Dyson is investing $15million in University of Michigan spin off Sakti3. The partnership with Sakti3 – a developer of solid state battery technology – is part of Dyson's plans to introduce 100 new machines in four new portfolios of technology over the next four years.
James Dyson, pictured, said: "Sakti3 has achieved leaps in performance which current battery technology simply can't. It's these fundamental technologies – batteries, motors – that allow machines to work properly. The Sakti3 team has amazing ambitions, and their platform offers the potential for exponential performance gains that will supercharge the Dyson machines we know today."
Since 2006, Sakti3 has built and commissioned a pilot line to produce its technology, raising more than $50m from a range of sources. The company has developed prototype solid state battery cells with energy densities of more than 1100Whr/l – said to be twice the density of the most advanced liquid lithium ion batteries.
Ann Marie Sastry, Sakti3's CEO, said: "It was quite an honour for us to be approached by Dyson, precisely because it wanted what we did – much, much better batteries. There is a great deal of knowledge and passion on both sides and Dyson's engineering team has the capability and the track record to scale up new ideas and make them a commercial reality. Together, we will enable some very transformative products."
