{"644998":{"#nid":"644998","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Battery that Powers the Future","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s hard to believe that before coming to Georgia Tech, Gleb Yushin had never worked with batteries. Nearly 15 years later, his materials research is enabling space travel, revolutionizing the automotive industry, and contributing to clean, sustainable energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I arrived at Tech, I thought that innovations in batteries were long overdue,\u201d recalled Yushin, professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. \u201cIt may be hard to believe now, with so much excitement in electric vehicles and the recent Nobel Prize given to the lithium-ion battery inventors, but at that time, lithium-ion batteries were considered to be a \u2018mature\u2019 technology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYushin\u2019s passion for battery research led him to co-found\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/silanano.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003ESila Nanotechnologies, Inc\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;in 2011, where he now serves as chief technology officer. Sila Nano just received a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20210126005335\/en\/Coatue-and-T.-Rowe-Price-Funds-Anchor-590m-Investment-in-Sila-Nanotechnologies\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003ESeries F\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;funding round that boosted its valuation to over $3.3 billion. The latest investment will enable the company to evolve the electric vehicle batteries it has come to be known for and also begin introducing its high-energy battery technology into consumer devices, like fitness trackers and wireless earbuds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Yushin and his company, this is a watershed moment, as it looks to add 100 new positions to its existing 200 employee base and open a battery materials buildout factory in the U.S. by 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut this also marks a significant moment for Georgia Tech. Sila Nano\u2019s success can serve as inspiration to faculty, research scientists, and students looking to commercialize their own research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe more successful entrepreneurs we have at Tech, the more they can teach others to do it right,\u201d Yushin said. \u201cFurthermore, successful startups generate recognition and publicity for their universities, helping to attract ambitious and talented students from around the world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompanies like Sila Nano \u2013 and others that have been spun out of incubators like\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atdc.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003EATDC\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u2013 are playing a large role in building the commercialization ecosystem at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe success of Sila Nano \u2014 not just in its latest valuation, but also the impact it\u2019s having on the U.S. economy and clean energy initiatives \u2014 is very exciting for Tech,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/siva.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003ERaghupathy Sivakumar\u003C\/a\u003E, interim chief commercialization officer, co-founder of CREATE-X, and engineering professor at Georgia Tech. \u201cBringing together commercialization and technology transfer activities with a goal of moving more intellectual property out into the marketplace greatly expands Georgia Tech\u2019s impact on the world. We couldn\u2019t be prouder of Gleb and the company he has built with his co-founders.\u201d\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EFrom Research to Commercialization\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Tech, research doesn\u2019t happen in a vacuum. Engineers and scientists like Yushin actively look for ways to translate technology advancements into practical applications. Case in point: Sila Nano alone has licensed 14 different patents from the Georgia Tech Research Corporation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMost large companies have trouble identifying and commercializing revolutionary technologies that now commonly originate at universities or national labs rather than in industrial laboratories,\u201d Yushin said. \u201cIf we want to have a strong, innovation-driven economy, commercializing university research is a must.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lab-to-market pipeline at Tech continues to grow, with a growing list of successful companies \u2014\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brainrainsolutions.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003EBrain Rain Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/carbice.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003ECarbice\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/zyrobotics.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003EZyrobotics\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sanguina.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003ESanguina\u003C\/a\u003E, to name a few recent examples. Yushin said forming a proper ecosystem is the key to establishing the culture of thriving innovation at Tech and in Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe more notably successful startups that originate from Tech, the higher the chance that venture capital firms and aspiring entrepreneurs will be looking to us for breakthrough technology and research,\u201d Yushin said. \u201cAlso, many students come to Tech with a goal of starting their own company because they see what we are doing.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, what\u2019s next for Sila Nano? Yushin plans to continue to improve and dramatically expand production of revolutionary materials for next-generation batteries that will power electric cars, trucks and buses and eventually hybrid-electric ships, planes and autonomous flying taxis. They will also become part of the renewable energy grid, he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Yushin keeps advancing the storage power of batteries so, too, will Tech continue tapping the power of research and innovation to develop market-ready ideas that improve the human condition. The example of Sila Nano demonstrates the powerful potential.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is incredibly exciting to contribute to building a clean, energy-sustainable future rather than waiting for it to happen,\u201d Yushin said. \u201cAt Sila, we have showcased the major impact of materials science engineering on the future of transportation and the clean energy economy. As a Tech scientist and engineer, that makes me very proud.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"As Sila Nano experiences record achievements, Georgia Tech\u2019s commercialization ecosystem continues to grow."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYushin\u0026rsquo;s passion for battery research led him to co-found\u0026nbsp;Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc.\u0026nbsp;in 2011, where he now serves as chief technology officer. Sila Nano just received a\u0026nbsp;Series F\u0026nbsp;funding round that boosted its valuation to over $3.3 billion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Fifteen years ago, before coming to Georgia Tech, Gleb Yushin had never worked with batteries. Now his materials research is enabling space travel, revolutionizing the automotive industry, and contributing to clean, sustainable energy."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2021-03-04 16:28:53","changed_gmt":"2025-06-18 14:16:16","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-03-04T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"627442":{"id":"627442","type":"image","title":"Gleb Yushin","body":null,"created":"1570709375","gmt_created":"2019-10-10 12:09:35","changed":"1570709375","gmt_changed":"2019-10-10 12:09:35","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238894","name":"2019 Gleb Yushin.SQ_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2019%20Gleb%20Yushin.SQ_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2019%20Gleb%20Yushin.SQ_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":652333,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2019%20Gleb%20Yushin.SQ_.jpg?itok=A-IDy4JJ"}}},"media_ids":["627442"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/gleb-yushin","title":"Professor Gleb Yushin Faculty Profile"},{"url":"https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2021\/03\/battery-powers-future","title":"Original College of Engineering Story"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nano-tech.gatech.edu\/","title":"Yushin Group Laboratory at Georgia Tech"},{"url":"https:\/\/silanano.com\/","title":"Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc. website"}],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186870","name":"go-imat"},{"id":"187191","name":"Sila Nanotechnologies Inc"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"14251","name":"Gleb Yushin"},{"id":"167735","name":"School of Materials Science \u0026 Engineering"},{"id":"12819","name":"electric vehicles"},{"id":"178306","name":"lithium batteries"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:georgia.parmelee@coe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Parmelee\u003C\/a\u003E, Communications Program Manager, College of Engineering, Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["georgia.parmelee@coe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}