Boston-based SES AI Corporation, a developer of high-performance lithium-metal (Li-Metal) rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and other applications, has incorporated its subsidiary SES Korea and plans to build a pre-production facility in South Korea.

It’s all about speed and winning the race. Momentum is building as additional auto OEMs want to establish arrangements for the joint development of A-sample batteries with SES. Having SES Boston, Shanghai Giga, and now SES Korea gives us access to deep talent pools and the highly efficient ecosystems in South Korea and China, the two industry powerhouses, as well as unparalleled chemistry and software capabilities in the United States. We also believe that the cash raised by our recent business combination with Ivanhoe Capital Acquisition Corp. and our listing on the New York Stock Exchange will help us to accelerate these developments.

—Dr. Qichao Hu, Founder and CEO of SES

SES Korea will be SES’s second major operation outside of the United States, after SES Shanghai Giga. SES Korea expects to have approximately 50 employees by the end of 2022. South Korea is home to several of SES’s important strategic partners including Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai), SK Inc. (SK) and LG Corporation.

South Korea has a strong battery supply chain and a deep talent pool. SES Korea and SES Shanghai Giga will focus on different aspects of supply chain development and different A-sample joint development with auto OEMs.

SES has automotive A-sample joint development agreements (JDAs) with General Motors, Hyundai, and Honda Motors. SES is backed by strategic investors including GM, Hyundai, Honda, Geely Auto Group, SAIC Motor, SK, Koch, Applied Materials, Inc., Tianqi Lithium HK Co. Ltd., Vertex Ventures Holdings, Temasek Holdings Limited, affiliates of LG and Foxconn Technology Group and several others.

Founded in 2012, SES—formerly known as SolidEnergy Systems—is an integrated Li-Metal battery manufacturer with strong capabilities in material, cell, module, AI-powered safety algorithms and recycling.