International Battery’s Water Based Lithium-Ion Batteries Get a $35 Million Boost

International Battery of Allentown, PA has secured another $35 million in funding for its water based lithium ion batteries

Fresh on the heels of recent contracts with the U.S. Army and NASA for large format lithium-ion batteries, green startup International Battery has announced another $35 million in financing for its manufacturing, development and marketing operations. The move marks another step forward for more green jobs in IB’s home base of Allentown, Pennsylvania — one of the symbolic centers of the rust belt.

Last year IB made the decision to focus on large format Li-ion batteries for smart grid and other up-scaled storage needs, at least in the near term. Basically the company has decided to wait for the electric car market to rev up before committing to the small format Li-ion batteries used in civilian vehicles. That could be sooner rather than later. With its cost-shaving, water-based manufacturing process, IB seems poised for the inevitable shakeout that will occur once those juicers start flooding into showrooms.
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