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Canaan Partners Leads Round to Establish SAFIRE™ Technology as New Benchmark for Battery Safety
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Safire Technology Group, Inc. (“Safire Group”), today announced $8 million in new financing led by Canaan Partners, with participation from Correlation Ventures, Higher Life Ventures, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Automotive Ventures, Outpost Ventures, Potomac Angel Capital, and MaC Venture Capital. This Pre-Series A priced round of financing brings total funding to $11 million and fuels continued development of the company’s Safe, Impact-Resistant Electrolyte (SAFIRE™) technology to transform the safety benchmarks of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries across government and automotive industries. Canaan’s Hrach Simonian will join co-founders John Lee and Mike Grubbs on the board of directors.
“We are grateful to have a highly regarded, deeply experienced, and values-aligned investor in Canaan, and we are eager to continue building Safire Group together,” said Mike Grubbs.
“Safire Group is revolutionizing Li-ion battery technology with a focus on safety. Their innovative solutions are addressing the critical issue of battery volatility and setting new standards in the industry,” said Hrach Simonian, General Partner of Canaan Partners. “Safety should be intrinsic to battery design, not an afterthought. Safire Group’s commitment to redefining how these batteries are used in mobility and government applications promises to unlock unprecedented opportunities on a global scale.”
SAFIRE is the world’s only patented and proprietary drop-in additive for Li-ion batteries that prevents fires through an instantaneous liquid to solid transformation upon kinetic impact, such as an electric vehicle (EV) crash or ballistic event. During an impact, Safire Group’s shear thickening electrolyte technology enables the battery to resist deformation and prevents a short circuit – providing EV makers with lightweight crash protection and enabling Li-ion batteries to be used in novel ways.
Invented after nearly a decade of research and development by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), SAFIRE is currently being deployed by the company in four distinct use cases across broad domains: a ruggedized electric motorcycle, a rapidly deployable sensor tower, an unmanned ground vehicle, and multifunctional body armor.
“There is significant demand across the government to integrate SAFIRE technology into novel, ruggedized applications. This financing allows us to expand our operations in the Knoxville, Tennessee area, continue collaboration with ORNL, and further demonstrate the benefits of SAFIRE in government and automotive markets,” said John Lee, CEO of Safire Group. “We are excited about our partnership with Canaan and the opportunities it brings for the next stages of growth in deploying safety solutions for energy systems. Our focus remains on protecting people and critical assets while driving innovation in safety.”
About SAFIRE
Safire Group is a venture-backed company developing advanced Li-ion battery technologies for government and automotive markets. The company’s core technology, SAFe Impact Resistant Electrolyte (SAFIRE™), is the world’s only patented and proprietary drop-in additive for Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that prevents fire through an instantaneous liquid-to-solid transformation upon kinetic impact, such as an electric vehicle (EV) crash or ballistic event. For more information, visit: www.safire.co.
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