Thin batteries

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Opportunities for Thin-Film Batteries NanoMarket
s, LC March 2014
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ABOUT NANOMARKETS

• NanoMarkets provides industry analysis of
  advanced materials markets in the energy and
  electronics sectors. We have been covering these
  activities for a decade.
• Our work includes market, company and technology
  analysis, market forecasting and due diligence.
• Offerings include reports, custom consulting,
  seminars/webinars and in-house training.
  NanoMarkets is based in US, with extensive
  contacts all over the world.

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ABOUT THE REPORT
NanoMarkets has provided coverage on the
thin-film and printed batteries market for six
years and has a deep understanding of what makes
this market tick.  During the period we have
covered these power sources, some of the firms in
this space have made slow but steady progress
both technically and in terms of business
development a few of them are generating
significant revenue.  Other thin-film and printed
battery firms have quit the market. What have
changed are the markets that are being addressed
by these batteries.  When the thin-film and
printed battery business first appeared, the
thought was that the main opportunity for them
was RFID.  But RFIDs have not taken off in the
way that many people hoped.  By contrast, these
thin batteries have proved highly suited for
powered smartcards, but for now this just a
niche. Now it seems that a new opportunity might
be appearing in the form of the so-called
Internet-of-things, which promises ubiquitous
sensors and other low-cost electronics.  Such
devices need to be powered and thin batteries
may be just the power source that the
Internet-of-Things needs. In this years report,
NanoMarkets analyzes these emerging
opportunities.  We also discuss the latest
materials and design strategies being pursued by
the thin-film and printed battery makers and
assess how successful they are likely to be in
the marketplace. 
2014 NanoMarkets, LC
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RELATED REPORTS

• Printed Electronics Version 3.0 A Market
  Forecast
• The Market for Sensors in the Internet-of-Things
  Market 2013-to-2020
• New Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries
  - 2012

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key developments In the Battery industry

• Thin Film and Printed Battery Market is on the
  verge of new developments that will expand its
  revenue potential
• Some of the emerging devices will require
  batteries that are especially thin, flexible,
  lightweight, or created in non-standard shapes
  and sizes.
• New entries

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• Market shifts In the Battery industry

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Thin batteries potential markets
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Improvements in manufacturing technologies

• Focus of battery manufacturers towards
  simplifying manufacturing process to achieve
  lower cost, necessary scale and quality
• Solicores digital printing is one such move that
  has helped it in achieving economies of scale
• Other than production on large scale,
  customization of batteries to meet the specific
  requirements of customers is another advantage of
  such processes
• Deposition processes and manufacturing at low
  temperature enables use of flexible substrate and
  nano-composite coatings
• Motorola patented process for fabrication of
  thin-film batteries includes the deposition of an
  electrolyte layer followed by selective laser
  pattering of the electrolyte
• Active participation of both thin-film battery
  manufacturers and process equipment manufacturers
  being observed which is a positive development
  for the industry

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Opportunities for material suppliers
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Thin-film battery firms to watch
Firms Description
Cymbet Enerchip, Cymbets brand for manufacturing and marketing chip batteries.
Cymbet Targets a broad range of industries including telecom/networking, consumer electronics, military/aerospace, transportation, wireless handheld, embedded systems, computing and semiconductor related.
Cymbet In semiconductor applications, Cymbet offers battery integrated to RTC clock and it is also partnering with portable power manufacturers to market their product.
Cymbet At present, Cymbet, is the only company that offers bio-compatible batteries for medical implants.
Solicore More focused on printed thin-film batteries for smartcards.
Solicore Partnered with major smart card firms globally to drive growth of powered smart cards market.
Solicore Other than smartcards, RFID and medical devices are the markets for which Solicore has shown interest.
Solicore Digital printing process has enabled Solicore to upgrade its scale of production and provide customized battery solution to its customers .
Blue Spark Technologies RFID and temperature monitoring systems were first targets .
Blue Spark Technologies At present, sensors market the main target of Blue Spark Technologies battery related products.
Blue Spark Technologies Recently, partnered with Trace Tech ID solutions to develop battery-assisted passive(BAP) RFID temperature sensor solution
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Thin-film battery firms to watch
Firms Description
Enfucell Offers printed battery called soft Battery targetting RFID tags, micro sensors, transdermal pharmaceutical and cosmetic patches, and functional packaging.
Enfucell Recently partnered with Xymox Technologies for printing Enfucells softBattery at their facility but do manufacture battery-assisted devices too.
Enfucell Pragmatic Printing and Printed Electronics Limited (PEL) are other partners of Enfucell from printed electronics industry.
Enfucell Along with partners Pragmatic Printing and Printed Electronics Limited (PEL), Enfucell has developed integrated printed electronics concept in business card fomat.
Imprint Energy A start up that has designed a new battery that can be screen printed and consists of a Zinc anode, a solid polymer electrolyte, and a metal oxide cathode.
Imprint Energy Making Zinc batteries rechargeable was a challenge which Imprint Energy is trying to resolve through its battery solution.
Imprint Energy Imprint Energy batteries are safer and have advantage to being more flexible over Li-ion batteries, thus Imprint Energy batteries are more likely to accepted in wearable devices segment .
Imprint Energy In-Q-Tel, a strategic investment firm that supports mission of U.S Intelligence community, has invested in Imprint Energy.
Imprint Energy Lack of experience is the only disadvantage with Imprint Energy.

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Investment trends in thin-film/printed battery
industry
Nov, 2013, Solicore able to secure capital
investment of 4 million from a new investor,
New Science Ventures
In April, 2013, Cymbet able to secure an
investment of 20 million equity deal from
Island Shore Investments
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Role of Business Ecosystems
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market forecast for Thin-film and printed
batteries
Major portion of demand for thin batteries is
likely to come from mobile phones segment
CAGR is more than 45
Wearables likely to be one of the major emerging
market for thin-film batteries
Smart cards and sensors will continue to generate
demand for printed batteries
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