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Battery innovator Wildcat Discovery Applied sciences has raised $90 million in a Collection D funding spherical led by Koch Strategic Platforms (KSP), a subsidiary of Koch Industries (sure, that Koch Industries). Eastman Kodak (sure, that Kodak) additionally participated within the spherical.
Wildcat will use the brand new funds to additional develop and commercialize a “Tremendous Cell,” which it envisions as “a transformational battery cell combining three Wildcat proprietary applied sciences at present in growth, together with a cobalt- and nickel-free high-energy cathode, a composite solid-state electrolyte and a lithium steel anode.”
The purpose is to have the Tremendous Cell prepared for commercialization in two years.
“The subsequent technology of EV batteries requires innovation, sources, and distinctive capabilities that we’re delivering with a formidable consortium of main buyers and companions,” mentioned Mark Gresser, CEO at Wildcat. “Eastman Kodak brings industry-leading technical and scale-up experience to the consortium. Coupled with Wildcat’s distinctive high-throughput analysis capabilities, we’ve all of the substances essential to carry these breakthrough merchandise to market rapidly.”
Eastman Kodak is concerned with Wildcat on a number of ranges—it has taken a minority stake within the battery developer, and can be offering coating and engineering providers, which make the most of expertise Kodak has already developed for the making of movie.
In a current interview with WXXI Information, Kodak CEO Jim Continenza defined why it is smart for a movie firm to get entangled in making EV batteries. His firm has repurposed a machine that had been used for coating movie to supply battery supplies.
‘‘In all probability a $70-million or $80-million machine, and we have been promoting it extraordinarily low cost, [less than] $2 million,” mentioned Continenza. “And it’s like, ‘no we’ve received to place this again to work. That is an unimaginable piece of kit.’ And we realized, unintentionally, George Eastman made a battery firm, he simply didn’t realize it. It’s similar to creating movie and coating on batteries.”
Continenza mentioned that Kodak can be contemplating utilizing its coating and chemical experience to work with different firms on battery expertise. “It’s not simply EV batteries, there’s house storage and there’s totally different applied sciences, we’re performing some solid-state stuff for others. We’re additionally doing hydrogen, hydrocell. We all know find out how to manufacture these items.”
Sources: Wildcat Discovery Applied sciences, Kodak
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