Ilika

A solid-state battery company from Romsey in Hampshire, spun out of the University of Southampton, listed on the London AIM market.

About Ilika

Ilika develops solid-state batteries, which replace the liquid inside a normal battery with a solid ceramic layer to make it safer and more energy-dense. It has two product families. Stereax is a miniature battery for medical implants and small wireless sensors, and Goliath is a large-format cell for electric vehicles and cordless appliances. Ilika has licensed Stereax technology to Cirtec Medical for devices such as pacemakers.

Ilika was founded in 2004 as a spin-out from the University of Southampton and listed on the AIM market in 2010. Its About page describes it as a pioneer in solid-state batteries for medtech, electric vehicles and defence. It reports early commercial partnerships with companies including Asahi Kasei, Shell, Applied Materials, Toyota and Murata, started designing Stereax in 2014 and Goliath in 2018, and also lists battery systems for underwater vehicles. We did not find a longer mission statement on the pages we read. Chief executive Graeme Purdy has spoken about customer demand for Stereax being greater than the pilot line could supply, which shows a company that is trying to scale up.

The company is headquartered at Abbey Park Industrial Estate in Romsey, Hampshire, where its Goliath pilot line opened in September 2019, and its Stereax development team works at Discovery House in Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh. Its half-year report mentioned a manufacturing facility within five miles of its headquarters and use of the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre in Coventry for pouch cell production. It has also worked with UK partners through the Faraday Battery Challenge, and its reports name Honda, Ricardo, McLaren and Jaguar Land Rover as collaborators.

Named leaders in the report include Graeme Purdy as chief executive, Keith Jackson as chairman and Steve Boydell as finance director. We did not find a culture statement, headcount or staff stories, and the main source is a report from January 2021. Treat any numbers or site details as dated and check the company's current website.

Roles in a battery development company include materials scientists and chemists, process and manufacturing engineers, electrical and test engineers, quality staff, finance and investor relations, and commercial teams. A university-linked company like this often hires people who combine science with practical engineering.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Tiny solid-state batteries for medical devices and sensors.', 'title': 'Stereax micro-batteries'}
• {'desc': 'Large solid-state cells for vehicles and appliances.', 'title': 'Goliath EV cells'}
• {'desc': 'Licensing Stereax technology to medical device makers.', 'title': 'Licensing'}

Key facts

• Founded 2004 as a University of Southampton spin-out
• Headquartered in Romsey, Hampshire
• Goliath pilot line opened September 2019
• Listed on the AIM market since 2010

Website: www.ilika.com