ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sila, a next generation battery materials company, is bringing to market the most significant breakthrough in battery chemistry in 30 years — the technology to replace graphite anodes — which will usher in a new era of energy storage. Sila’s silicon anode chemistry dramatically increases the energy density of batteries, reducing battery size without sacrificing safety or performance. Proven and now commercially available in WHOOP 4.0, the latest fitness and health wearable from WHOOP, the human performance company, Sila science has the ability to unlock innovations in consumer product design, the electric vehicle industry, and renewable energy.
Today, Sila’s materials increase the energy density of batteries by nearly 20 percent and have the potential to do so by up to 40 percent, without compromising cycle life, power, safety or other performance parameters. This innovation marks a significant step toward the electrification of everything, which has been stalled in recent years by minimal improvements to traditional Li-ion chemistry. The technology also facilitates the development of new and unique product features for mobile devices not previously possible due to energy density and battery size constraints - better cameras, augmented reality/virtual reality sensors, wireless charging, 5G speeds, and sensors for continuous health monitoring.
“After 10 years, 55,000 iterations, and over a 1,000x manufacturing scale up, the Sila team is the first to industrialize and now make commercially available a new type of lithium-ion chemistry with dramatically higher energy density. Our next-generation materials will drive radical change in product innovation, freeing consumers and device makers from having to choose between better design, more features, and battery performance,” said Gene Berdichevsky, CEO and Co-Founder of Sila. “We are running out of time to transition from the fossil fuels economy to the energy storage economy. The path to a sustainable future will be paved with great products and Sila is proud to be enabling those products today.”
WHOOP 4.0, the most advanced 24/7 fitness and health wearable, is the first product in the market to use next-generation silicon anode materials. Powered with Sila science, WHOOP 4.0 is a smaller, sleeker product with 17 percent higher energy density—enabling a 5-day battery life and enhanced sensors for improved fitness tracking. These advances were achieved without altering existing manufacturing processes, making it faster and easier for WHOOP and its battery manufacturing partner to incorporate Sila materials into its newest wearable.
“One of the greatest barriers to advancing the design of wearable technologies has been the weight and size of the battery technology available,” said John Capodilupo, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer at WHOOP. “With Sila, all that has changed. We’ve been able to transform WHOOP 4.0 from its previous version and load it with new features and capabilities, without battery performance compromise. Just as we have leveraged this new battery advancement to push the wearable industry forward, Sila’s technology has the potential to enable exciting design innovation in other categories and products.”
From chips to displays to cameras to connectivity, consumer electronics pave the way for significant innovations in other industries. So too, with advanced battery materials. Automakers and cell manufacturers are looking to next-generation battery technology - in the pursuit of longer driving range, faster charging, and greater affordability - to reach their electrification goals. Through partnerships with leading auto OEMs and cell makers, Sila is producing innovation at scale to unlock new product design possibilities, remove the current barriers of energy storage, and create a path to the sustainable future we need.
ABOUT SILA
Founded in 2011, Sila is a next generation battery materials company accelerating energy transformation for a more sustainable future. Sila is industrializing breakthrough science— utilizing their advanced silicon anode materials— to catalyze a new energy storage era that propels radical product innovation and alleviates the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Through deep technical ambition, persistence, and purpose, the Sila team is delivering innovative technology to market today, moving us one step closer to the electrification of everything. Major investors include 8VC, Bessemer Venture Partners, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Coatue, Daimler, In-Q-Tel, Matrix Partners, Sutter Hill Ventures, and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. For more information, visit www.silanano.com.
