UNIGRID is a University of California, San Diego spin‑off founded in 2021 that develops advanced sodium‑ion battery cells. Its sodium‑ion chemistry uses abundant materials and contains no lithium, nickel, cobalt, or copper, targeting lower cost and reduced supply‑chain risk. The company says its cells achieve energy densities that exceed lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and offer superior safety and wide‑temperature operation. UNIGRID is currently ramping up production to meet immediate customer demand and accelerate commercialization. The startup targets applications across stationary energy storage and e‑mobility. Recent financing from LG Technology Ventures is intended to help speed commercialization and expand industry partnerships to deploy its technology. Unigrid builds sodium-ion battery cells using a sodium-chromium-oxide chemistry on one electrode and tin on the other, engineered to match lithium-iron-phosphate power output while using widely available materials. The company emphasizes safety, saying its cells won’t go into thermal runaway until internal temperatures reach several hundred degrees Celsius. Unigrid’s chemistry is compatible with existing battery manufacturing equipment, allowing the company to partner with smaller contract manufacturers rather than build its own factories. Its initial target markets are energy storage for buildings and small campuses and batteries for light EVs (scooters, motorcycles, tuk-tuks), especially in hot climates like India and Southeast Asia. The team originated from UC San Diego research led by Darren Tan, who is co-founder and CEO. Unigrid aims to get cells to market within the next five years and has secured outside funding to support that effort.

Total raised

$12M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Jun 2024