Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics and the former US Secretary of Energy, has joined the Board of Directors of Amprius, a developer of lithium-ion batteries with operations in California and China.

Amprius, co-founded by Stanford Professor Yi Cui, introduced its first generation of batteries in May 2013, and it is now selling product to smartphone and tablet OEMs. The $30 million the company recently raised in a Series C funding round will help it to commercialize its next generation of batteries, which will use silicon nanowire anodes. Amprius has demonstrated batteries with energy density as high as 700 Wh/L, and has long-term plans to supply the EV market.

“Higher-energy and longer-lasting batteries are in high demand for numerous applications, from consumer electronics to electric transportation,” said Dr. Chu. “Amprius has exciting technology and strong scientific and commercial leadership. I look forward to advising Amprius’ development of silicon-based anodes, advanced cathodes, and next-generation batteries.”

Source: Green Car Congress