Anthro Energy develops lithium-ion batteries and a scalable polymer-electrolyte technology designed to resolve the tradeoff between energy density and safety, enabling safer, more stable battery form factors. The company has deployed prototype cells to customers in sectors from consumer electronics to electric vehicles and has demonstrated market traction and technical validation. Anthro recently completed UN 38.3 certification for cells containing its proprietary polymer electrolyte, a third-party test that certifies safe transportation and advances commercialization. The company intends to use its new funding to build a Bay Area pilot production facility to commercialize and scale its technologies. Anthro was spun out of Stanford University, is led by CEO David Mackanic, and is supported by a range of government grants. Anthro Energy builds lithium-ion cells around a rubber-like, flexible polymer electrolyte that lets batteries bend without shorting. The core product is a highly ion-conductive, tough electrolyte that keeps electrodes separated during deformation and is less prone to catching fire than liquid electrolytes. The material originated in co-founder David Mackanic’s doctoral research at Stanford, and the company engineered it for manufacturability with existing battery equipment via minor formation-process tweaks. Anthro is initially targeting wearable electronics and medical-device makers, with early demos swapping rubber watch straps for batteries and partners lined up for validation. The startup is constructing a prototype production line to produce roughly 50–100 batteries per day and will use its seed funding to expand the team and scale prototyping. Management expects partner qualification within about a year and consumer-available devices six to 12 months after that, while viewing automotive applications as a potential larger-market opportunity down the line.

Total raised

$27M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Feb 2024