cuberg’s aim will be to mature their automotive and industrial product portfolio, with an ambition to industrialize cells that exceed 1,000Wh/L by 2025, while meeting the full spectrum of automotive customer requirements. Notably, Cuberg has already demonstrated the compatibility of its technology with the existing lithium-ion manufacturing ecosystem, which should minimize time-to-market and enable rapid commercial deployment in the electromobility market.
Northvolt will also establish an advanced technology center in Silicon Valley based on the Cuberg acquisition and is actively hiring top battery industry talent to support these efforts. In addition to accelerating the lithium metal cell development and optimizing the technology for automotive applications, the new center will focus on materials research and development for best-in-class lithium-ion anode and electrolyte technologies.