5Y News | "Jizhao Energy Storage" Secures Angel Round to Accelerate Commercialization of Liquid Metal Batteries
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Jizhao Energy Storage (吉兆储能), a Wuhan-based liquid metal battery energy storage company, announced today that it has completed an angel funding round led exclusively by 5Y Capital. The proceeds will be used for product R&D, team expansion, and the construction of a pilot production line.
"Liquid metal batteries represent an entirely new electrochemical energy storage technology, offering advantages including long cycle life, simple structure, ease of manufacturing, high safety, and low cost — with very broad application prospects for mid-to-long-duration energy storage," said Xiaoyu Xu of 5Y Capital. "As the first company in China to commercialize liquid metal battery technology, Jizhao has outstanding R&D and engineering capabilities. We have strong conviction in the team's execution ability and strategic vision, and hope Jizhao achieves scaled production soon and becomes a leader in new energy storage systems."
Founded in May 2023, Jizhao Energy Storage is China's first supplier of liquid metal battery energy storage systems. Leveraging the National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Electromagnetic Engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Jizhao has established a complete liquid metal battery assembly and testing platform and is currently building China's first liquid metal battery pilot production line.
Liquid metal batteries are a novel battery type in which both electrodes and electrolyte operate in liquid state, using liquid metals and inorganic molten salts as electrodes and electrolyte respectively. They offer advantages of low energy storage cost, long cycle life, high safety, and simple recycling. According to Jizhao's calculations, liquid metal batteries have low material costs and short production processes, with a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) that can reach below 0.1 RMB per kWh — significantly outperforming both current mainstream lithium iron phosphate battery storage and all-vanadium redox flow battery storage.
To date, the Jizhao team has completed the design and development of liquid metal batteries ranging from 50Ah to 600Ah, with cell products in 200Ah, 500Ah, and 1000Ah formats, and is developing next-generation high-capacity cells. The company has also secured multiple liquid metal energy storage demonstration projects with central SOEs including China Southern Power Grid, with delivery scheduled for 2025–2026 once production capacity is ready.
On the team side, Chief Scientist Professor Kai Jiang previously worked at MIT and is one of the key inventors of liquid metal battery technology. He returned to China in late 2011 to pioneer liquid metal battery research at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, where he has built deep expertise in the field and served as chief scientist for national major projects. CEO Xin Teng studied under renowned electrochemical energy storage scientists Academician Yusheng Yang and Academician Feng Wu, and previously served as Vice President of BAK Power, bringing nearly 20 years of hands-on battery industry experience.
CEO Xin Teng stated that with continuous iteration and optimization of battery materials systems, coordination across the upstream and downstream supply chain, and expansion of application scenarios, large-scale commercialization of liquid metal batteries is within reach. "Jizhao Energy Storage is committed to becoming a leader in the industrialization of liquid metal battery technology and a pioneer in mid-to-long-duration energy storage. Our mission is to make green power ubiquitous. Going forward, Jizhao will continue to deepen R&D innovation and supply chain collaboration, accelerating the scaled application of liquid metal battery technology and contributing to China's energy storage development and technological progress."
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