Denver’s Iontra Raises $38 Million Series B to Commercialise Battery Charging Platform

Denver-based battery performance and safety technology company, Iontra, has announced the closing of its $38 million Series B financing-led by Volta Energy Technologies, with participation from Flag Group and other investors.

Iontra said that it has been in stealth mode for nearly a decade and has partnered with various OEMs to commercialize its technology that will replace CC/CV charging and reduce the development time of new batteries and battery-powered products.

Daniel Konopka, Chief Science Officer, said, “We have found a fundamental way to materially reduce degradation in lithium batteries when charging or discharging. This opens the door for dramatically better performance from existing battery cells representing a range of chemistries, materials, designs, and manufacturing processes.”

Konopka also opined, “Our technology results in more than two-fold improvements to safe charging speeds and cycle life, improved capacity utilization, and safe cold-temperature charging. This provides valuable opportunities to reduce costs while improving the basic capabilities and lifetime of batteries.”

Iontra expects to have its battery technology in commercial products by 2024. Jeff Granato, CEO, Iontra, informed, “After nearly 10 years of hard work from our team of scientists, engineers, and technicians; two million hours of battery cycling; and multiple 3rd-party validation reports, Iontra’s technology is ready for use in commercial battery design, deployment, and operation.”

Iontra said that it will initially commercialize its product for use in power tools, smartphones, and drones, and then in large scale battery systems in EVs, DC fast chargers, grid storage etc.

Dave Schroeder, CTO at Volta, stated, “As Volta continues to manage and grow our portfolio and our industry relationships, we expect many opportunities to leverage Iontra’s technology, accelerating its commercialization and the improvement of battery products across a wide range of products and use cases.”

Volta Energy Technologies identifies and invests in battery and related energy technologies.

Zander Arkin, Chief Investment Officer at Volta, added, “Iontra’s technology adds advanced software and power controls to our portfolio, providing us new and valuable opportunities to support product development and commercialization partnerships between Iontra and other industry participants both within the Volta portfolio and the broader industry in which we work.”

In May, The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade granted $250,000 to Iontra to ‘drive innovation and accelerate commercialization’ of its technology.