UniGrid

About UniGrid

UniGrid is a San Diego-based company at the forefront of advanced sodium-ion battery technology, spun off from the University of California, San Diego in 2021. The company's foundation is the doctoral research of its co-founders, Dr. Darren H. S. Tan (CEO) and Dr. Erik A. Wu (CTO), who were advised by prominent figures in the battery field. Their academic work laid the groundwork for the company's mission to develop safer, more affordable, and sustainable energy storage solutions.

UniGrid manufactures advanced sodium-ion batteries for the stationary energy storage and electric mobility markets. The company targets residential, commercial, and utility-scale clients, as well as the light electric vehicle sector. Its business model revolves around producing and selling these next-generation batteries, which are designed to be a "drop-in" replacement for conventional lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, leveraging existing manufacturing infrastructure to scale production rapidly. This compatibility allows customers and system integrators to switch to UniGrid's technology without needing highly customized equipment.

The company's core product is a sodium-ion battery that entirely avoids the use of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper, relying instead on abundant and sustainable materials. This approach addresses the supply chain vulnerabilities and high costs associated with traditional Li-ion chemistries. A key technological differentiator is its proprietary alloy anode, which doubles the volumetric energy density of standard sodium-ion batteries, making it competitive with and even exceeding that of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. UniGrid's batteries feature exceptional safety, having passed UN 38.3 and UL 9540A cell-level certifications, and demonstrate remarkable durability with a lifespan of up to 10,000 cycles. They also operate across a wide temperature range, from -40°C to 60°C, and support high-power applications with fast charging and discharging capabilities. To accelerate its market entry, UniGrid secured a $12 million Series A funding round in June 2024 and a $2.9 million grant from the California Energy Commission to establish a pilot production facility in San Diego.