A materials company for the anode-free cell
What we do
Alkalinth makes negative-electrode substrates for anode-free lithium-metal batteries. Our proprietary, scalable roll-to-roll process turns standard copper foil into a lithiophilic, three-dimensional surface that lets lithium plate evenly. It replaces the anode in conventional cells and needs no excess lithium. The foil drops into existing cell manufacturing. Patent pending.
We set out to solve one problem: lithium does not plate well on plain copper, and that single fact has kept anode-free cells out of production. We solved it in the foil itself, so a cell maker changes nothing else about its line. How the substrate works.
Why it matters now
The next generation of batteries promises more energy in less space and mass. The graphite anode is the component standing in the way: it adds weight and volume, it needs its own slurry and drying line, and its supply runs almost entirely through one country. Designing the anode out of the cell removes all three problems at once, and does it with a copper foil made in the United States. Where that matters most.
Where we are
Alkalinth, Inc. was founded in 2024 and works from 6 Loring Street in Hudson, Massachusetts, 30 miles west of Boston, in a region with a dense cluster of battery developers, cell builders, defence integrators and universities. Our process development and substrate production are done here.
Team
- Paul Burke, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder. Electrochemist and process engineer; previously chief technology officer of a lithium-metal battery company and technical founder of an additive-manufacturing company; research at MIT on an ARPA-E programme.
- Jon Sullivan, Lead Research Engineer.
- Steven Lubbe, Process Engineer.
Working with us
We supply substrate for evaluation to cell makers and to cathode and electrolyte developers, under a non-disclosure agreement that covers the data we share. We also partner on public research programmes with universities and national laboratories. Write to info@alkalinth.com, or find us on LinkedIn.