From Polymers to Batteries: AdiaNano's Journey to Revolutionize Lithium-Ion Technology
Adianano's origins stem from a classic startup pivot. When we first began, we aimed to improve polymer properties and enhance tribology—reducing sliding and rolling friction. Both initial endeavors didn’t pan out as expected, but they opened the door to something much bigger. During this process, we discovered that the silicon material we were developing had immense potential in advancing lithium-ion battery technology. Silicon is a critical material in battery capacity improvement, and recognizing this, we shifted our focus towards this application. After testing the theory and gathering customer feedback, we’ve been on this path for four years, driven by the promise of creating the next generation of battery materials. Our technology centers around microwave exfoliation of gas. Essentially, we place graphene in a reactor inside a microwave, inject a gas mixture, heat it up, and the gas exfoliates. This process allows us to precisely control the distribution of silicon within the graphene layers—critical for lithium-ion battery performance. Additionally, we can fine-tune the particle size of the silicon, aiming for particles between 10 and 20 nanometers, ensuring a high level of monodispersity. Silicon expansion is a major challenge in batteries, as it swells by nearly 300% when ions flow during charge and discharge cycles. Our method ensures the silicon is homogeneously placed, reducing the risk of cracks and maintaining conductivity. Today, commercial batteries typically contain 5-7% silicon, but we aim to increase that to at least 40%, pushing the boundaries of energy storage technology.
Powering the Future Across Industries
The name "Adianano" stems from our early technology development process. Initially, we were using a method called "adiabatic pressure" to create materials, which is where the "ADIA" comes from, and "Nano" was added as a nod to our focus on nanomaterials. While lithium-ion batteries are our primary focus, particularly in the automotive industry, we see vast potential in several other sectors. The automotive market has the most urgent demand for better battery performance, especially as electric vehicles (EVs) become mainstream. Our technology could significantly improve the range of EVs, helping consumers feel more confident about switching from combustion engines to sustainable alternatives. By enhancing battery capacity, we hope to push the boundaries in other industries too, such as maritime and aerospace. Both sectors have immense greenhouse gas emissions, and upgrading their battery systems could be transformative. We’re excited to explore these markets and test our materials in new applications that can further reduce CO2 emissions and drive sustainable innovation across the globe.
Vision for Sustainable Energy Storage
We’re tackling environmental challenges from two key angles. First, we aim to create more powerful lithium-ion batteries. But just as important, our technology significantly reduces the weight of these batteries, addressing the demand for fewer raw materials without compromising performance. By incorporating 40% of our nanosilicon material, we can cut the battery weight by up to 35%, while maintaining the same vehicle range. This is critical as the global demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to skyrocket. It’s not just about extending battery lifespan or increasing capacity; we must also ensure that enough batteries can be produced sustainably, with efficient use of materials. As for real-world applications, we’re still in the testing phase, experimenting with different compositions in smaller batteries like coin cells used in wristwatches and pacemakers, as well as pouch cells for mobile phones and portable electronics. We haven’t yet reached full-scale field tests in devices or electric vehicles, but we’re excited about the progress and look forward to these next steps.
Overcoming Challenges and Gaining Market Traction: AdiaNano’s Path to Innovation
Despite the highly competitive landscape in nanomaterials and lithium-ion battery innovation, the feedback we've received from stakeholders has been incredibly encouraging. Customers are eager to collaborate with us, particularly because we are positioned as a European company with a fully European supply chain. This resonates strongly with European businesses looking for local sourcing, and we’re currently engaged in pilot projects with several cell manufacturers. This level of interest gives us the confidence to keep pushing forward, knowing our solution is needed in the market. However, bringing our technology from concept to market hasn’t been without its challenges. Every step has presented difficulties, but in a way, that’s a sign we’re on the right track—after all, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. One of the main obstacles has been sourcing extremely high-grade graphene, which is particularly challenging within Europe. Our commitment to a 100% European supply chain has added complexity, but it’s a critical part of our vision. Additionally, relocating our operations from Latvia to Poland was another hurdle, as we had to build our laboratory from scratch, though we’re now equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Staffing has also been a challenge, given the deep-tech niche we operate in, making it difficult to find the right expertise. On top of that, there’s the constant need to secure funding to ensure we have enough runway until we start generating cash flow. Each of these challenges, though daunting, reinforces our belief in the importance and potential of our work.
