Amazon.com Inc. has led an $81 million Series D extension funding round for U.S. solid-state battery developer Blue Current, adding to a wave of strategic investments in advanced energy storage technology, company and industry sources said.
The financing round was anchored by Amazon, with participation from Koch Disruptive Technologies, Piedmont Capital, Rusheen Capital Partners and Allen & Company, according to a press release and market coverage.
As part of the arrangement, James Hamilton, senior vice president and distinguished engineer at Amazon, will join Blue Current’s board of directors to support technology development and commercial strategy, the filings showed.
Blue Current, based in Hayward, California, develops silicon-based solid-state battery technology that aims to improve on traditional lithium-ion cells with higher energy density, faster charging times and inherent safety advantages by eliminating flammable liquid electrolytes.
The company said the fresh capital will be used to accelerate commercialization efforts, scale production and advance deployments in both electric mobility and stationary energy storage sectors. Blue Current’s platform is engineered to be manufactured using existing lithium-ion battery production equipment while targeting improvements in performance and safety.
Blue Current was founded in 2014 and has spent more than a decade on research and development. With the new round, the company aims to transition from pilot projects to broader commercial applications, reflecting growing investor confidence in solid-state battery technologies as demand rises for next-generation energy storage solutions.
Amazon’s investment is seen as part of its broader push toward electric delivery vehicles and sustainable infrastructure, although the company declined to comment publicly on how it may integrate Blue Current’s technology into its fleet.
The financing comes amid a broader slowdown in climate-tech funding, yet highlights sustained interest from major corporations in backing battery innovation as the energy transition gains momentum.
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