$45m for Iontra RISC-V charging microcontroller
Iontra in the US has raised $45m for its secure charging microcontroller using the RISC-V instruction set architecture.
The Series C round was led by Volta Energy Technologies and brings the total raised to $120.3m for a custom chip to implement its charging algorithms. Initial samples of the chip are expected by mid-2025 and release to production in 2026.
The chip will implements Colorado-based Iontra’s battery sensing and charging algorithm called Pathfinder that is predictive and responsive, proactively protecting the battery while charging. The algorithm also minimizes the most concerning failure modes of batteries – plating and dendrite formation – which cause safety issues and limit battery performance.
The technology is chemistry agnostic and shown to increase battery cycle life and charge speed up to and greater than 200 percent and support cold weather charging to -20°C without changing the design and chemistry of existing battery cells.
Customers already using the technology include power supply and charger maker Salom Europe and Spectralink, a pioneer in enterprise communication solutions.
“Iontra is in a unique position as the only charge control technology based on electrodynamic principles, which enables us to deliver maximum performance from Lithium batteries while enhancing safety,” said Daniel Konopka, co-founder of Iontra. “Thanks to our passionate and highly innovative team, we have a compelling roadmap of breakthroughs to further shape battery performance for product OEMs.”
Iontra’s MCU can be used across a wide range of consumer and industrial products, including power tools, smartphones, and wearables.
The technology has been tested with eight million cycling hours performed in-house, testing dozens of battery types and the stability of the system under various charge conditions for quality, reliability, and durability. Iontra’s technology has also been tested by four independent research labs, including National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Novonix, and University of Michigan.
“This Series C financing supports the significant market potential of our technology and positions us for aggressive growth, starting with customers launching Iontra-enabled products in a matter of months and samples of our purpose-built MCU becoming available for customers in 2025,” said said Jeff Granato, CEO of Iontra.
Iontra’s MCU also includes industry standard cyber security capabilities, and high-speed peripherals, allowing OEMs to unlock options for further system integration, reducing electronic Bill-of-Material (e-BOM) costs and carbon footprint.
“Iontra’s technology is a game-changer for the battery industry,” said David Schroeder, CTO at Volta Energy Technologies. ” While significant advancements have been made in battery technology, the charging process itself has often been neglected, especially for current battery products. Iontra’s innovative approach offers a groundbreaking solution that policymakers and manufacturers should consider to further optimize their existing battery performance. We are excited to continue supporting their mission to dramatically improve battery performance and sustainability for a wide range of markets.”
ARPA-E grant
Earlier this month Iontra was awarded a $2.15m grant from the US ARPA-E agency to validate the Pathfinder sensing technology to provide real-time information on cell state of health (SOH) in electric vehicles.
The funding is part of ARPA-E’s CIRCULAR program which aims to develop technologies to support a circular domestic supply chain for electric vehicle (EV) batteries through enhanced longevity, regeneration, repair, reuse, and remanufacture.
The three year project with Idaho National Laboratory and Freudenberg Power Systems will support pre-commercial development of Iontra’s state-sensing technology, including demonstration on EV packs.
“Iontra is excited to apply our groundbreaking technology to EV battery state sensing, having successfully launched Iontra charge control as our first application to vastly improve battery performance,” said Konopka at Iontra. “We are grateful to ARPA-e’s CIRCULAR program for selecting Iontra and our partners at Idaho National Laboratory and Freudenberg.”
Iontra is the main recipient of the Grant. Idaho National Laboratory will perform state-of-the-art prognostic model development and technology validation, while Freudenberg will provide high-quality cells and packs for testing and product development.
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