What Intecells does

Intecells is a Troy, Michigan-based startup founded in 2018 by Dr. Xiaohong Gayden that develops the ICPLAS plasma technology platform, a proprietary low-energy atmospheric plasma process for battery electrode manufacturing. The technology is both form factor and cell chemistry-agnostic, enabling surface treatment of electrodes, separators, and current collectors as well as solvent- and binder-free dry coating. The company executes a three-phase commercialization roadmap: Phase 1 (Electrode Enhancement) reduces electrolyte filling cycle times by approximately 70% and CO2 emissions by up to 65%; Phase 2 (Dry Coating) eliminates toxic solvents and binders with at least 60% process cost reduction and pilot demonstrations scheduled for 2026; and Phase 3 targets solid-state battery manufacturing through AI-driven micro-plants. The ICPLAS technology is protected by 15 granted patents and 10 pending applications.

The company monetizes through turnkey manufacturing equipment sales, technology licensing, and integration services, with its first commercial hardware product being the ICPLAS Pilot Line capable of processing cathode, anode, separator, and current collector materials at web widths up to 600 mm and line speeds up to 60 m/min. Intecells serves battery cell manufacturers across electric vehicles, stationary energy storage, consumer electronics, wearables, and medical devices via an enterprise field sales motion, supplemented by strategic partnerships with Comau (Italy) and Optorun (Japan) for global manufacturing and distribution reach, and Walden International as a strategic investor. Cumulative disclosed funding totals roughly $6.2 million since inception, including a $1.999M round in 2019 from Plasmatreat and Walden International, a $200K C3 Fund award in 2022, and a $4M U.S. Department of Energy AMMTO grant in 2023, with additional investment backing from Comau announced in October 2025.

Leadership combines deep automotive and battery industry expertise, including a former CATL CTO as Technical Advisor, the former leader of BCG's automotive practice as Chairman, a former Apple battery performance specialist as Head of R&D with a Ph.D. from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and a Principal Scientist with 15 years of advanced cell development at GM. The company has received industry recognition including NAATBatt International's Top 10 New Battery Companies designation in 2022.

Name

Intecells

Legal name

Intecells Inc.

Website

https://intecells.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Intecells is a Troy, Michigan-based startup that develops the ICPLAS plasma technology platform for battery electrode manufacturing, selling turnkey equipment and licensing IP to EV, energy storage, and consumer electronics battery producers via enterprise sales and partnerships with Comau and Optorun.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Battery Manufacturing Equipment

NAICS

Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (3353)

SIC

Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)

akta.pro primary industry

Battery Manufacturing Equipment & Gigafactory Automation (Coating, Calendering, Stacking/Winding) (EUAFABAM)

Keywords

• Plasma battery manufacturing
• Electrode processing equipment
• Battery dry coating
• Solid-state batteries
• Lithium-ion battery production

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Manufacturing Equipment Sales: Sale of turnkey plasma-based battery manufacturing equipment and process technology to battery cell manufacturers. The company provides production-ready ICPLAS systems including pilot line products.
2. Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary plasma technology IP to battery manufacturers for integration into their production facilities.
3. Professional Services: Implementation and integration services for deploying plasma technology in customer manufacturing environments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Intecells develops and sells the ICPLAS plasma technology platform, a proprietary low-energy atmospheric plasma system for battery electrode manufacturing. The company sells turnkey plasma-based manufacturing equipment (including the production-ready ICPLAS Pilot Line), licenses its plasma technology IP to battery manufacturers, and provides implementation and integration services. The technology is form factor and cell chemistry-agnostic, supporting cathode, anode, separator, and current collector processing across a three-phase roadmap from electrode enhancement to dry coating to solid-state battery manufacturing.

Product overview

Intecells offers the ICPLAS plasma technology platform — a unified, modular system for battery cell manufacturing innovation. The core ICPLAS platform provides plasma-based electrode processing through three phases: Phase 1 (ICPLAS Electrode Enhancement) is production-ready and addresses electrolyte filling bottlenecks; Phase 2 (ICPLAS Dry Coating) is in customer evaluation with pilot demos planned for 2026; and Phase 3 (Solid-State Manufacturing) is on the roadmap leveraging AI-driven micro-plants. The ICPLAS Pilot Line is the production-ready hardware product available now. The platform is form factor and cell chemistry-agnostic, supporting cathode, anode, separator, and current collector materials across web widths up to 600mm at line speeds up to 60 m/min.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICPLAS: Intecells' plasma technology platform for battery electrode manufacturing that enables faster electrolyte filling, dry coating, and improved battery performance.

Products and services

• ICPLAS Pilot Line Production-ready plasma-based battery electrode manufacturing equipment with web width up to 600mm and line speed up to 60 m/min, processing cathode, anode, separator, and current collector materials. For battery cell manufacturers and automotive OEMs seeking to reduce capital costs and production cycle times.
• ICPLAS Plasma Technology Platform Proprietary, low-energy, atmospheric plasma technology platform for battery cell manufacturing that is both form factor and cell chemistry-agnostic. Enables electrode enhancement, dry coating, and solid-state battery production phases. Licensed and integrated into customer manufacturing facilities.
• ICPLAS Electrode Enhancement (Phase 1) Plasma surface treatment technology that accelerates electrolyte absorption, reducing cell filling cycle time from 48 hours to under 10 hours. Cuts CO2 emissions by up to 65%, reduces baking time by 20% and energy use by 20%. Treating separators also increases cycle life and C-rates. For battery manufacturers seeking production bottleneck relief.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OptoruncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2025Cooperation agreement signed with Optorun in Japan to develop plasma-based battery manufacturing equipment and processes. The partnership aims to revolutionize battery cell production by combining Optorun's manufacturing expertise with Intecells' plasma technology.
• ComaucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2025Cooperation agreement with Comau in Italy to develop plasma-based battery manufacturing equipment and processes. In October 2025, partnership strengthened with Comau providing investment backing for electrode technology. Goal to halve battery plant costs with plasma electrode technology.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with leading US national laboratory specializing in materials science and battery research. Dr. Yunchao Li, Head of R&D, holds a Ph.D. from ORNL with 10 years of solid-state battery research experience.
• Argonne National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with leading US national laboratory for battery technology development.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with leading US national laboratory for advanced battery materials and manufacturing research.
• University of MichiganminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research and talent development in battery technology.
• University of KentuckyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research and talent development in battery technology.
• CentropolisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for battery technology development and market expansion.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Manz AG: German supplier of integrated production systems for lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing, including electrode coating and assembly equipment. Directly comparable as an established battery manufacturing equipment vendor serving the same automotive OEM and battery maker customer base that Intecells targets.
• Hangke Technology: Chinese provider of lithium-ion battery production equipment covering electrode manufacturing, cell assembly, and formation stages. Direct peer in the battery cell manufacturing equipment space serving major Chinese battery makers.
• Wuxi Lead Intelligent Equipment: Chinese market leader in lithium-ion battery manufacturing equipment, including electrode coating, calendaring, and cell assembly lines. Closest large-scale direct competitor serving the same battery cell manufacturing equipment market globally.
• Komatsu NTC: Japanese manufacturer of precision manufacturing equipment including systems for lithium-ion battery cell production and electrode processing. Direct peer in battery manufacturing equipment, with strong position among Japanese battery makers.
• PVA TePla: German maker of plasma treatment and vacuum process equipment for industrial applications including semiconductor and battery manufacturing. Comparable as a supplier of plasma-based industrial processing technology to manufacturers, though broader in application scope than Intecells.
• Plasmatreat: German specialist in atmospheric plasma technology for industrial surface treatment, with applications in automotive, electronics, and packaging. Highly comparable as an atmospheric plasma technology company; also a current investor in Intecells, signaling technology overlap and competitive adjacency.
• Yinghe Technology: China-based manufacturer of lithium battery manufacturing equipment, including electrode production machinery. Direct competitor in battery cell production equipment, particularly relevant for the EV battery segment.

Others

• Tesla (Battery Manufacturing): Tesla operates large-scale in-house battery cell manufacturing (4680 cells) including dry electrode coating technology pursued internally. Indirectly comparable as a vertically integrated battery manufacturer developing proprietary electrode manufacturing processes, and a potential customer or competitive reference point for novel manufacturing technologies.

Broad incumbents

• Hitachi High-Tech: Japanese diversified electronics and industrial equipment conglomerate offering manufacturing equipment and analytical systems used in battery production. Broad incumbent with overlapping battery manufacturing equipment capabilities as part of a much larger portfolio.

Emerging players

• Diener electronic: German manufacturer of plasma surface treatment systems for industrial and R&D applications, including atmospheric and low-pressure plasma. Comparable as a plasma technology equipment supplier serving industrial surface treatment, with emerging overlap in battery materials processing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/intecells

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Intecells