Defense Sector Continues Support of Ion Storage’s Extreme “Soldier” Battery

Reprinted from a press release by Langhum Mitchell Communications

Washington, DC—Ion Storage Systems (ISS) today announced that it was awarded a $2 million contract from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). This award enhances recent funding from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Project Agency–Energy (ARPA-E). When combined with earlier awards, grants and in-kind commitments from ARPA-E, DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), and Army Research Lab (ARL), this new award brings the total federal support for ISS's breakthrough technology to over $15 million. The new funds are intended to help expedite the domestic production of a solid-state Conformal Wearable Battery (CWB) that will significantly increase the operating time of equipment and weapons systems while eliminating the risk of battery fire or explosions.

“We are extremely pleased that the Defense Logistics Agency has shown confidence in our ability to deliver first-class battery technology,” said Ricky Hanna, ISS CEO. “Their support will be critical in our effort to produce new batteries that are particularly well-suited for military use. Our extreme batteries will be safer and higher performance than anything currently on the market.”

“Ion Storage is helping to deliver on DLA’s mission to develop energy storage technologies that enhance the capabilities of dismounted warfighters by increasing battery duration and ensuring that batteries can safely withstand the risks of combat,” said Matt Hutchens, DLA BATTNET Program Manager. “These innovations will be vital to meeting America’s combat readiness technology needs.”

The ISS batteries created through this award will increase the usable power of the CWB battery pack by more than 50% for the same size and weight. Further, ISS batteries are nonflammable and resilient under any condition the soldier is likely to experience, including extreme weather and gunfire impacts.

“The past shows us that public/private partnerships are critical to finding and funding technologies that become bedrocks of the future." Added Mark Fields, a Partner at San Francisco-based VC firm Alsop Louie Partners. "ALP is excited to be part of the partnership forged by ISS to fund and accelerate the development and deployment of its unique solid-state battery platform."

“ARPA-E is eager to fund the development of a solid state CWB through our RANGE Program. As Ion Storage’s manufacturing method improves and battery production increases to support CWB, I am hopeful that cell costs will decrease substantially over time, opening the door for solid state batteries to be introduced into electric vehicles and other commercial markets,” said Dr. Grigorii Soloveichik, Program Director for ARPA-E.

ISS has joined the Center for Research in Extreme Batteries (CREB) to better serve the defense industry. This consortium is led by the Army Research Lab and the University of Maryland to accelerate advanced batteries for extreme performance in applications such as defense, space, biomedical applications.

About Ion Storage Systems

Ion Storage Systems creates extreme batteries that are safer, lighter, and enable form factors with tighter packing density that enhance system performance. These innovations empower the world’s innovators to break down barriers in their product development cycles to redefine what’s possible and begin building the products of tomorrow today.

ISS is a spin-out from the University of Maryland–College Park. Visit www.ionstoragesystems.com for more information.

Published August 12, 2020