About

Ten-Nine Tech was founded generously—with an open remit to develop new materials for new economies. We continue to work in that same spirit of generosity, guided by our founding principles to ensure that whatever we develop is both transformative and sustainable.

Real change begins with chemistry.

From the ancient use of charcoal to the development of modern solar cells, new energy always begins with new materials. And it is chemists who investigate, design, and create new materials. We are a company of chemists.

We work only in the friendly portions of the periodic table.

We believe there is so much interesting chemistry to investigate in the friendly parts of the periodic table that there is no need to work with highly toxic systems, heavy metals, or rare elements to achieve our goals. Instead, we start with substances that offer low toxicity and abundant material supply. Then we focus on adjusting their surface chemistry to maximize electroactivity.

Think big, test broadly.

We stretch the boundaries of chemistry and test every new product we make for applications to the big problems of the world—photoactivity, catalytic activity, and electron activity. Early success synthesizing materials with unique conductivities led to the realization that we had the opportunity to make batteries better.

Value the practical and scalable over the exotic and heroic.

Too much of scientific research is focused on the heroic effort. Creating exotic and rare materials with complicated synthesis techniques works for scientific publication, but not for making real change in the world. We strive for simplicity and practicality in the synthesis and manufacturing of our materials, enabling our processes to scale rapidly and cost-efficiently. Part of making batteries better is making them cheaper.

Better batteries require new electroactive materials—the chemical components that produce electrons—to store more energy for longer. Ten-Nine Tech is designing, creating, and producing these new materials.

chemist pour

Path to Production

A look at our past, present, and anticipated future.

2014

Ten-Nine started in a back room of our angel investor’s warehouse. Tables from the hardware store served as lab benches. There wasn’t a sink, so glassware got washed in the bathroom at the end of the day, and I took the small flasks of nanoparticles to my mom’s house and baked them in her oven.” – Paige Johnson, Founder

2015

First material breakthrough

2016

Seed funding

6 gram batch size

2017

First patent granted

‎64 gram batch size

Announcement of fossil fuel parity

2018

First revenue

1 kilogram batch size

2019

20 patent filings

Product-market fit analysis

2020

Series A funding

4 patents granted

Production scaled up

Blend strategy

2021

8 patents granted

Over 54 patent filings

‎24 tons per annum pilot plant online

NASA iTech Challenge finalist

OCAST Grant for TENIX™ blends with LMO and LNMO

Top 10 Nano Material Solutions Providers 2021 from Manufacturing Technology Insights

2022

Series A1 funding

6 new patents granted (4 US, 1 Chinese, 1 Japanese), 14 total

JDA and/or evaluation contracts with 2 major primary battery manufacturers, 1 luxury automotive manufacturer, 1 major power tool company

Built internal cell development laboratories

Team doubled in size

2023

Anticipated Outcomes

Series B funding

Automotive evaluation trials

Power tool evaluation trials

Primary battery market entry

2024

Anticipated Outcomes

1,800 tons production capacity

2025

Anticipated Outcomes

Rechargeable market entry

‎5,000 tons production capacity