Swedish battery technology company Holivolt is making a bold move to accelerate development of next-generation batteries, combining cash, equity and milestone payments in a $73 million deal with US-based materials innovator Wildcat Discovery Technologies.
The acquisition brings together two complementary technologies that can significantly shorten the path from laboratory developments to commercial battery production. Wildcat’s proprietary high-throughput platform can synthesize and test thousands of battery material combinations simultaneously, identifying the best chemistry ten times faster than traditional research methods.
Combined with Holivolt’s innovative manufacturing process – based on screen printing and water-based material processing – the partnership aims to streamline the entire battery development pipeline from molecular discovery to pilot-scale production.
“Holyolt is focused on developing new processes to make batteries cleaner and more affordable, while Wildcat pursues the same goals through materials innovation,” said Holyolt founder and CEO Mathias Ingvarsson. “Together, we are creating what we believe is one of the most exciting technology platforms for the future of battery manufacturing.”
The Wildcat system generates terabyte-scale material datasets designed for machine learning and artificial intelligence, allowing researchers to rapidly optimize battery performance and cost. The joint platform could significantly accelerate the development of advanced batteries for industries including automotive, aerospace, energy storage, and consumer electronics.
The deal follows Holivolt’s recent €20 million funding round and marks a growing push to create competitive battery supply chains in Europe and North America independent of Asia.
Beyond improving speed and performance, the companies say the combination of technologies can reduce environmental impact and production costs. Holivolt’s water-based manufacturing process replaces traditional solvent-based battery slurry systems, while Wildcat’s materials research includes cobalt- and nickel-free chemicals that can reduce supply risks and costs.
Industry leaders see the merger as potentially transformative. Wildcat founder Professor Peter Schultz compared the approach to a revolution already seen in medicine.
“With Holivolt,” he said, “we can do for batteries what high-throughput and AI can do for drug discovery.”
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