Battery Commercialization Deal Signed

The Institute of Fundamental Sciences at Massey University signed a commercialization deal with a United States-based company, Anzode Inc., to take zinc battery technology developed by Dr. Simon Hall and Dr. Michael Liu to the international market.

Massey has granted Anzode an exclusive global licence to the zinc battery technology and agrees to the establishment of the new Massey Anzode Research Center at the Palmerston North campus.

Taking a “Kiwi approach” and stripping out the clutter in zinc cells, the professors created a technology that lasts four times longer than existing silver-zinc batteries, and their nickel-zinc version lasts two-and-a-half times longer than nickel metal hydride batteries and four times longer than lead-acid batteries.

The technology has been patented in more than 30 countries and territories at a cost to Anzode of $100,000, and has already attracted interest from the U.S. military, a major U.S. consumer electronics firm and the world’s largest manufacturer of electronic components for laptops and cellphones.

CEO Chris Officer established Anzode with another Massey alumnus, Howard Moore, and a third director. The company is backed by New Zealand, Australian, and American angel investors.