As energy demands continue to rise nationwide, the state of Washington is aiming to support technologies that provide consumers and industry with affordable technology options and help energy startups in the Pacific Northwest better compete across the market, while building robust domestic supply-chains.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been working to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies, including energy storage materials and systems, that spur regional economic growth and low-cost, reliable, and secure energy.

PNNL developed both a potentially low-cost, industrially compatible process to form micro-sized porous silicon as well as new battery electrolyte materials that extend the amount of energy that can be stored in cutting-edge batteries and the cycling and storage lifetimes of those batteries.

The silicon anodes can boost battery capacity by 50% and cut weight by 40% while potentially overcoming the hurdle of production costs.

Meanwhile, Seattle-based Ecellix was designing and developing a similar battery technology, including new materials that could drastically increase storage capacity in next-generation lithium ion batteries. The battery startup, a veteran-owned US company, saw the strong performance of PNNL’s silicon anode material and approached the lab about a partnership, initiating discussions under a non-disclosure agreement in March 2023.

By May 2023, PNNL and Ecellix – whose collaboration was initially supported by Washington State University – had an agreement in place for an exclusive license and a non-commercial, research-use license. Finally, in March 2024, the partners signed a commercial exclusive license agreement.

The goal of the partnership was to commercialize the new silicon-anode battery technology, which could ultimately support growing demand from regional data centers or enable new power-hungry electronic devices. By creating a longer-lasting, lighter, and cheaper battery technology, PNNL and Ecellix are doing their parts to advance regional priorities related to this essential market in the Pacific Northwest at a crucial time.

On an economic note, by 2031, about 40% of global lithium-ion battery revenues are expected to come from cells containing silicon anodes, like the technology pioneered by PNNL. Revenues for silicon anode materials are projected at $36 billion by that same year, with an expected 67% market growth annually. So, capturing just 1% of that market would equate to $360 million in revenues each year.

Additionally, Ecellix will build a new plant that is contributing to the re-emergence of U.S.-based battery manufacturing after years of offshoring. This technology transfer partnership has hit all the right notes: an improved product for a market looking for alternative options, a super-charged regional economy, and a net benefit to American taxpayers who invest in this kind of technology.

This technology received the 2025 Regional Technology Transfer Award for the Far West Region. Learn more here and discover more awardees in our Awards Gallery.