COnovate (formerly SafeLi), a Wisconsin-based battery materials company, has been awarded a $1.25 million, 24-month development contract by the U.S. Department of Energy's Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Program to scale commercial-scale production of its eCOphite anode material. The award is administered under the DOE's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, AMMTO Award Number DE-EE0011730.
eCOphite is built on graphene monoxide (GmO), a 2D crystalline solid with a roughly 1:1 carbon-to-oxygen ratio, formed by thermally reducing graphene oxide. Rather than retaining graphene's pure carbon hexagonal lattice, GmO's atoms rearrange into a different, lower-symmetry crystal structure - making it a distinct material in the graphene family. The company positions eCOphite as an additive that can be used alongside existing anode materials rather than a wholesale graphite replacement, produced domestically from bio-renewable feedstocks without mining.
The material targets a specific limitation in lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries: their relatively flat voltage curve across much of the usable charge range makes it difficult for battery management systems to accurately estimate remaining charge. COnovate says eCOphite introduces a durable voltage reference point into the battery, giving management systems an additional signal to more accurately track state of charge, which the company says can reduce downtime, warranty exposure, and maintenance costs over a battery's operating life.
Unlike earlier lab-scale development work, this contract is focused on scaling and qualification, with COnovate aiming to demonstrate eCOphite's compatibility with existing battery manufacturing infrastructure at commercial volumes - an approach the company says would let manufacturers adopt the material without redesigning production lines. The award follows earlier DOE-backed development work at the company, which has previously received Battery Manufacturing Lab Call and STTR funding to advance the technology.
"This award is an important step toward qualifying eCOphite material at commercial scale and strengthening a domestic battery materials supply chain," said Craig Rigby, President and CEO of COnovate.
