ION Storage Systems offers a uniquely adaptable solid-state battery solution for a variety of applications, including defense and aerospace, consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and grid storage. The company’s patented, anodeless, solid-state technology features a 3D, ceramic, variable architecture built with rapidly scalable manufacturing in mind. ION’s approach supports current and next-generation nickel and cobalt-free cathode chemistries, and scalable and sustainable processing, avoiding the issues and challenges of mining and refining rare earth metals.
In August 2024, ION announced that it had achieved a consumer electronics battery cycle life requirement of 800 cycles in its solid-state battery cells—without compression or volume change—traditionally a major impediment to SSB adoption.
Funding: ION has acquired $74.2 million in total funding. The company’s investors include Saint-Gobain, Toyota Ventures, and Tenaska.
Location: Beltsville, Md. In 2024, ION commissioned one of the largest solid-state battery manufacturing facilities in the U.S., also in Beltsville.
The company is expected to begin manufacturing 1MWh of battery cells, growing to 10MWh, with a longer-term goal of 500MWh of capacity by 2028. The facility is expected to bring skilled manufacturing jobs to Maryland.
Founders: Eric Wachsman, Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, is co-founder and board executive chair at ION. Greg Hitz, company co-founder, CTO and board director, earned his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from UMD in 2016
Programs: Mtech Ventures, I-Corps
On UMD Support: “The resources on campus were incredible and really helped us get started,” said Hitz. “They enabled us to build our process without having to purchase equipment. Terrapin Works’ support was critical. A lot of our case prototyping was printed there.”
