PolyPlus Battery Company
PolyPlus Battery Company is a private, Berkeley-based advanced battery technology developer founded in 1991 that licenses its proprietary Protected Lithium Electrode (PLE) and glass-protected lithium metal battery IP to manufacturers, with revenue from licensing, DOE/DOD contracts, and private investment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What PolyPlus Battery Company does
PolyPlus Battery Company, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Berkeley, California, is a private advanced battery technology developer that has built a deep intellectual property portfolio around its proprietary Protected Lithium Electrode (PLE) technology. The PLE is a lithium metal core shielded by a thin, dense ceramic membrane that conducts lithium ions, enabling the safe use of metallic lithium anodes and unlocking chemistries previously considered impractical, including lithium-air, lithium-seawater, aqueous lithium-sulfur, and glass-protected solid-state lithium metal batteries. The company's product portfolio spans primary cells (Li-Air at >800 Wh/kg cell-level, Li-Seawater at up to 2000 Wh/kg) and rechargeable cells (glass-protected Li metal and Li-S, both targeting 400+ Wh/kg), with over 200 issued and pending patents underpinning the platform.
The company operates as an IP- and technology-licensing business with a small 18-person R&D organization (14 technical staff) housed in a 13,000 ft2 Berkeley facility that includes a semi-automated PLE pilot line installed in 2013 in collaboration with a Tier 1 battery manufacturing engineering firm. Revenue is generated primarily through technology licensing, government contracts from the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense, and private investment — no commercial product revenue is publicly disclosed. Target end-markets include defense and soldier power, marine/subsea systems, drones, medical devices, consumer electronics, automotive, and grid-scale energy storage.
Management is led by founding-era Ph.D. scientists: co-founder and Chairman Lutgard De Jonghe (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), CEO and CTO Steven J. Visco, CFO and COO May-Ying Chu, and Director of R&D Eugene Nimon, supported by IP and corporate development functions. Recognition includes TIME Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2011 (Li-Seawater), a Gold Edison Award in 2012 (PLE), and 2025 inclusion in lithium-air and lithium-sulfur solid-state market analyst rankings alongside well-capitalized peers. The company remains privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, revenue figures, or commercial product launches at scale.
PolyPlus Battery Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PolyPlus Battery Company
- Legal name
- PolyPlus Battery Company
- Website
- https://polyplus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PolyPlus Battery Company is a private, Berkeley-based advanced battery technology developer founded in 1991 that licenses its proprietary Protected Lithium Electrode (PLE) and glass-protected lithium metal battery IP to manufacturers, with revenue from licensing, DOE/DOD contracts, and private investment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PolyPlus Battery Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Advanced Lithium Batteries
- NAICS
- Battery Manufacturing (335910), Battery Manufacturing (33591)
- SIC
- Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solid-State Battery Materials & Cell Manufacturing (EUAFABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Battery Cells (Li-ion, LFP, Sodium-ion, Lead-acid, NiMH) (IMAGAHAA)
Keywords
Where PolyPlus Battery Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PolyPlus Battery Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Technology Licensing: Early business model focused on IP development and licensing. PolyPlus licenses its proprietary technologies including the Protected Lithium Electrode (PLE), non-aqueous Li-S electrolyte, and other battery technologies to manufacturers.
- Government Contracts: Supported by government contracts from the Department of Energy and Department of Defense for advanced battery technology development.
- Private Investment: Funded through private investment in addition to licensing revenue and government contracts.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
PolyPlus Battery Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PolyPlus Battery Company develops and licenses proprietary advanced lithium battery chemistries based on its Protected Lithium Electrode (PLE) and glass-protected lithium metal technologies. The company manufactures and supplies ultra-high energy density battery products including glass-protected Li metal batteries, lithium-seawater batteries, lithium-air batteries, and lithium-sulfur batteries targeting weight-sensitive applications in defense, marine, automotive, drones, consumer electronics, and medical devices.
Product overview
PolyPlus Battery Company is a battery technology developer offering multiple distinct battery products based on its proprietary Protected Lithium Electrode (PLE™) and glass-protected lithium technologies. The product portfolio centers on five core offerings: Glass Protected Li Metal Battery (the flagship solid-state technology doubling Li-ion energy density), Protected Lithium Electrode (PLE™) core technology, Lithium Seawater Battery (for underwater applications), Lithium Air Battery (for weight-sensitive portable power), and Lithium Sulfur Battery (for lightweight rechargeable applications). These products share common intellectual property based on protected lithium metal anodes but serve different market applications ranging from consumer electronics to marine/underwater and aerospace.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Glass Protected Li Metal Battery The world's first glass protected Li metal battery featuring a solid-state lithium anode laminate with thin monolithic glass separator that doubles the energy density of conventional lithium-ion batteries while preventing dendrite formation.
- Protected Lithium Electrode (PLE) An air and water stable battery anode with a lithium metal core protected by a thin, dense, ceramic membrane that conducts Li+ ions, enabling safe use of high energy density lithium metal anodes.
- Lithium Seawater Battery The first seawater-activated lithium battery combining the Protected Lithium Electrode with seawater as the cathode active species, achieving energy densities up to 2000 Wh/kg with zero self-discharge for underwater/subsea applications.
- Lithium Air Battery The world's lightest primary battery coupling lithium metal in the PLE with a gas diffusion electrode, aqueous electrolyte, and ambient air, achieving cell-level energy density above 800 Wh/kg with projected shelf life exceeding 10 years.
- Lithium Sulfur Battery A rechargeable battery technology using non-aqueous or aqueous sulfur-based cathode chemistries paired with protected lithium electrodes, offering projected performance exceeding 400 Wh/kg and 600 Wh/l with excellent cycle life.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2x energy density compared to Li-ion batteries (glass-protected Li metal)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use PolyPlus Battery Company
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PolyPlus Battery Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
PolyPlus Battery Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and foundational.
- U.S. Department of EnergycorePolyPlus has received government contracts from the Department of Energy for development of advanced battery technologies. DOE funding supports the company's R&D efforts in next-generation battery chemistry development.
- U.S. Department of DefensecorePolyPlus has received government contracts from the Department of Defense for battery technology development. DOD support enables development of advanced battery systems for defense applications including soldier power and remote sensors.
- Tier 1 Battery Manufacturing Engineering FirmcorePolyPlus worked with a Tier 1 battery manufacturing engineering firm to design and build a first-of-its-kind pilot line to produce protected lithium electrodes for state-of-the-art lithium-air, lithium-water, and lithium-sulfur batteries.
- Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryfoundationalPolyPlus was founded upon the invention of the lithium/organosulfur battery at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1991. The company's origins trace to fundamental research conducted at this national laboratory.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
PolyPlus Battery Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Solid Power: Solid Power is developing all-solid-state batteries with sulfide-based electrolytes and lithium-metal anodes, with both Li-S and silicon-anode programs. It overlaps with PolyPlus on solid-state and lithium-sulfur chemistries and shares the same OEM-partnered commercialization model targeting automotive.
- QuantumScape: QuantumScape develops solid-state lithium-metal batteries targeting EVs and consumer electronics with significantly higher energy density than Li-ion. Like PolyPlus, it is built around a proprietary lithium-metal-anode architecture and pursues OEM-embedded commercialization, making it the closest direct peer in the solid-state Li-metal category.
- Lyten: Lyten develops lithium-sulfur batteries using a 3D graphene-based host material for the sulfur cathode. It is a direct competitor in Li-S chemistries with overlapping defense, EV, and aerospace targets and was named alongside PolyPlus in Future Market Insights' Li-S solid-state competitive landscape.
- Amprius Technologies: Amprius manufactures silicon-anode lithium-ion batteries delivering substantially higher energy density than conventional graphite-anode Li-ion cells. It competes with PolyPlus in weight-sensitive applications (aerospace, drones, defense, EVs) and represents an incremental Li-ion alternative to PolyPlus's lithium-metal chemistries.
- Sion Power: Sion Power is a long-standing developer of rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries, with its own proprietary protected lithium electrode technology. It directly competes with PolyPlus in Li-S and protected Li-anode chemistries and is also pursuing aerospace, defense, and EV applications.
- Lithium Air Industries: Lithium Air Industries is named with PolyPlus as a key player in the lithium-air battery market by Fortune Business Insights. Its sole focus on Li-Air chemistries makes it a direct peer competing for the same automotive and stationary storage opportunities.
- Mullen Technologies: Mullen is identified alongside PolyPlus as a key player in the global lithium-air battery market by Fortune Business Insights. It is pursuing lithium-air chemistries for EVs and is therefore a direct peer in the Li-Air category specifically.
- SES AI (formerly SolidEnergy Systems): SES AI develops hybrid lithium-metal batteries and AI-enabled battery safety software for EVs. It overlaps with PolyPlus on lithium-metal-anode technology targeting automotive applications and shares the OEM-embedded commercialization model.
Broad incumbents
- CATL: CATL is the world's largest battery manufacturer and has publicly disclosed research into both solid-state and lithium-sulfur chemistries. It is a broad incumbent whose scale and automotive relationships pose a competitive threat if it commercializes competing chemistries at gigawatt scale.
- LG Energy Solution: LG Energy Solution is a global Tier-1 battery manufacturer with publicly disclosed solid-state and lithium-sulfur development programs. It is a broad incumbent that competes with PolyPlus at the OEM-customer level across automotive and energy storage applications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PolyPlus Battery Company social profiles
Digital presencePolyPlus Battery Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PolyPlus Battery Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
PolyPlus Battery Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PolyPlus Battery Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PolyPlus Battery Company
What does PolyPlus Battery Company do?
PolyPlus Battery Company develops and licenses proprietary advanced lithium battery chemistries based on its Protected Lithium Electrode (PLE) and glass-protected lithium metal technologies. The company manufactures and supplies ultra-high energy density battery products including glass-protected Li metal batteries, lithium-seawater batteries, lithium-air batteries, and lithium-sulfur batteries targeting weight-sensitive applications in defense, marine, automotive, drones, consumer electronics, and medical devices.
Is PolyPlus Battery Company a public or private company?
PolyPlus Battery Company is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was PolyPlus Battery Company founded?
PolyPlus Battery Company was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PolyPlus Battery Company based?
PolyPlus Battery Company is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does PolyPlus Battery Company make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Technology Licensing is the primary driver. The others are government Contracts and private Investment.
Who are PolyPlus Battery Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Solid Power, QuantumScape, Lyten, Amprius Technologies, Sion Power, Lithium Air Industries, Mullen Technologies and SES AI (formerly SolidEnergy Systems). Broad incumbents are CATL and LG Energy Solution.
Does PolyPlus Battery Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for PolyPlus Battery Company.
What industry is PolyPlus Battery Company in?
PolyPlus Battery Company's product category is Advanced Lithium Batteries. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAFABAH, Solid-State Battery Materials & Cell Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMAGAHAA, Battery Cells (Li-ion, LFP, Sodium-ion, Lead-acid, NiMH). Its NAICS code is 335910 and its SIC code is 3600.