Swedish battery technology company Holyvolt has acquired US-based Wildcat Discovery Technologies, bringing together process development and materials discovery capabilities aimed at accelerating the commercialisation of next-generation battery technologies.
The combined organisation will integrate Holyvolt’s screen-printing and water-based battery manufacturing processes with Wildcat’s high-throughput materials discovery platform. Wildcat’s proprietary High Throughput Platform (HTP) uses combinatorial experimentation to rapidly generate large datasets for battery materials development, which can then be analysed using data-driven approaches.
According to the companies, the combination is intended to bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial-scale battery production by linking materials discovery, process development and pilot-scale manufacturing.
The acquisition follows a €20 million funding round announced by Holyvolt earlier this year. The company said the combined capabilities will be offered to partners across the battery value chain, including automotive, consumer electronics, aerospace, energy storage and defence sectors.
Wildcat Discovery Technologies has spent more than two decades developing materials discovery and screening technologies designed to accelerate battery chemistry development. By combining this expertise with Holyvolt’s manufacturing process technology, the companies aim to shorten development cycles for new battery materials and cell designs.
The enlarged organisation plans to work with battery manufacturers, materials suppliers and technology developers as a research and development partner, offering technology development and commercialisation support through a range of collaboration models, including licensing.
Holyvolt to address key challenges
Holyvolt said the acquisition forms part of its strategy to address key challenges facing the battery sector, including production costs, sustainability and supply chain resilience in Europe and North America.
Mathias Ingvarsson, founder & CEO, Holyvolt, said: “The acquisition of Wildcat is a perfect complement to our intended strategy of developing new technologies for the battery industry. Holyvolt is focused on developing new processes to make batteries cleaner and more affordable, and Wildcat has been pursuing the same goals via materials development and better chemistry. Combined, we are building what we believe is the most compelling technology to deliver on these objectives.”
Magnus Tyreman, chairman of Holyvolt and former head of McKinsey Europe, said: “The West must accelerate the development of next-generation battery technologies to secure long-term energy independence. The acquisition of Wildcat strengthens our ability to advance that mission.”
Mark Gresser, president and CEO, Wildcat Discovery Technologies, said: “The Wildcat team is thrilled with this acquisition by Holyvolt. Mathias and team are very thoughtful with regard to their objectives in the battery industry, and recognise the value that Wildcat’s High Throughput Platform can deliver to our combined company and the industry at large. With Holyvolt’s vision and financial backing, Wildcat can finally unlock the true potential of high throughput combinatorial chemistry for battery materials.”
Prof. Peter Schultz, founder, Wildcat Discover Technologies, noted pioneer of High Throughput, & CEO of Scripps Research – with six accociated Nobel prizes – said: “With Holyvolt, we can do for batteries what high throughput and AI have done for drug discovery.”
Photo by Anna Sullivan on Unsplash
