The person famously known as the father of the “iPod” Tony Fadell recently invested in a battery startup. Advano, the battery startup says that it has found a way to make batteries hold more energy by using silicon scrap. Fadell is part of the startup’s $18.5 million first significant funding round.
Fadell is the “Principal” man of his investment firm Future Shape which he founded in 2014. The investment in Advano will be Fadell and Future Shape’s first investment in a startup that deals with batteries.
Most of the current generation Lithium-Ion batteries use graphite for the anode. Advano plans to bring silicon to the game as it is capable of holding higher amounts of lithium. However, the problem with silicon is that it swells and cracks. Advano is not the only company working on bringing silicon to the Lithium-Ion batteries but another startup named Sila Nanotechnologies Inc. is also working towards the same goal.
“Everyone wants at least some kind of silicon anode in the battery for better density, a better battery and lighter battery packs,” says Fadell. “Advano has fulfilled the promise”. Silicon can store ten times the energy of a graphite based Lithium-Ion battery which will in-turn reduce the size of the battery and also help reduce the cost.
Tony Fadell is also accredited for his work on the iPhone. He is known as the “co-inventor” of the iPhone, he worked on the first three generations of the iPhone. He subsequently left Apple and founded Nest Labs, a startup which has since been bought by Google.
“We see a future that’s greener, healthier, safer, in which every person enjoys a longer, richer life,” reads Fadell’s investment firm’s mission statement. “We invest in the engineer or scientist working on foundational technology to make that future a reality”.
