Ion Storage Systems
Columbia, US · 7 known investors
ION Storage Systems develops solid-state battery technology, including its Cornerstone cell, and ships samples to consumer electronics manufacturers. It is a U.S.-based company in the energy storage and battery materials sector.
Also known as ION · Ion Storage Systems · ION Storage Systems, Inc.
Founders & leadership
Investors · 7
Also in the syndicate · 3
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements- Undisclosed amountSeries AFeb 2022
Alsop Louie Partners (lead), Clear Creek Investments (lead), VoLo Earth Ventures (lead)
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026ION Storage Systems, Inc. (ION) is a U.S. solid-state battery developer and manufacturer headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with production operations in Beltsville, Maryland. The company's patented 3D ceramic battery architecture replaces the flammable liquid electrolyte used in conventional lithium-ion cells with a nonflammable ceramic solid-state separator, and uses a lithium-metal, anodeless design rather than graphite anodes. The company states the resulting cells require no external compression or cooling, do not swell or change volume during cycling, and avoid thermal runaway, which it positions as simplifying pack design and product integration.
ION markets its platform across consumer electronics, electric vehicles, aerospace and defense, and grid and stationary storage. Its commercial product line is branded Cornerstone; the company announced in August 2025 that it had begun shipping Cornerstone samples to consumer electronics manufacturers and in March 2026 that a customer had qualified Cornerstone cell performance. Reported technical benchmarks include more than 1,000 cycles at a commercially relevant footprint, more than 2,000 cycles at R&D footprint, and a demonstrated eight-minute fast charge at 60°C, along with achievement of ARPA-E and DOE Vehicle Technologies Office fast-charge goals.
The company was founded by specialists spanning materials science, manufacturing, defense and energy, with roots at the University of Maryland; co-founder Eric Wachsman serves as Executive Chair and Greg Hitz has been identified as founder and CTO. Jorge Diaz Schneider is CEO, and Ravi Abbineni became CFO in May 2026. Ricky Hanna previously served as CEO at the time of the Series A close.
Founding story
The company was founded by a team drawn from materials science, manufacturing, defense and energy backgrounds with the aim of moving solid-state batteries from laboratory research into commercial production; co-founder Eric Wachsman serves as Executive Chair and Greg Hitz has been described as a founder and the company's CTO.
Business model
ION designs, manufactures and supplies solid-state battery cells, shipping samples and qualification cells to manufacturers in target industries such as consumer electronics, with a stated focus on manufacturability and scaling from pilot lines to full production.
Sales of solid-state battery cells to device and equipment manufacturers, supported by government research and commercialization funding including ARPA-E programs.
Traction
ION commissioned what it described as one of the country's largest solid-state battery manufacturing facilities in May 2024, produced its first multi-layer ceramic cell on a semi-automated line in March 2025, invested in a pilot sintering furnace in May 2025, launched and shipped Cornerstone samples in August 2025, and announced customer qualification of Cornerstone cell performance in March 2026. It reached 50 employees in February 2023 and earlier targeted 10 MWh of annual cell production capacity in Maryland by the end of 2023.
Latest developments
In March 2026 ION announced successful customer qualification of its Cornerstone cell performance. In May 2026 it appointed Ravi Abbineni as Chief Financial Officer, effective May 11, 2026. In June 2026 TEDCO announced a $2 million Venture Funds investment in the company, and CEO Jorge Diaz Schneider discussed the company's anodeless ceramic solid-state battery on the Still TBD podcast.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
ION positions itself as a U.S.-based solid-state battery developer that claims first-mover milestones, including being the first solid-state battery company to ship samples to consumer electronics manufacturers and the first U.S. solid-state battery technology company to achieve customer qualification of cell performance. It has been listed by third-party media among battery startups to watch and among battery companies benefiting from automaker demand for EV technology.
The combination of an anodeless lithium-metal design with a ceramic separator that operates without external compression or active cooling, no cell volume change during cycling, and reduced dependence on graphite, nickel and cobalt, alongside a stated emphasis on regionalized supply chains and scalable domestic manufacturing.
Technology
A patented 3D ceramic solid-state battery architecture with a nonflammable ceramic separator and an anodeless lithium-metal design that eliminates graphite and can be configured without nickel and cobalt. The cells reportedly require no external compression, no swell allowance and reduced thermal management, and exhibit no volume change during cycling. The company cites demonstrated performance of over 1,000 cycles at a commercially relevant footprint, over 2,000 cycles at R&D footprint, an eight-minute fast charge at 60°C, and compatibility with existing and future cathode chemistries. Manufacturing steps include ceramic sintering, with a pilot production sintering furnace installed at its Beltsville facility and a semi-automated line that produced the company's first multi-layer cells in March 2025.
Go-to-market
Direct engagement with manufacturers through sample shipments and customer qualification of its Cornerstone cell, combined with supply and development partnerships (for example with Saint-Gobain Ceramics and KLA) and participation in government programs such as ARPA-E SCALEUP, ARPA-E EVs4ALL and the U.S. Army xTechSearch competition.
Consumer electronics and medical device manufacturers, electric vehicle makers, aerospace and defense programs, and grid and stationary energy storage operators.
Geography
United States; headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, with manufacturing and pilot production at a facility in Beltsville, Maryland.
History
ION emerged from work associated with the University of Maryland and was founded by experts in materials science, manufacturing, defense and energy. It raised an $8 million seed round led by Alsop Louie Partners with VoLo Earth Ventures, followed by a $30 million Series A led by Clear Creek Investments, VoLo Earth Ventures and Alsop Louie Partners that closed oversubscribed with Toyota Ventures, Tenaska and Bangchak Corporation joining. Saint-Gobain invested in December 2023, when the company was also reported to be raising a $15 million intermediate round, and TEDCO announced a $2 million Venture Funds investment in June 2026. Along the way ION secured ARPA-E awards, including a $4.8 million EVs4ALL grant with the University of Maryland and a $40 million SCALEUP-supported commercialization initiative with Saint-Gobain and KLA.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Non-dilutive funding · 1 SBIR/STTR award
Federal grants — no equity taken| Agency | Phase | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | Phase I | 2023 | $200K |
Source: SBIR.gov award data (U.S. Small Business Administration). SBIR/STTR awards are competitive federal R&D grants and contracts — non-dilutive capital alongside any venture rounds above.
Timeline · 21
launches, deals, and filingsTEDCO, Maryland's economic development organization for technology companies, announced a $2 million Venture Funds investment in ION Storage Systems, based in Columbia, Md.
$2M source ↗
ION Storage Systems announced the appointment of Ravi Abbineni as Chief Financial Officer, effective May 11, 2026.
ION announced successful customer qualification of its Cornerstone cell performance, which the company described as a first for a U.S. solid-state battery technology company.
ION launched its Cornerstone solid-state battery, described by the company as the first solid-state battery company to ship samples to consumer electronics manufacturers.
ION invested in a new pilot production ceramic sintering furnace at its Beltsville, Maryland facility to accelerate solid-state battery production.
ION produced its first multi-layer ceramic solid-state battery cell on the semi-automated production line at its Beltsville, MD facility.
ION reported a battery cell surpassing 1,000 cycles with a 25x capacity increase, validating the technology for the consumer electronics sector.
ION announced a multi-faceted executive team of technology veterans to scale its solid-state battery technology and accelerate commercialization.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore visited ION Storage Systems in Beltsville, MD, marking the company's progress and announcing further investments in Maryland advanced manufacturing.
ION reported that its anodeless and compressionless solid-state battery achieved consumer electronics battery cycle life requirements, targeting consumer electronics and medical devices.
ION announced a $40 million commercialization initiative supported by the ARPA-E SCALEUP program, with Saint-Gobain and KLA partnering to accelerate commercialization of ION's solid-state batteries.
$40M source ↗
ION commissioned what it described as one of the country's largest solid-state battery manufacturing facilities.
ION was named a finalist in the U.S. Army's xTechSearch competition, which offers cash prizes and potential follow-on contracts.
ION reported its U.S.-designed and manufactured solid-state battery cells were the first to achieve this milestone with an anodeless design and no compression.
Press coverage reported that Ion Storage Systems was raising a $15 million intermediate round to expand production of its ceramic batteries.
$15M source ↗
ION secured a ceramic powder supply agreement with Saint-Gobain Ceramics, starting with qualified pilot-level powder and planning transition to a high-volume ceramic powder line with increasing scale in subsequent years.
ION announced the hiring of its 50th employee as part of its scale-up.
ION partnered with the University of Maryland on a $4.8 million ARPA-E EVs4ALL grant award from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop faster-charging, more efficient battery technologies.
$4.8M source ↗
ION closed its Series A round exceeding its original $30 million target, adding Toyota Ventures, Tenaska, Bangchak Corporation and other investors alongside the lead investors.
$30M source ↗
ION announced the initial closing of a $30 million Series A round led by Clear Creek Investments, VoLo Earth Ventures and Alsop Louie Partners, building on an earlier $8 million seed round led by Alsop Louie Partners with VoLo Earth Ventures participating. The round was expected to close by the end of Q1 2022.
$30M source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Ion Storage Systemsionstoragesystems.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Ion Storage Systems do?
- ION Storage Systems develops anodeless, compression-free ceramic solid-state batteries and manufactures them in Maryland.
- Who founded Ion Storage Systems?
- Ion Storage Systems was founded by Dr. Eric Wachsman.
- Who are Ion Storage Systems's investors?
- Ion Storage Systems's investors include TEDCO, Alsop Louie Partners, VoLo Earth Ventures, Toyota Ventures.
- Where is Ion Storage Systems headquartered?
- Ion Storage Systems is headquartered in Columbia, US.