Sila Nanotechnologies, developer of higher energy density battery materials, announced a partnership with the BMW Group. Sila Nano’s first products are a family of silicon-dominant anode materials that replace conventional graphite electrodes. These materials work today and enable high cycle life, ultra-low swelling, and high energy density in next-generation battery cells.

Sila Nano says that its materials drop into the existing battery manufacturing process, and can be manufactured economically at scale.

To accelerate development, the BMW Group has been working with Sila Nano to develop the silicon anode material for the automotive market.

At Sila we deliver the next generation of battery materials, which enable improved energy storage, require no change to battery manufacturing, and scale economically with mass production. These innovations will introduce a new performance standard for electric vehicles in the early 2020s.

—Gene Berdichevsky, CEO of Sila Nano

Founded in 2011 by leading Silicon Valley battery engineers and a Georgia Tech Professor of Materials Science, Sila Nano is headquartered in Alameda, California. The company’s lead investors are Bessemer Venture Partners, Matrix Partners and Sutter Hill Ventures.