AGILE: Groundbreaking lithium-free aluminium batteries composed of recycled aluminium & graphene

Cerebral Energy (cerebral.eco) has announced that it has been awarded a Phase II STTR follow-on contract from AFWERX, valued at $1.6 million. This funding will advance the development of AGILE, a groundbreaking lithium-free secondary battery utilising recycled aluminium and graphene from US waste streams.

Developed by Dr. Lynden Archer, Dean of the School of Engineering at Cornell University, and licensed by Cerebral, AGILE offers over three times the efficiency of lithium batteries, eliminates fire risk, charges ten times faster, and avoids supply chain challenges due to its use of domestically sourced recycled materials. The initial deployment will focus on supporting AFSOC medical modernisation teams to address critical tactical power needs.

"On behalf of Cornell University, we are excited to be supporting the Cerebral team and the US Air Force in this critical R&D project," added Dr. Lynden Archer, Cornell University.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and AFWERX have teamed up to enhance the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Their collaboration aims to streamline the process by accelerating proposal-to-award timelines, broadening the pool of potential applicants, and reducing bureaucratic overhead. By continually implementing process improvements, they are making it easier and faster for small businesses to engage with and benefit from these programs.

"We're honored that the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Medical Modernization group supported our Phase II application as the customer for next generation AGILE batteries. We're also thrilled to be working with Cornell University and Dr. Archer's world-class team of scientists on the project," said Cerebral Co-Founder and CEO Eric Bentsen.