As the U.S. pushes away from its reliance on fossil fuels and toward more sustainable energy sources, Austin-based startup EnergyX is looking to scale to help with that transition.
EnergyX announced that it’s planning to hire over 100 people by the end of the year. A handful of these roles are currently open on the company’s website, including positions across scientific, battery, creative and corporate operations.
This is part of a larger push for the company, which aims to open a new U.S. tech hub to launch its Energy Innovation Lab. This lab will help the company in its quest to develop sustainable lithium technology in order to design the next generation of solid-state batteries.
EnergyX was founded in 2018 after its founder and CEO Teague Egan ventured across the salt flats of Bolivia. These salt flats are part of one of the most lithium-rich regions of the world, and this abundance of resources helped Egan imagine using lithium to replace more destructive energy sources.
Lithium is the key component of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in everything from your phone, to your TV remote, computer and car. Using lithium-ion batteries and energy storage, in combination with sustainable energy sources like wind and solar, can help change the U.S. energy grid and its reliance on fossil fuels.
EnergyX has developed a handful of technologies and patents that revolve around the harvesting and refining of lithium, as well as its application in batteries and energy storage. But the company’s work has just begun. Right now, the young company consists of a team of 15 and two U.S. laboratories, but thanks to a recent $20 million Series A funding round, EnergyX is looking to expand dramatically.
“EnergyX has been diligently working toward creating a cleaner lithium space in conjunction with other global leaders. We are all very excited to continue that focus with the additional support through this Series A funding,” Egan said in a previous statement. “There is a major oncoming shift across the entire battery material supply chain including mining and materials, anode/cathode and cell assembly, and EnergyX plans to be at the epicenter for decades to come.”
EnergyX is currently vetting four tech hubs to launch its Energy Innovation Lab: Austin, Boston, Miami and Silicon Valley. While Boston and Miami are growing energy tech hubs, EnergyX already has a presence in both Austin and Silicon Valley.
But Texas would make for an especially compelling place to launch its energy lab. EnergyX has an established partnership with the University of Texas and the inventor of the lithium-ion battery, Dr. John Goodenough, who is based there. The company also says that the Tesla Gigafactory is further proof that Texas is gaining momentum as a U.S. greentech hub.
Regardless of where the Energy Innovation Lab ends up, EnergyX sees the demand for lithium-ion batteries and sustainable energy solutions growing across all parts of the country. Once the lab opens up, its impact will expand beyond any one tech hub.
