What Ionblox does

Ionblox (formerly Zenlabs Energy) is a privately-held lithium-ion battery cell developer founded in 2017 and headquartered in Fremont, California. The company's core technology is a proprietary pre-lithiated silicon oxide anode that replaces conventional graphite, leveraging silicon's roughly 10X higher specific capacity while addressing silicon's historical drawbacks (swelling and irreversible capacity loss) through a patented pre-lithiation strategy and a nano-engineered solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). The product portfolio consists of large-format pouch cells in two primary form factors: up to 50Ah cells for electric vehicles, delivering 335-340 Wh/kg specific energy, 80% charge in 10 minutes, and 1,000+ extreme-fast-charge cycles with minimal degradation; and 12Ah cells for electric aviation (eVTOL), uniquely combining 340 Wh/kg specific energy with 3,800 W/kg specific discharge power for take-off and landing at low state of charge.

Ionblox operates a direct enterprise sales model, targeting automotive OEMs and eVTOL aircraft manufacturers. Revenue, when generated, comes from hardware sales of battery cells produced on pilot production lines in the U.S., with explicit plans to scale into higher-volume manufacturing facilities domestically and abroad. The company has one publicly named commercial customer (Lilium, the eVTOL developer, which is also a lead investor) and has secured three U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) development contracts totaling at least $8.3 million across 2019 and 2022 for low-cost/fast-charge battery development. Strategic equity investors include Lilium, Applied Ventures (the venture arm of Applied Materials), Temasek, and Catalus Capital; a Joint Development Agreement with Gelion (November 2023) extends the technology roadmap into Lithium-Silicon-Sulfur chemistry.

Ionblox is led by CEO Sujeet Kumar and CTO/co-founder Dr. Herman Lopez, with COO Alexander Lee (appointed August 2022) heading commercialization. The company holds more than 40 issued patents, has earned UN 38.3 transport certification (August 2023), and was named one of America's Top Greentech Companies 2024 by TIME Magazine and Statista. Its go-to-market relies on deep OEM co-development, third-party lab validation (Idaho National Laboratory, Energy Assurance), and ecosystem partnerships with Applied Materials, ARPA-E, and U.S. National Labs.

Name

Ionblox

Legal name

Ionblox Inc.

Website

https://ionblox.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ionblox is a Fremont, California-based lithium-ion battery cell developer (founded 2017, formerly Zenlabs Energy) that produces large-format silicon-anode pouch cells for electric vehicles and eVTOL aircraft. Its proprietary pre-lithiated silicon anode technology enables extreme fast charging, high energy density, and long cycle life for automotive and aviation OEMs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lithium-ion battery cells

NAICS

Battery Manufacturing (33591), Battery Manufacturing (335910)

SIC

Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Battery Cells (Li-ion, LFP, Sodium-ion, Lead-acid, NiMH) (IMAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Battery Cell Manufacturing (EV) (IMACACAB), Automotive Batteries & 12V/Low-Voltage Energy Storage Manufacturing (IMACAJAJ)

Keywords

• Lithium-ion battery cells
• Silicon anode batteries
• Electric vehicle batteries
• EVTOL battery technology
• Fast-charging battery cells

Headquarters

HQ city

Fremont

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, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Battery Cell Sales: Ionblox generates revenue through the sale of high-performance lithium-ion battery cells to electric vehicle manufacturers and electric aviation (eVTOL) companies. The company produces large format pouch cells on pilot production lines and is scaling up manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. and abroad.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ionblox develops and manufactures high-performance lithium-ion battery cells using proprietary pre-lithiated silicon oxide anode technology for electric vehicles and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The company produces large format pouch cells (up to 50Ah automotive, 12Ah aviation) that deliver extreme fast charging (5-10 minutes), up to 50% higher energy density versus conventional lithium-ion cells, and long cycle life, and sells them directly to automotive OEMs and advanced air mobility manufacturers.

Product overview

Ionblox is a lithium-ion battery company offering a portfolio of advanced battery cells and technology. Their core products include large format pouch cells for automotive (EVs) and electric aviation (eVTOLs) markets, featuring proprietary pre-lithiated silicon-dominant anodes. The product line consists of: (1) EV Battery Cells for land vehicles delivering extreme fast charging and extended range, (2) Electric Aviation Battery Cells for air mobility, and (3) Lithium-Silicon Cells for extreme fast charging applications. The company is also developing Lithium-Silicon-Sulfur batteries in partnership with Gelion. All products are built on Ionblox's patented pre-lithiated silicon anode technology platform, which replaces conventional graphite anodes to enable 5-10 minute fast charging, 30% higher range, and long cycle life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EV Battery Cells (Automotive / Land) Large format lithium-ion pouch cells (up to 50Ah) with pre-lithiated silicon-dominant anodes delivering 335 Wh/kg specific energy, extreme fast charging (80% capacity in 10 minutes), and over 1,000 cycle life for electric vehicle manufacturers.
• Electric Aviation Battery Cells (Air) 12Ah large format pouch cells with 340 Wh/kg specific energy and 3,800 W/kg discharge power, uniquely combining high energy and high power in one cell for eVTOL aircraft manufacturers and advanced air mobility developers.
• Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) Lithium-Silicon Cells High-performance lithium-silicon cells achieving 60% capacity in 5 minutes and 80% in 10 minutes, with 30-50% range extension and over 1,000 extreme fast charge cycles with minimal degradation, built for automotive applications.
• Lithium-Silicon-Sulfur Battery (with Gelion JDA) Next-generation battery technology under joint development with Gelion, combining Ionblox's silicon oxide anode with Gelion's sulfur battery technology to target 25-50% weight reduction and 35% materials cost reduction while avoiding nickel, cobalt, or graphite dependencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-minute extreme fast charge delivers 225 miles of range; 10-minute charge delivers 390 miles (80% capacity)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• GelionstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2023Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to develop Lithium-Silicon-Sulfur battery technology. Leverages Ionblox's silicon oxide anode with Gelion's sulfur battery technology. Target: up to 25-50% lighter batteries, 35% lower material cost, safer operation without nickel, cobalt, or graphite.
• Applied MaterialsstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer Applied Materials for battery technology development. Collaboration has contributed to progress in silicon anode battery development.
• USABC (United States Advanced Battery Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022USABC awarded Ionblox a $3.5 million contract for low-cost/fast-charge electric vehicle battery technology development. Focus on electrolyte and active material development for stable passivation layer and silicon-dominant anode cells. This is Ionblox's third contract with USABC.
• USABC (United States Advanced Battery Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019$4.8 million technology development contract for low-cost, fast-charge (LC/FC) battery technology for electric vehicles. Part of ongoing collaboration with USABC (subsidiary of USCAR, includes Ford, GM, Stellantis).
• ARPA-EstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. Department of Energy ARPA-E program supporting battery technology R&D. Ionblox's cell technology platform is product of more than 10 years of R&D with leading research organizations including ARPA-E.
• U.S. National LaboratoriesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCell performance validated by U.S. National Labs including Idaho National Laboratory, which tested over 1,000 charge-discharge cycles and confirmed high specific energy and high-power performance.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Amprius Technologies: Amprius manufactures silicon-anode lithium-ion battery cells targeting aviation, EVs, and wearables with extreme fast-charging claims. It is the closest direct peer to Ionblox given overlapping silicon-anode chemistry, pouch cell form factor, and shared focus on eVTOL/air mobility customers.
• Sila Nanotechnologies: Sila develops silicon-anode battery materials designed to drop into existing Li-ion cell manufacturing for automotive and consumer electronics. It is directly comparable to Ionblox as a silicon-anode next-gen battery company targeting major EV OEMs with a chemistry-level value proposition.
• Enovix Corporation: Enovix designs and manufactures 3D silicon-anode lithium-ion battery cells for smartphones, wearables, and EVs with a focus on high energy density. It overlaps with Ionblox in the silicon-anode Li-ion cell category and in targeting premium consumer/automotive applications demanding higher energy density.
• StoreDot: StoreDot is an Israeli battery company developing extreme fast-charging (XFC) lithium-ion cells with silicon-dominant anodes for EVs. It is a direct peer to Ionblox on the XFC value proposition and silicon-anode chemistry, both pitching 5–10 minute charging as the EV adoption unlock.

Emerging players

• Solid Power: Solid Power is developing sulfide-based solid-state battery cells and is partnered with BMW and Ford for automotive applications. It is an emerging peer in next-gen EV/eVTOL-class cells, addressing the same OEM customer set as Ionblox though via a different (solid-state) chemistry route.
• QuantumScape: QuantumScape is developing solid-state lithium-metal battery cells for automotive use with Volkswagen as a key partner. It competes for the same EV OEM design-win pool as Ionblox but pursues a fundamentally different (lithium-metal solid-state) technology path.
• SES AI Corporation: SES AI is developing hybrid lithium-metal batteries for EVs and eVTOLs with automotive OEMs including GM, Honda, and Hyundai. It overlaps with Ionblox in advanced eVTOL cell development and OEM-funded battery innovation programs, though using a lithium-metal rather than silicon-anode architecture.
• ProLogium Technology: ProLogium is a Taiwan-based developer of ceramic solid-state battery cells with automotive OEM partnerships (e.g., Mercedes-Benz) and a planned European gigafactory. It is an emerging peer targeting the same EV OEM customers as Ionblox via a different next-gen chemistry (solid-state vs. silicon-anode Li-ion).

Broad incumbents

• Microvast Holdings: Microvast is a publicly traded battery manufacturer offering Li-ion cells, modules, and packs for commercial vehicles, specialty vehicles, and energy storage. It is a broader incumbent peer providing fast-charging commercial-vehicle battery solutions and competing for similar EV/commercial fleet customers as Ionblox.
• Northvolt: Northvolt is a large-scale European Li-ion cell manufacturer building gigafactories to supply EVs and energy storage with a sustainability-focused value proposition. It is a broad incumbent peer operating in the same automotive and stationary Li-ion cell category as Ionblox but at materially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ionbloxinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ionblox

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 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 Ionblox