Sakuu will collaborate with SK On to drive EV battery manufacturing forward.
SAN JOSE, Calif.—Under a new joint development agreement (JDA), Sakuu® will collaborate with global electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer SK On to innovate the next generation of EV battery manufacturing. Central to the agreement is the industrialization of Sakuu’s dry process Kavian® printing platform, according to a release from Sakuu.
Sakuu, headquartered in Silicon Valley, is a provider of commercial-scale printing equipment and technologies to the battery industry. The company’s dry-process platforms are reported to enable rapid innovation while reducing waste and avoiding toxins.
The partnership between the two companies follows Sakuu’s announcement of early access to its dry process Kavian platform in December 2023.
SK On, reported to be the fifth largest battery manufacturer in the world, is among the first to partner with Sakuu in developing the Kavian platform. In the United States, SK On currently operates two EV battery plants in Commerce, Georgia, and is further expanding its presence in the southern region of the country by constructing additional EV battery plants through joint ventures with Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Group.
“We are pleased to announce this strategic partnership with Sakuu,” said SK On Chief Technology Officer Rhee Jang-weon, Ph.D., in the release. “We look forward to working closely with Sakuu to accelerate innovations in the manufacturing processes for EV battery electrodes.”
Sakuu’s breakthroughs in dry-process manufacturing and the printing of electrodes reportedly eliminate the use of solvents. They also enable the use of new processes in battery manufacturing that are expected to lead to cost-effective, higher performance batteries that are also environmentally-friendly.
“Together, SK On and Sakuu are ushering in a new era in battery manufacturing technology, advancing safety, sustainability, and innovation in battery technology,” said Robert Bagheri, founder and CEO of Sakuu, in the release. “With Sakuu’s pioneering technology and SK On’s best-in-class EV battery manufacturing expertise, we’re addressing the core issues facing battery makers today.”
According to Sakuu, the collaboration is expected to bring “a new transformative technology that aims to be the new gold standard for battery manufacturing.”