SAN DIEGO, June 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Amionx, a leader in
safe battery technology, and Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM),
a leading technology invention company, today announced Qualcomm's
strategic investment in Amionx. As part of its investment, Qualcomm
President Derek Aberle will join the
board of directors of Amionx.
Amionx has pioneered and patented a transformative technology
called Safe Core™ that acts like a circuit-breaker to
prevent lithium-ion batteries from being the source of a fire or
explosion. Lithium-ion is one of the most successful battery
chemistries ever introduced with billions of cells being produced
every year, with estimated annual revenue at well over $35 billion. Additionally, rapid growth is
forecasted in coming years as lithium-ion batteries become even
more pervasive in many applications, including consumer
electronics, electric vehicles and energy storage. However,
as volumes grow and companies push the boundaries of lithium-ion
battery technology, there have been an increasing number of battery
fires and explosions which, in some cases, have resulted in
billions of dollars of damages. While manufacturers use
various techniques to improve safety, these existing techniques
often reduce performance and/or increase cost and do not guarantee
safety from overcharge, internal short or certain high temperature
environments. Amionx Safe Core can prevent batteries from becoming
the source of costly damages resulting from these issues.
Amionx Safe Core is focused on safety from the core of the
battery outward and works even when other safety measures fail or
are not activated. Safe Core is applicable to other
chemistries, as well as solid state. The implementation of Safe
Core into existing battery manufacturing factories requires no
additional capital cost and adds at most minimal cost to the bill
of materials for the battery. Amionx is in the process of licensing
its patented Safe Core technology for use in lithium-ion batteries
globally.
Amionx is a spinout from American Lithium Energy (ALE). ALE was
originally founded in 2006 by Dr. Jiang Fan and
Dr. Robert Spotnitz who are both widely recognized as
foremost experts in battery technology. ALE has been designing,
manufacturing and supplying batteries to the Department of Defense
for more than ten years. ALE's batteries are designed for use in
the most demanding military and commercial applications where
energy, power and safety are critical.
"As the use of lithium-ion batteries continues to be more
pervasive, we will undoubtedly see more incidents of battery fires
and explosions; something which Safe Core can prevent," said
Jenna King, chief executive officer,
Amionx. "We are delighted by the commitment Qualcomm is
demonstrating through its strategic investment in Amionx and we
welcome Derek to the board. Given the success and experience
Qualcomm has as a technology pioneer and licensor, we look forward
to leveraging their expertise as we share this transformative
safety technology with the industry through our licensing program."
"As an industry leading wireless systems invention company,
Qualcomm has the foresight in recognizing and developing
breakthrough technologies that will fundamentally transform
people's lives," said Derek Aberle,
president, Qualcomm Incorporated. "We are excited about the
potential for Amionx Safe Core to deliver significant value to
suppliers and consumers of lithium-ion batteries across multiple
industries. The fact that Safe Core can be implemented easily into
the existing battery manufacturing process and at such low cost
will help drive widespread and rapid adoption. Additionally, we
believe Safe Core can open new product opportunities for
lithium-ion batteries where safety concerns have limited their use
to date."
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm's technologies powered the
smartphone revolution and connected billions of people. We
pioneered 3G and 4G – and now we are leading the way to 5G and a
new era of intelligent, connected devices. Our products are
revolutionizing industries, including automotive, computing, IoT,
healthcare and data center, and are allowing millions of devices to
connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm
Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast
majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a
subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its
subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development
functions, and all of our products and services businesses,
including, our QCT semiconductor business. For more information,
visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.
About Amionx, Inc.
Amionx is a leader in safe battery
technology with headquarters in Carlsbad, CA. Our
patented and proprietary Safe Core™ technology prevents
batteries from being the source of explosion or fire without
sacrificing the performance of the battery. This technology is
transforming the current use of lithium-ion batteries and opening
new market opportunities where lithium batteries have been excluded
primarily due to safety concerns. More information can be found on
the Amionx website at www.amionx.com.
Qualcomm is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered
in the United States and other
countries.
Qualcomm Contacts:
Pete Lancia, Corporate
Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com
John Sinnott, Investor
Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com
Amionx Contact:
Bill Davidson, Advisor
Phone: 1-888-473-8500
Email: info@amionx.com
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SOURCE Qualcomm Incorporated