ORLIB

ORLIB Limited is a Japanese startup, spun out from a university program, that develops and commercializes high-energy secondary batteries. The company was founded on May 15, 2020, by Masaharu Satoh, who serves as the CEO. The formation of ORLIB was the result of the Japan Science and Technology Agency's (JST) Program for Creating Start-ups from Advanced Research and Technology (START), which ran from October 2017 to March 2020. The company's name is a combination of "Organic" and "Lithium-Ion Battery" (LIB), reflecting its mission to advance battery technology.

ORLIB's core technology centers on new-generation secondary batteries that utilize multi-electron reactions to achieve higher energy density, improved safety, and lower costs compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. The company is developing new active materials for both the positive and negative electrodes. One of its key innovations is a patented silicon electrode technology that significantly increases energy density. When combined with LFP (lithium iron phosphate) cathodes, which do not use rare metals like cobalt, these batteries offer a high-energy, resource-friendly, and cost-effective solution. Another area of development involves using organic compounds that undergo multi-electron reactions as the positive electrode, which prevents thermal runaway and addresses resource scarcity issues. The company's business model includes the development and manufacturing of these advanced batteries, as well as offering services like contract research, technology licensing for its pre-doping technology, and selling continuous pre-doping equipment that enhances battery capacity and stability. The primary market for these high-energy-density batteries includes applications requiring longer operational times, such as drones for infrastructure inspection, as well as robotics, electric vehicles (EVs), and high-altitude platform stations (HAPS).

Founder Masaharu Satoh has approximately two decades of research and development experience in the secondary battery industry. His journey began around 1999 at a major electronics manufacturer's research lab. Motivated by a desire to reinvigorate Japan's battery industry, he continued his research at another electronics company and later at Yamagata University before launching the START project at the University of Tokyo, which led to the establishment of ORLIB. The company has received support and funding from organizations like the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), and has secured investments through third-party allotments from corporate partners such as Toyota Boshoku Corporation and Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd. ORLIB's laboratory is located at the Yokohama Hardtech Hub.

Keywords: secondary batteries, multi-electron reaction, high-energy density, silicon anode, lithium-ion battery, organic cathode, battery technology, pre-doping, LFP batteries, drone batteries, electric vehicles, energy storage solutions, sustainable energy, advanced materials, battery manufacturing, research and development, university spin-off, Masaharu Satoh, Yokohama Hardtech Hub, JST START