Top 10 Silicon-Based Anode Battery Companies in the United States

1.Coreshell

Coreshell CTO Roger Basu explained the importance of silicon anodes from a cost perspective: the average price of an electric vehicle in the United States has exceeded $40,000, while the mainstream purchase price is between $25,000 and $30,000. He said that electrifying transportation through pure electric vehicles is the fastest path to achieving the most significant emissions reductions, but cost is a barrier, and batteries are the primary factor.

Coreshell aims to reduce costs by using metallurgical-grade silicon, which Basu says is half the cost of graphite and has 10 times the specific capacity.

To illustrate his position, Basu offered a hypothetical scenario: electrifying 10% of US vehicles annually—a goal he considered ambitious. Based on 70 kWh per vehicle, these electric vehicles would require over 2 TWh of battery production capacity annually. If graphite were to provide the incremental capacity, “US domestic production would need to expand tenfold to meet demand,” he added. Most of this would need to be synthetic graphite (with a 2–3x increase in cost) because natural graphite is scarce in North America. He calculated that using lithium metal as a negative electrode would require a 200-fold increase in lithium metal production. “In our view, for lithium metal batteries to reach the mass market, the only way is to have no excess lithium in the anode,” he said.

By comparison, he said silicon is the only anode material whose domestic production in the United States exceeds demand; using SiO or silane would require a 200-fold increase in production. Therefore, Coreshell uses metallurgical-grade silicon, which Basu said is micro-purified from 98% to approximately 99.9% by its partner Ferroglobe, “at a very low cost—about $1 per kilogram.”

At the heart of Coreshell’s technology is a proprietary coating applied to metallurgical silicon ground down to just the micron level, with Basu stressing that further nanoscaling would be cost-prohibitive.

Coreshell’s current target formulation is 80% silicon and 10% graphite, with plans to completely eliminate graphite by the end of this decade. They primarily pair their cells with LFP cathodes, due to their lowest cost per kWh and superior supply chain security compared to NMC. Roland Berger’s cost analysis shows that these metallurgical silicon cells are 17% cheaper than graphite-LFP prismatic power batteries and 25% cheaper than graphite-NMC 4680.

Coreshell plans to ship samples of its 60 Ah silicon-LFP battery cells this year, boasting an energy density of approximately 250 Wh/kg—the highest LFP cell in the world to Basu’s knowledge. He presented data for a 5 Ah soft-pack: 92.4% capacity retention after 470 cycles (symmetrical C/2 charge/discharge, <20 psi compressible foam).

2.GDI

GDI also uses pure silicon in its negative electrode. Its technology involves continuously depositing a porous amorphous silicon layer approximately 15 microns thick on a high-tensile-strength copper foil using PECVD. CEO Robert Anstey stated that this layer can achieve a capacity of 7 mAh/cm², a level unattainable with 35 microns of metallic lithium or 100 microns of graphite. The deposition technology was developed by Asahi Glass, which coats architectural glass on a skyscraper scale. Anstey’s report indicates that the company holds patent protection for this porous lithium storage layer, which is composed of at least 40% amorphous silicon.

Anstey explained that this method works because during the formation process, silicon expands, creating a “city of its own,” forming pore “roads”; when it contracts, it “leaves itself room to breathe.” He stated that the anode supports 10 C charge and discharge, and the full cell energy density exceeds 300 Wh/kg and 900 Wh/L, as confirmed by a third-party laboratory without applied pressure.

Initial applications include medical devices and drones, which typically don’t allow for deep discharge. Consequently, the battery can cycle approximately 500 times before reaching 80% capacity. Anstey also demonstrated a 5.5 Ah, >270 Wh/kg cell cycling 300 times at a 4 C charge/3 C discharge cycle, corresponding to a 500-mile range. “This demonstrates that high energy and extremely fast charging can be achieved in the same cell,” Anstey said.

GDI leased AGC’s facility and installed equipment, with plans to expand to 25–100 MWh in 2027 and 1 GWh in 2028–2029. Anstey stated that this technology could reduce the cost of anode materials to less than $15/kWh at the GWh scale, and cited REC Silicon as stating that it had sufficient excess silane to produce over 50 GWh of anode materials.

3.LeydenJar

LeydenJar, headquartered in the Netherlands, specializes in pure silicon anodes, primarily targeting consumer electronics—mobile phones, laptops, and wearables. They envision these devices demanding greater power due to increased AI computing power. Their flagship product is a porous silicon foil anode that absorbs lithium like a sponge, preventing expansion. Senior Business Development Officer Tim Aanhane stated that in a 5 Ah soft pack, their solution achieves a volumetric energy density 50% higher than the current market standard, reaching 900 Wh/L. Further improvements could reach 1250 Wh/L, with 80% capacity retention after 500 cycles, without the need for external pressure.

Like GDI, LeydenJar uses PECVD to deposit silicon particles directly onto copper foil, but they develop their own equipment. “We leave pores within and between the silicon pillars to allow for silicon expansion,” Aanhane explains.

The entire process is dry, “without coating, rolling, heating, or drying.” They currently have a 1 MWh pilot line and plan to expand to 1 GWh by 2029. While currently focused on consumer electronics, Aanhane stated that automotive applications will be considered after reaching the GWh level.

4.Paraclete

Paul Jones, Paraclete’s Vice President of Corporate Strategy, introduced the company’s latest SILO anode technology. He boldly declared that it would truly disrupt the market—doubling battery range, offering ultra-fast charging, and lowering costs. “This product will finally deliver on the promise of silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries and reignite consumer enthusiasm for electric vehicles,” Jones said.

Paraclete starts with a variety of silicon sources, including metallurgical grade. Jones explains that they grind the silicon to a median particle size of approximately 150 nm and then coat it with a double-layer polymer matrix. The first layer is very flexible but inelastic; the second layer is flexible, porous, and highly elastic, with the SEI forming on the outermost layer. Jones explains that during charging, the silicon nanoparticles expand by 300–400%, as expected, but the polymer layer effectively absorbs this expansion, minimally impacting the SEI. This design enables a silicon content of 80% and an energy density “240% that of graphite and more than 50% higher than the nearest competing silicon anode.” A schematic diagram indicates an energy density of 520 Wh/kg, but no corresponding cycling data is presented. CEO Jeff Norris demonstrated 80% retention after 1,000 cycles at the 2023 Florida Battery Conference. A previous version of the anode was also used in research at Argonne National Laboratory, demonstrating improved capacity retention under 8C fast charging.

Jones claims that LFP batteries based on SILO negative electrodes cost $35/kWh, far lower than the $53/kWh of graphite-LFP, have a 2.5-fold increase in battery life, and can be charged to 80% in 7.5 minutes.

5.Blue Current

Blue Current specializes in solid-state batteries, aiming to minimize or eliminate the need for pressure relief. Priyanka Bhattacharya, senior manager of battery research and development, explained that they use a proprietary, “all-dry” elastic composite electrolyte in their anodes and transitioned fully to silicon anodes in 2018. These materials “allow for extremely high silicon content in silicon anodes, typically 10 times that of conventional liquid lithium batteries,” she explained.

They paired this anode with a composite polymer-sulfide inorganic electrolyte separator and an NMC622 (and higher nickel) cathode, supplemented by a fully dry composite electrolyte.

Bhattacharya presented data for a small soft pack: 80% capacity retention is expected after 1500 cycles (at C/5 charge/discharge, 2.5 MPa pressure); 93% of the C/5 capacity can be retained at 2 C charge/discharge. She stated that 80% retention is expected to be achieved for 1000 cycles at pressures <1 MPa, and model analysis indicates that this pressure is acceptable in electric vehicle modules as long as the energy density is >650 Wh/L. The chart shows that the current energy density of a 10 Ah soft pack is approximately 950 Wh/L, and they plan to further exceed 1000 Wh/L by thinning the separator.

6.Amprius

Amprius CTO Ionel Stefan explained that they have two product lines: SiMaxx (pure silicon nanowire anode) and SiCore (SiO). SiMaxx offers the highest energy density, with the commercial version reaching 1100 Wh/L or 450 Wh/kg, and the development version reaching 1300 Wh/L and 500 Wh/kg. However, its cycle life is limited to approximately 150 cycles, and requires PV industry equipment modification to integrate with other battery systems.

Stefan explained that truly bringing new technologies to market requires low cost, high production capacity, and compatibility with existing equipment. Each step from the laboratory to GWh scale takes several years. “That’s why solid-state batteries are always ‘a decade away,’ and they may still be,” he quipped.

Therefore, the SiCore solution offers several advantages. Stefan explained that the nanostructured SiO2 material is “protected and stabilized, allowing it to be incorporated directly into the graphite mixture,” eliminating the need for new equipment and allowing it to be integrated into existing Gigafactories. Compared to SiMaxx, SiCore offers slightly lower energy density—the commercial version has a maximum of 400 Wh/kg or 875 Wh/L—but offers improved cycle life. Stefan demonstrated over 1,000 cycles at 90% DOD.

SiCore has also expanded into 18650 and 21700 cylindrical cells, which Stefan cited as seeing strong demand in the micromobility sector. SiCore supports higher power rates; prototypes have demonstrated “10 C continuous discharge, 15 C with cooling,” as well as higher pulse power, with cycles down to 200–300, making it suitable for drones.

They have also developed a 70+ Ah ​​SiCore prototype soft pack for electric vehicles, primarily targeting supercars and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) applications. The full range of approximately 20 designs, tailored to varying power, energy, and balance requirements, is particularly suited for drones, pseudo-satellites, and eVTOLs.

7.Nanograf

Nanograf utilizes a proprietary lithium-doped metal-doped silicon oxide (SiO) anode. Vice President of Commercial Affairs Tim Porcelli highlighted the m38 3.8 Ah 18650 battery cell, which features optimized low-temperature performance, complies with US national security directives, and is now commercially available.

“Currently, we are the only company in the US producing battery-grade silicon oxide at scale,” Porcelli said. He mentioned a $60 million grant from the Department of Energy to build a $175 million plant in Flint, Michigan, with an annual production capacity of 2,500 tons of silicon anodes. Production is scheduled to begin in Q4 2027, ultimately expanding to 11.5 GWh of raw material supply.

This project, driven by military needs, provides a higher-energy, longer-lasting 18650 battery cell that is “23% lighter and offers eight hours more battery life than current tactical radio backpacks.” The cell boasts a volumetric energy density of 790 Wh/L. Porcelli emphasized its low-temperature performance: at -30°C, it retains 71% of its capacity, compared to just 25% for competing products.

Their latest anode material, codenamed Onyx, is made from metallurgical silicon through a process of sublimation, lithium doping, surface coating, and spray drying to produce a battery-grade material. Porcelli compared it to Si-C, which requires multiple steps to prepare silane followed by high-temperature CVD. Onyx can be directly integrated into existing Gigafactories and, upon scale-up, will have a “relative price per kWh comparable to graphite.”

This material boasts an initial efficiency of 92%, and its use in electric vehicles could increase range by approximately 30%.

8.Sionic

Sionic applies a conductive protective layer to Group14’s silicon-carbon composite material and formulates advanced electrolytes, binders, and additives. CTO Karthik Ramaswami stated, “We only license, not build GWh factories.”

They are compatible with any cathode and Si-C material and require no pressure. Compared to polyacrylic acid-based electrolytes, Sionic’s electrolyte increases cycle life by 2–3 times (approximately 1,200 cycles), increases energy density by 12%, and improves 6C fast charging capability by 33%. Ramaswami demonstrated a 10 Ah soft pack: 10% expansion upon formation and <2% expansion upon subsequent cycles. The Gen3 design achieves 1,000 Wh/L and 370 Wh/kg, and the 10 and 20 Ah soft packs can be charged to 80–90% in 10–15 minutes.

9.Enovix

Jerry Hallmark, Vice President of Customer Application Engineering at Enovix, noted that AI-driven consumer electronics urgently require higher energy. Enovix’s technology uses laser patterning to construct 3D Si-C/SiO electrodes, horizontally stacking 50–200 layers of positive and negative electrodes, and encapsulating them with stainless steel top and bottom restraints. The EX-2M mobile phone battery boasts a 30% increase in energy density compared to traditional graphite batteries, a 1,000-cycle life, and fast charging support. Applications in AR glasses can achieve a 57% increase. Samples are now available.

10.Anthro Energy

Finally, Anthro Energy CEO David Mackanic demonstrated a liquid electrolyte that polymerizes in situ during formation, “combining many of the advantages of traditional solid-state batteries.” This electrolyte is compatible with any positive and negative electrodes, with a silicon anode being a particular example. A comparison of a 2.5 Ah NMC811||Gr+SiC (silicon-dominant, 1000 mAh/g electrode-level) soft pack revealed that the capacity of the conventional electrolyte dropped to 80% after 400 cycles, while the Anthro electrolyte maintained 93% of its capacity after 400 cycles under pressureless conditions, with approximately 50% less overall expansion.

Mackanic explained that the electrolyte bonds the layers together and forms an elastic network around the silicon particles. It is also non-flammable and flexible, enhancing safety and enabling applications with specialized shapes.