Sunnyvale, CA-based electric vehicle battery startup Chemix this week unveiled MIX, its AI-powered design platform aimed at accelerating the discovery of the best battery materials, formulations, and recipes by leveraging large proprietary experimental datasets and cutting-edge algorithms. The company is using the platform to create a vertically integrated end-to-end battery development approach it claims is 5-10 times faster than traditional design methods.

“AI and EV batteries are two of the most transformative technologies for this decade and beyond,” said Kaixiang Lin, Co-founder and CEO of Chemix. “At Chemix, we have invested significant resources into building processes for acquiring higher-volume, quality, and diverse battery data, which is critical for practically applying AI to accelerate EV battery development. This data-first mindset has been the foundation for rapidly improving the accuracy, efficiency, and scalability of MIX and ultimately achieving our mission.”

The company has experimentally tested over 2000 unique battery material designs across more than 40 variations of commercially relevant battery formats, accumulating nearly three million test cycles. With MIX, the company says it not only brings higher-performance batteries to market faster but also allows its batteries to be more environmentally sustainable by enabling the minimization of scarce and problematic metals such as cobalt and nickel from its battery chemistries.

In addition to the MIX platform, the company unveiled its first generation of AI-designed batteries—Sapphire and Jade—ready for prototype shipment to customers. It expects to start full production of these batteries with its cell manufacturing partners later this year.

Sapphire by MIX is targeted at e-motorcycles and sportscars. The cylindrical format cell with 300 W·h/kg gravimetric energy density has an ultrahigh-capacity cathode and anode design and a minimized use of cobalt.

Jade by MIX is intended for two-wheelers and utility EVs. In a pouch-cell format with 190 W·h/kg gravimetric energy density, it features an ultralong cycle life and power capability, exceptional low-temperature performance, and uses no cobalt and nickel.

Co-founded in 2021 by advanced battery development and AI/ML experts Lin and CTO Jason Koeller from Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, Chemix’s mission is to build a chemistry- and format-agnostic battery company that can serve many use cases and vehicle segments across the broad EV market of e-motorcycles, sports cars, luxury vehicles, and commercial vehicles. The company has raised over $10 million in early-stage funding from Mayfield Fund, Radical Ventures, and Ibex Investors to build the first generation of its AI-powered lab and the MIX battery design platform and assemble a team—including Chief Commercial Officer Srinivas Nimmagadda and Chief Financial Officer (interim) Steve Baroni—to help achieve its mission.

“As an early-stage investor in Chemix, we have watched the company grow and achieve many milestones, from securing their first major customer to building their automated battery pilot facility to expanding their team of experts,” said Ursheet Parikh, Partner at Mayfield Fund. “It has been most exciting to watch the team leverage their MIX platform to unlock the commercialization potential across all battery chemistries versus traditional approaches, which go all-in on just one initial chemistry. We believe this AI-guided approach will allow Chemix to deliver the world’s most sustainable and efficient batteries on the market year after year.”

Chemix says it is partnering with multiple customers in the electric motorbike and premium EV segments. One of those, announced in April 2022, involves the development of batteries for UBCO’s long-range and high-speed off-road adventure electric motorbike. The first UBCO concept battery started development in mid-2022 and, in less than a year, the partners demonstrated a fully functioning vehicle powered by Chemix’s in-house-built pack.

New Zealand-based UBCO said it is working with Chemix to commercialize sustainable, ultra-safe, and high-energy cobalt-free lithium-ion battery technology. This first-to-market cylindrical cell will replace UBCO’s existing reliance on alternative nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) and nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA) chemistries.

Until now, cobalt has been a key ingredient in stabilizing high-energy battery chemistries. However, UBCO says that the rare-earth mineral is primarily mined adjacent to regional conflict areas and demand for it has resulted in eutrophication, increased GHG emissions, and unethical mining practices. Existing cobalt-free battery chemistries, such as those based on iron, do not have sufficient energy density for high-performance, long-range vehicles.

In partnership, UBCO and Chemix believe they have cracked the code to create the first, high-energy-density, cobalt-free cylindrical battery, adding to UBCO’s sustainable experience.

“We at UBCO believe there’s a lot that can be done in making sustainable transportation even more of a no-brainer, especially as it pertains to climate change,” said Colin Godby, Chief Product Officer for UBCO. “Our partnership with Chemix is a critical step for our company to apply advanced battery technology in a pragmatic way. We are delivering positive impact quickly and this partnership will help to provide a solution to three huge challenges in the industry—increased battery energy, longer range, and a cleaner supply chain. For UBCO, it’s really exciting to think that our customers’ riding and exploring can be done with an environmental footprint that’s smaller than ever before.”

The process to eliminate cobalt from existing battery chemistries, without compromising performance, is not straightforward. Historically, any type of battery innovation has been notorious for requiring long development cycles due to the sheer volume of possible experimental designs and the time-consuming nature of battery testing.

“We have developed a powerful AI process that automatically screens and suggests new materials for testing, which dramatically accelerates the process of developing new battery designs,” said Lin. “You can think of this as battery R&D on autopilot.”

Chemix’s AI-driven development approach provides UBCO increased control over the battery development process, enabling it to dictate the battery requirements needed to design the optimal vehicle instead of designing around what’s available from off-the-shelf battery solutions.

Research and development started with high-energy 18650 and 21700 format cells, with an initial focus on cylindrical cells for UBCO’s upcoming premium performance trail models. Plans call for the technology to be rapidly scaled to meet the large demand from UBCO’s foundational 2X2 and planned 4X4 models. The partners will also explore battery re-purposing as well as battery pack health management to leverage the full capability of Chemix’s data-centric approach.