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Sparkz is commercializing a cobalt-free, American-made lithium-ion battery, while continuing its groundbreaking research and development focused on re-engineering the rest of the battery supply chain.
Sparkz is re-engineering the battery supply chain by eliminating cobalt first and setting its sights on making other components more sustainable and localized. America’s clean energy future will reach its potential when our nation can innovate and manufacture the next generation of energy storage domestically. Sparkz’s go-to-market strategy for more effective and efficient American batteries will create value for U.S. workers, consumers, strategic partners, and investors.
Sparkz’s first commercial product will eliminate cobalt from cathodes used in lithium-ion batteries, while reducing the cost of clean energy production in the U.S. by creating a domestic supply chain.
Lithium batteries have led markets since their revival in early 2000s. However, conventional lithium batteries are nearing full potential and next generation batteries need to distinguish themselves in performance, charge rate and supply chain. Sparkz promises to disrupt the eMobility and Grid Application universe with these features.
Sparkz was founded in late 2019 and has been in innovation mode. In addition to the Cobalt-free process, Sparkz’s patents reduce production time significantly and enhance battery performance.
Sparkz has exclusively licensed 6 patents from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and 1 patent from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. ORNL and LBNL continue to be contributing partners.
Corporate Office
5625 Brisa Street, Suite B
Livermore, CA 94550
Phone
925-533-5903
Hours
Mon – Fri
9am – 5pm
Innovation Center
11020 Solway School Rd., Suite 104
Knoxville, TN 37931
Phone
865-896-0118
Dr. Sanjiv Malhotra is the founder and CEO of Sparkz—the battery start-up reinventing the energy supply chain.
Malhotra has been a leader in the energy sector for nearly three decades as a founder, investor and executive. Most recently, he served as the inaugural director for the Energy Investor Center at the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), serving under both Democratic and Republican administrations.
At DOE, Malhotra led the Obama Administration’s initiative to boost public-private partnerships to accelerate the commercialization of technologies developed in national research centers like Oak Ridge National Labs.
Malhotra was recruited to the Department of Energy after a successful exit of Oorja Protonics—the world leader in methanol fuel cells—which he founded and led as CEO for 10 years. Oorja raised $50 Million in equity financing from leading VCs such as Sequoia, DAG Ventures, Artis Capital and others during his tenure. He boosted Oorja’s revenue and profitability growth, while expanding operations globally in Japan, China, South Africa, Mexico, and India.
Oorja was acquired in 2014 by the Private Equity firm MinXing Growth Fund.
As an investor and consultant, Malhotra has worked at leading venture capital firms, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers as an advisor on clean energy and advanced materials.
Earlier in his career, Malhotra led the engineering and product development team at H Power, a pioneer in hydrogen fuel cells. As part of the management team, he managed the successful IPO, which raised more than $100 million in August 2000.
He began his career as a post-doctoral fellow at the renowned Lawrence Berkeley National Labs on electrochemical storage systems. Dr. Malhotra has authored seven patents and more than 40 publications in various fields of energy storage technology and materials. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering and an M.B.A from University of Iowa.