Hyperdrive Innovation

About Hyperdrive Innovation

Hyperdrive Innovation was a UK-based technology company that designed and manufactured lithium-ion battery systems for a wide range of electric vehicles and energy storage applications. Founded in 2012 by Stephen Irish, Christopher Stanford Baylis, and Tony Irish, the company was established in Sunderland, England, to provide clean energy alternatives to fossil fuels. The firm specialized in developing modular battery packs, battery management systems (BMS), and electronic control units for vehicle powertrains. Its products were utilized by global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in sectors such as construction, off-highway vehicles, transport hubs, and stationary energy storage.

The company experienced significant growth, highlighted by a £40 million deal in 2018 with Taiwanese manufacturer Foxlink Group to produce and distribute its battery packs across Asia. By 2019, Hyperdrive Innovation had expanded its Sunderland base to become the largest independent battery manufacturing facility in the UK, with the capacity to produce 30,000 battery packs annually. This expansion was supported by multiple funding rounds, totaling over $13.5 million from investors including Rivers Capital Partners, The Santon Group, and Hamilton Capital Partners.

In June 2021, Hyperdrive Innovation was acquired by Turntide Technologies, a US-based developer of smart motor systems backed by investors like Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures and the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund. The acquisition was part of a larger £100 million investment by Turntide to establish Turntide Transport, a new division in Gateshead, England, focused on creating a comprehensive powertrain platform that includes battery packs, power electronics, and motors. Following the acquisition, the Hyperdrive brand has been integrated into Turntide's portfolio, with new product lines like the Turntide Lithium-ion NMC Battery Pack being introduced as successors to the original Hyperdrive battery line, offering improved energy density and performance for commercial and off-highway vehicles.