Inmatech expects breakout year for its battery tech

Inmatech has some grand ambitions for its battery technology in 2016. The Ann Arbor-based firm is looking to close on a couple of partnerships, bring its platform to market, and hire a lot of people along the way.

The University of Michigan spinout is developing advanced battery technology that greatly improves the performance of super capacitors for electronics. These super capacitors enable the batteries to improve the delivery of energy and increase energy density.

"We would be able to charge and recharge faster," says Les Alexander, CEO of Inmatech. "Our energy density is two-to-three times that of the other super capacitors on the market today."

The Inmatech team of eight people has been working on the technology for five years, mainly out of the University of Michigan's Venture Accelerator in the university's North Campus Research Complex. It made significant strides forward in 2015, hiring six people. The new hires range from technicians to executive leadership, including promoting Alexander from COO to CEO.

Inmatech expects to hire even more this year, a move that it will force it to find its own office space. First it needs to land some investment in order to make the commercialization of its battery technology possible.

However, Inmatech isn't going the traditional venture capital route. It is working to broker joint development agreements with two corporate partners. One would put Inmatech's technology in automotive applications.

"It’s a huge step forward for us," Alexander says. "It puts us on the path toward commercialization."

Inmatech is currently proving its battery technology through prototypes. It is currently at the later end of that process, which has helped the company land on Michigan’s 50 Companies to Watch list.

Source: Les Alexander, CEO of Inmatech
Writer: Jon Zemke

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