The start-up Qkera has developed new electrolyte components for solid state batteries. With high energy density, great stability and low production costs, the goal of the TUM spin-off is to achieve a breakthrough of this battery technology in electromobility and other areas. At the Falling Walls Science Summit, Qkera was selected as one of the 25 best science start-ups worldwide.
Battery performance is still regarded as the Achilles heel holding electromobility back from a decisive breakthrough. For many years the solid state battery has been seen as the potential game changer in that regard. Unlike conventional lithium ion batteries, these batteries use solid rather than liquid electrolytes. This promises greater energy density and, as a result, longer ranges and shorter charging times. But so far the technology has failed to make gains in the mass market.
The start-up Qkera wants to change that. The research team working at the e-conversion Cluster of Excellence has developed electrolyte components that will make it possible to produce batteries with energy densities that the team estimates to be 30 to 50 percent higher than that of conventional batteries. The components are also remarkably thin and stable. Equally important: The team has developed a manufacturing process that will facilitate low-cost production. The technology could be used not only in cars, but also in smartphones and laptops.
Qkera’s electrolytes consist of a lithium ion-conducting ceramic-oxide material. “In reality, it is practically the same material that a coffee cup is made of,” explains Jennifer Rupp, Professor of Solid State Electrolytes at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and a co-founder of Qkera. This has benefits for safety and sustainability. Ceramics are practically non-inflammable and the batteries can be made without the rare earths that are often mined in crisis regions. “For example, our technology makes it possible to make high-performance batteries with lithium iron phosphate cathodes that actually show lower output than cobalt-based alternatives – and the material can be mined in Europe,” explains Dr. Andreas Weis, co-founder and CTO of Qkera.
Qkera is receiving support in the TUM Venture Lab ChemSPACE. Each of the TUM Venture Labs specializes in an important technological field. They offer the start-up teams technical infrastructure geared to their specific needs, tailor-made training programs, expertise for the respective market and global networking with the industry. Qkera also received support with financing under the program Funding for Innovators, offered by UnternehmerTUM, the Center for Innovation and Business Creation at TUM.
The Falling Walls jury sees the team’s work as one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of the year. To mark the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, the Falling Walls Foundation hosts its annual Science Summit in Berlin around that date to promote public awareness of the walls being demolished in the world of science. It is regarded as one of the most important events for fostering discussions between the world of research and society at large and within the scientific community. Falling Walls selects the most important achievements in five research fields and in the Science Start-ups category. Qkera is one of just 25 companies selected from more 1100 sthan startups from around the world.
