Dr. Yi Cui of Stanford University discovered that silicon nanowires could form a potent and reliable lithium-ion anode material with the ability to improve anode capacity by up to 10X. His breakthrough was published in Nature Nanotechnology and is one of very few readily implementable lithium-ion battery technologies. Use of silicon nanowires can immediately increase the energy capacity of batteries by 40% and more—thus increasing the range of electric vehicles by a similar amount.
Amprius was founded in May 2008 with the mission to develop and commercialize advanced materials and nanotechnology for improved energy storage and accelerated vehicle electrification. At Amprius we envision that, as battery performance and costs improve, the U.S. will reduce dependence on imported oil, improve national security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating sustainable jobs and competitive industries.
Amprius has assembled a top technical team with the aim of working closely with future customers to maximize the impact of our product in cells and devices. Amprius’ team includes the world’s experts in battery technology, nanotechnology and nanomaterials manufacturing. Amprius plans to scale up nanowire fabrication to a roll-to-roll process and work closely with cell makers to support high-volume cell production.
In March 2009, Amprius secured a first round of funding from leading cleantech investors including Vantage Point Venture Partners and Trident Capital.