Automakers Award $7.5M To Battery Startup Begun At Northwestern

CHICAGO — A battery company founded at Northwestern University received has been awarded a $7.5 million technology development contract from a research consortium created by major U.S. automakers.

NanoGraf Corporation, formerly called SiNode Systems, was founded in 2012 . It focuses on improvements to lithium-ion battery anodes that provide faster charging and more energy, with possible uses from electronic devices to electric vehicles.

It uses a propriety technology invented by Harold Kung, a professor of chemical and biological engineering, and Jiaxing Huang, a professor of materials science and engineering. Its anodes are made from a silicon-graphene composite and can be manufactured at low cost, according to the company.

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium, or USABC, is a collaboration between Fiat Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. Its mission is to develop technology to boost the use of electric, fuel cell and hybrid vehicles.It also has a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy.

In a statement, Executive Director Steve Zimmer said the commercialization contract is part of the consortium's overall battery research and development program.

"Programs like this are critical to advancing the technology needed to meet both near- and long-term goals that will enable broader scale vehicle electrification," Zimmer said.

The development contract funds a 36-month project that began this month and aims to commercialize silicon-based materials for use in lower-cost batteries that hold more energy, according to a release from USABC. It includes a 50 percent cost sharing arrangement.

The contract is the second NanoGraf has received from USABC, which awarded it $4 million in June 2016.

Headquartered on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, NanoGraf last year doubled the size of its staff at facilities in three counties, penned development agreements with major consumer electronics manufacturers and launched a large-scale production facility.

The company rebranded itself in December after receiving a $4.5 million investment from the Japanese chemical manufacturer JNC Corporation.

Earlier this year, NanoGraf co-founder Samir Mayekar was appointed deputy mayor for economic and neighborhood development by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.