Air Energy: Transforming Energy Storage with Solid-State Lithium-Air Batteries

Air Energy is a participant in cohort 2 of Resurgence, a cleantech accelerator led by the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in partnership with the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.

Air Energy was founded following a groundbreaking breakthrough in solid-state lithium-air battery (SS-LAB) technology.

The innovation stems from years of collaboration between Larry Curtiss, an Argonne Distinguished Fellow, and Mohammad Asadi, an associate professor at Illinois Institute of Technology. These cofounders, together with CEO Ben Drake, established Air Energy to advance this transformative technology, which holds the potential to address critical energy storage challenges across high-demand sectors.

The team is driven by a shared history and a connection to the late George Crabtree, a renowned energy storage visionary. Crabtree’s influence continues to inspire Air Energy’s mission to decarbonize energy-intensive industries.

Air Energy is addressing significant challenges posed by traditional lithium-ion batteries, including low energy density, high weight, and safety risks due to flammable liquid electrolytes. These limitations restrict the adoption of electrification in sectors like aviation, automotive, and heavy-duty transportation.

The company’s SS-LAB technology delivers approximately three times the energy density and reduces weight by 300%, while also improving safety with its solid-state, non-flammable electrolyte. This advancement enables high-performance applications such as electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs), where safety and energy efficiency are paramount.

“The SS-LAB technology unlocks a future of unconstrained energy and power limitations that have plagued battery applications to date,” said Drake. Additionally, the SS-LAB features a critical zero-mass-balance oxygen requirement, providing fail-safe functionality for eVTOL aircraft to enhance operational safety.

In the next year, Air Energy will focus on developing prototypes for small-scale applications like wearable technology and unmanned aerial systems (sUAS). Over the next five years, the company plans to scale SS-LAB technology to power electric vehicles, personal electronics, and heavy-duty transportation, paving the way for sectors historically constrained by battery technology.

“Approximately 5% of vehicles on the road contribute a quarter of transportation sector emissions,” Drake noted. “SS-LAB technology is uniquely suited to electrify these segments, which were previously thought impractical for battery-powered solutions.”

Participation in the Resurgence cleantech accelerator will provide Air Energy with access to critical business training, industry mentorship, and funding opportunities. The team aims to refine its commercialization strategy and strengthen its partnerships.

“We are deeply grateful to the Resurgence team for their guidance and commitment to fostering innovation,” Drake said. “This program is an invaluable resource as we work to accelerate our go-to-market strategy and contribute meaningfully to the clean energy transition.”

With its transformative SS-LAB technology and a mission rooted in sustainability, Air Energy is set to redefine energy storage and electrification across industries, creating a cleaner and more efficient future.

// Resurgence provides full-spectrum support for its cleantech startups focused on four specific areas of the cleantech industry: energy storage and infrastructure, next-generation nuclear solutions, hydrogen and alternative fuels, and materials refinement and process intensification.