New York State’s University of Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) has entered into a licensing agreement with its first student spin-off company, B.E.S.S. Technologies, which plans to scale up and launch commercially next-generation silicon/silicide nanostructured anode technology designed to significantly increase lithium-ion batteries’ energy storage capacity and lifespan.
B.E.S.S. (Battery Energy Storage Systems) is a component design and engineering firm started by a group of CNSE graduate students in 2010, with Fernando Gómez-Baquero as its Chief Executive Officer. In addition to this licensing agreement, B.E.S.S. will have continued access to the cleanrooms, laboratories and tooling at CNSE, providing stability as the company grows. The University suggests that the arrangement will increase the likelihood that B.E.S.S. will attract additional funding from investors and venture capitalists.
CNSE has already assisted B.E.S.S. in obtaining more than US$800,000 in funding through technology programmes offered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Partnerships for Innovation programme.
B.E.S.S. is one of 15 companies working with CNSE’s Incubators for Collaborating & Leveraging Energy and Nanotechnology, which provides technical incubation assistance, including investment, legal and insurance contacts, mentoring, and other start-up business support. BESS also captured first place in the inaugural New York Business Plan Competition held at CNSE in 2010, earning US$19,000 in cash and in-kind services for its battery storage technology.
