Nuvola

Nuvola Technology is a Los Angeles-based deep tech startup transforming lithium-ion battery manufacturing through its flagship product, SafeCoat™ DDS (Direct Deposition Separator). Rather than relying on conventional freestanding plastic film separators - which require billion-dollar standalone factories to manufacture - Nuvola's SafeCoat process sprays a porous polymer directly onto battery electrodes in a single, integrated roll-to-roll step. This eliminates the need for a separate separator supply chain entirely, while also encapsulating the thin edges of electrodes to dramatically improve cell safety. The company holds 9 global patents issued since 2018 across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, covering material formulation, the deposition process, and cell design.

SafeCoat™ DDS delivers a trifecta of improvements that are notoriously difficult to achieve simultaneously: a 99% reduction in fire risk (verified at 220°C and confirmed through nail penetration testing), a boost in energy density from the ultra-thin separator layer, and substantial cost savings - estimated at $350M per 40GWh factory - by eliminating the capital-intensive separator production infrastructure. The technology integrates seamlessly into existing roll-to-roll manufacturing lines and is compatible with all battery cell formats and chemistries, making adoption straightforward for existing cell makers. Nuvola is currently sampling SafeCoat to leading battery OEMs globally and is targeting pilot production in 2026.

Founded by Dr. Janet Hur and Dr. Leland Smith - both UCLA PhDs who began collaborating on microbattery and advanced materials research - Nuvola was selected early by Y Combinator and was recognized in Forbes' 50 Women-Led Startups. The company's significance to the US energy supply chain is substantial: battery separators are a critical processed material largely imported from Asia, and Nuvola's on-site deposition approach offers a path to domestically manufactured, capital-light battery production that reduces geopolitical supply risk. As lithium-ion batteries underpin EVs, grid-scale storage (BESS), and AI data center energy systems, safer and cheaper domestic cell manufacturing is a national priority - exactly where Nuvola's technology plays.