SAN JOSE: An advanced battery maker has opened a new engineering center in San Jose in a move that allows the energy company to expand its operations in Silicon Valley.
Sakuu has opened an engineering center in south San Jose, where it will 3D print next-generation solid-state batteries that can be used in electric vehicles and other applications.
The new complex, which Sakuu describes as a “state of the art” facility, is located at 5500 Hellyer Ave. and occupies a building totaling 79,000 square feet and is within walking distance of the company’s headquarters at 5870 Hellyer Ave.
The engineering center is expected to house 115 Sakuu employees by the first quarter of 2023, from January to March, the company said.
“Sakuu is committed to creating an extremely talented workforce that wants to be a part of our reinvention of sustainable energy production,” said Robert Bagheri, CEO and founder of Sakuu.
The company is focused on two lines of work, which are expected to be reinforced through the new South San José engineering center:
— One line of business is the high-volume production of batteries that can be used in green energy uses, such as electric vehicles.
— The other is the use of 3D printing technologies that could foster advanced applications in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, the Internet of Things and medical devices.
“We are in a phase of rapid growth due to strong demand for our upcoming printed batteries,” said Sean Sharif, vice president of logistics and global supply chain at Sakuu.
Sakuu has secured two major rounds of venture funding that together total $62 million, the company said. The financing consists of a $50 million Series A financing round in 2021 and a $12 million follow-on round in 2022.
“Full commercialization and volume production of solid-state batteries” are expected to result from the latest round of venture funding, the company said.
Sakuu’s new engineering center will accommodate the company’s efforts in batteries, engineering, materials science, research and advanced manufacturing. The engineering center will also pave the way for the company’s first gigafactory powered by Sakuu’s 3D printing platform, to be called Sakuu G-One.
Sakuu will use the new San Jose engineering center to train employees to operate the company’s future gigafactories that will produce batteries for electric vehicles on a large scale.
“The facility will allow our teams to fine-tune all aspects of our battery printing technologies to enable rapid deployment of our gigafactories,” Sharif said.
