Printable Batteries Could Power the IoT
The internet of things has been predicted to bring about the third industrial revolution. Its basic idea of any object being connected to the internet and used to gather data is ambitious. Connecting objects to the internet requires large amounts of sensors, which results in a challenge that is simple to understand but difficult to solve: sensors need power to function.
The problem is that the varied application purposes require power sources with resilient features. The healthcare sector, for example, is developing skin patches that can be used to monitor patients. In sports, light and flexible batteries are needed for measuring mechanics, such as the angle and speed of a golf club during a swing.
"Whether it's sensors for mailed packages, golf clubs or skin patches, the common thing for their batteries is that they have to be light, thin and flexible," says Enfucell CEO Markku Ellilä.
Enfucell is one of the forerunners in printable batteries. The company has spent ten years developing its patented thin, flexible and eco-friendly SoftBattery technology. It has been designed specifically for the needs of healthcare, sports and logistics sectors, because they value wearability in smart technology. To ensure wearability, batteries need to be thin and bendy.
As for the company's future, Ellilä sees Enfucell's story taking it towards public markets.
"First we will carve out a strong position in the printed electronics industry during its growth phase. Once that is done, we want to do an IPO and continue our investment story with strong development of our share value and good dividends."
Enfucell has spent ten million euros on R&D during the past decade, and no new capital is needed for research and development of the core technology. Instead, Enfucell is seeking €300,000"“800,000 for scaling up their operations.
