Globe ColumnistOne, a student who attended Sadoway's "Introduction to Solid chemistry" course online by Scott Kosner, a somewhat successful software entrepreneur in Washington state, asked one day to meet professors during office hours
Last Friday, in September 20, Bill Gates came to discuss education.
Sadoway was happy to chat, and he also told Gates that his lab was working on a new battery made of liquid metal.
Gates eventually became an early investor in the company.
Out of the company, LMBC.
The venture capitalist Rob Soni's introduction links Sadoway with Phil Giudice, an executive he later hired to manage LMBC.
Giudice is the third employee of the groundbreaking "demand response" company EnerNOC, who served as deputy federal energy minister in Massachusetts after EnerNOC's initial public offering.
He started working on behalf of the "liquid metal battery company" LMBC", yesterday. (
Giudice on the left and Sadoway on the right. )The eight-person start-
Up doesn't say much about its technology.
However, it uses liquefied metal as the three main components of the battery at a high temperature of about 500 degrees Celsius, anode, cathode and electrolyte.
In contrast, the lithium-ion battery inside the laptop has a solid anode and cathode.
LMBC believes that its method can reduce the cost and complexity of building large battery facilities, such as those that can store a few megawatts.
Number of power hours for industrial plants or wind power facilities.
The goal is to reserve or sell power to the grid at the highest price.
David Bradwell, chief technical expert, said liquid metal batteries are "easier to assemble than conventional ones" and they use the Earth
Rich materials. " (
For example, magnesium antimony. )
LMBC has obtained some licensing of intellectual property rights from MIT and is entitled to more licensing in the development process;
With funding from the Energy Department ARPA, about 20 people in his lab are still working to improve liquid metal batteries, Sadoway said
E procedures and other sources.
Giudice and Sadoway will not reveal how much money the company raised in seed rounds earlier this year, including Gates and French oil company Total.
But Judith says his new role will include raising more money.
Sadoway said the company is now focusing on "the right science and engineering" to create prototype batteries that can meet the expected price, performance and reliability goals.
"We think this is an engineering practice.
"We are not waiting for the discovery of miracles," he said . "
"We are in the commodities business here," Giudice said . ".
"The lowest-cost supplier wins, and that's what we want.