ITEN reaches one million solid-state batteries
ITEN, a French company making solid-state energy storage solutions, has announced that it has manufactured its one-millionth solid-state battery and is expanding its Powency product family with a new 1,500 μAh Surface-Mount Device (SMD) battery.
The company says the two milestones highlight its ability to combine solid-state technology expertise with manufacturing at scale, while increasing the energy and power capabilities of its products. The new 1,500 μAh device delivers six times more energy than ITEN’s 250 μAh Powency device and provides higher peak current capability for applications requiring more power in a compact form factor.
“One million batteries manufactured is an important milestone for ITEN because it demonstrates the significant knowledge we have accumulated in solid-state technology, product development and volume manufacturing,” said Vincent Cobée, CEO of ITEN. “It gives us a strong industrial foundation as we continue to push energy storage towards greater integration, power and safety. The new 1,500 μAh Powency device shows how we are increasing the capabilities of our technology while maintaining a compact form factor.”
Manufacturing solid-state batteries in high volume remains a significant challenge for the industry. To ITEN’s knowledge, the company is currently the only one to have reached this level of production and maturity of solid-state batteries for electronic systems ready for shipment, providing a significant manufacturing advantage in the market.
In April 2024, ITEN inaugurated its Dardilly pilot plant following a €14m investment. Dedicated to the production of solid-state micro-batteries, the site has an installed capacity of more than 30 million devices per year and brings together all stages of manufacturing, from chemistry to battery testing.
ITEN’s technology combines proprietary nanomaterials into full-ceramic mesoporous electrodes and does not use a liquid electrolyte, eliminating the risks associated with conventional battery technologies.
The synthesis of nanomaterials enables low-temperature sintering processes that preserve material properties and increase the specific surface area of the electrodes by a factor of 100, supporting high power performance. Key elements of the technology are protected by a strong patent portfolio, while ITEN’s expertise across materials, cell design, processing, testing and manufacturing enables the company to manufacture its solid-state devices at scale.
The new 1,500 μAh Powency solid-state battery extends the existing product family with higher energy and higher peak current capability. With six times more energy than ITEN’s 250 μAh battery, the new product is designed for applications requiring longer operating or backup time and higher peak currents.
It is designed to support wireless technologies such as ultra-wideband (UWB), LoRa (Long Range) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The new device is already available for sampling and is being evaluated by selected customers, with volume production planned by the end of 2026. The main target applications are IoT and MedTech, where space is limited and systems need more energy available over a longer operating period.
Powency devices are designed to be integrated directly into electronic systems, like other electronic components, without the need for bulky battery holders or large energy-storage components. Their compact solid-state architecture is particularly suited to highly integrated designs where space is limited, and the battery needs to become part of the overall electronics architecture.
The additional stored energy is particularly valuable for energy-harvesting systems. When harvested energy is temporarily unavailable, the battery can provide the energy needed for the system to remain active, communicate and transmit sensor data rather than simply keeping it alive. The increased capacity can also extend operating time for low-power healthcare devices while reducing recharge cycles. For space-constrained systems, the 1,500 μAh SMD device provides the best alternative to bulkier energy- storage components such as supercapacitors.
The need for miniature energy storage is growing across applications where miniaturisation, bursts of energy and safety are required. ITEN’s Powency devices are being developed for applications including smart home and smart building sensors, asset tracking, connected healthcare devices, active tags using Near Field Communication (NFC) for smart labels and remote controls powered by energy harvesting.
In tracking applications, including wildlife tracking, ultra-low weight and compact size are important requirements. Powency devices can provide the energy needed to support wireless connectivity while offering fast and easy recharging and an environmentally friendly energy-storage solution.
Healthcare provides another example where the combination of miniaturisation, safety and power is particularly important. For instance, smart orthodontic devices require extremely compact energy storage with sufficient power to support Bluetooth connectivity and fast recharging, while diagnostic and biomarker monitoring devices placed on or in the body require ultra-miniaturised energy storage combined with safety and sufficient power.
The new 1,500 μAh device expands the possibilities for IoT systems requiring precise location services or long-range connectivity, while providing longer operating or backup time when external or harvested energy is unavailable.
