Ilika ships first thin-film batteries as it scales up manufacturing

 (), a developer and manufacturer of advanced solid-state battery technology, has announced the successful shipment of its first batch of Stereax batteries from its manufacturing facility in the UK to its customer, Blink Energy. This marks the beginning of a planned series of deliveries to customers in the coming months. 

The initial shipment consists of single layer Stereax M50 cells, which have been allocated to Blink Energy, a provider of device-agnostic power and communications platforms for ocular devices. The M50 cells can be used individually, but they are also the building blocks for Ilika's M300 batteries, which are made up of six M50 cells connected in parallel. Future deliveries of Stereax® batteries will also include M300 batteries.

The ultra-thin profile of the M50 cells is particularly advantageous for Blink Energy, which is designing products to power and connect smart ocular devices. These include Blink IT, a smart patch device that attaches to the eyelid epicanthal fold and contains a dedicated power and communication platform that wirelessly connects a smart lens to a mobile app.

Ilika also said that it is finalizing the terms of its intended partnership with Cirtec Medical, an outsourced manufacturer of system level miniaturisation for the medical device industry, including minimally invasive and active implantable devices. 

Ilika and Cirtec have signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines the transfer of Stereax battery manufacturing to Cirtec's facility in the US. Following the transfer, Ilika will shift its focus to advanced technology development and IP licensing in support of Cirtec's manufacturing and commercialization activities. Cirtec has 20 years of experience in the medical device market, and also brings an expanded business development team.  

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News of first shipments and the agreement with a specialist manufacturing partner shows that Ilika is well on the road to commercialisation of its revolutionary thin-film battery technology. The company has so far secured 21 orders from 18 customers of which 11 are for implanted medical devices, 3 for smart dental applications, 2 for smart lenses, 1 for aerospace and 4 for other uses. 

The technology offers advantages over other solid-state battery approaches, including high energy density and temperature resilience which makes them particularly useful for implanted medical devices and high-temperature industrial applications where current lithium-ion batteries are unsuitable. 

According to recent research, the global implantable medical device market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% to $143bn a year by 2028, reflecting rising healthcare spending around the world and advances in technology. 

Ilika’s technological advances and plans to scale up production leave it well-positioned to tap into this burgeoning demand, offering an improved safety and efficacy profile that has been a major challenge for the industry.