Podcast
Cellmates by Lumicity
Hosted by Mike Norton and Jackson Lyons · EN
Cellmates provides a focused, expert-led exploration into battery tech, energy and storage in the US renewable energy sector - whether materials, manufacturing, testing & analytics, business models, policy, or recycling.
Co-hosts Mike and Jackson talk with the brightest minds in battery tech; featuring in-depth conversations with engineers, founders, researchers, and experts shaping the energy transition.
Key topics include battery innovation, grid-scale storage, clean energy policy, supply chain challenges, and the role of energy storage in decarbonization.
www.linkedin.com/company/lumicity/
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Eric Chaves, Terrament — Gravity Storage and the End of the Grid Waitlist
2w ago00:22:25Tap to summarizePumped hydro is 95% of the world's energy storage. We're running out of mountains. So what comes next?Mike Norton sits down with Eric Chaves, founder of Terrament - a company building large-scale, long-duration energy storage that replicates what pumped hydro does, but without needing rivers, reservoirs, or geography on your side.Eric's path to founding Terrament is genuinely unusual: architecture degree, industrial design, a decade in software, and then a moment of deliberate research where he asked himself what the single most important unsolved problem in energy actually was. The answer pulled him toward gravity storage - and a solution that's both ancient in principle and entirely new in execution.In this episode:Why pumped hydro still dominates global energy storage - and why we can't build much more of itWhy lithium-ion hits a hard cost wall beyond 8-10 hours of duration, and what the grid actually needs insteadHow Terrament uses deep underground shafts and a modular train of weights to replicate the physics of pumped hydro — buildable almost anywhere with suitable geologyThe AI data center energy crisis: grid connections are now backlogged 5+ years, gas turbines the same - and why Terrament can be built right on-siteWhy across-the-aisle political support exists for what Terrament is building - energy is universalThe grant process, building research partnerships, and what early-stage looks like when you're validating a technology that's genuinely never been done at scalePlus - Eric's honest take on the administration's impact on the energy transition, and why he's still optimistic.Eric Chaves | LinkedIn (36) Terrament: Overview | LinkedIn
Transcribe →
Chaitanya, Nascent Materials - Building the Battery Supply Chain the West Actually Needs
4w ago00:30:59Tap to summarizeBattery cathode materials startup Nascent Materials: founded by a former Tesla Gigafactory engineer fixing the supply problem he saw from the inside.Mike Norton and Jackson Lyons kick off Series 8 with Chaitanya Sharma, founder and CEO of Nascent Materials - a battery cathode materials startup based in Newark, New Jersey, that just closed its seed round.Chaitanya's CV is unlike most founders in this space. He was one of the first engineers hired at Tesla's original Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada - the facility where the term Gigafactory was literally coined. From there: a stint at Lithium Americas working on novel lithium extraction from soil deposits in Nevada, then co-building Imperium 3 New York - a ground-up Gigafactory startup in upstate New York.Every step pointed to the same problem: getting hold of consistently high-quality cathode materials is one of the hardest things a battery startup has to do. Nascent Materials exists to change that.In this episode:Why materials control ~80% of a battery cell's cost - and yet get a fraction of the attentionThe brutal reality of scaling up from lab to production - why a process that works perfectly in a small container can fail completely in a larger oneWhy the Western world can't simply copy the Chinese manufacturing model - the raw materials, labor structures, and government support systems are fundamentally differentHow Nascent is designing cathode materials with the end-use case embedded from day one, drawing on Chaitanya's experience running factories that consume these materialsClosing a seed round in a tough investment climate - and why the technology spoke for itselfWhat it actually means to be a CEO: speaking every department's language and aligning your whole team behind the missionIf you work in battery manufacturing, materials supply chains, or you're building a deep tech startup and want a masterclass in thinking from the ground up - this is the episode.Chaitanya Sharma | LinkedIn(35) Nascent Materials: Overview | LinkedIn
Transcribe →CIBI Episode 7: What’s Next for CIBI
Dec 1600:31:17Tap to summarizeIn this closing episode, we sit down with Dean Hossein Haj-Hariri to reflect on the major themes of the series and look ahead to the future of CIBI. We cover:Key learnings from across the seriesWhy the Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation is central to South Carolina's energy strategyThe power of partnerships and ecosystem buildingA vision for the future of US Battery InnovationCIBIUniversity of South Carolina
Transcribe →CIBI Ep.6 - Phenogy and the Power of Partnerships
Dec 200:34:32Tap to summarizeThis episode spotlights Phenogy, with CEO PeterBraun and Director North America Suzanne Dickerson,exploring how industry partnerships accelerate energy storage innovation.CIBIUniversity of South Carolina
Transcribe →CIBI Episode 5: Strategic Partnership Spotlight: Siemens
Nov 1800:30:13Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, we speak with Sam Phillips, Digital Strategies Lead at Siemens, about the company’s role in driving innovation at the intersection of research and industry. We cover:CIBIUniversity of South Carolina
Transcribe →CIBI Episode 4: Building South Carolina’s Clean Energy Ecosystem – Inside SC Nexus with Cristina Paredes
Nov 400:26:12Tap to summarizeThis week's exciting episode spotlights SC Nexus, a key player in building the collaborative ecosystem surrounding CIBI. We talk with one of the most informed and influential women in South Carolina, Cristina Paredes (Executive Director of SC Nexus) covering:How SC Nexus connects research, industry, and investmentThe strategic importance of ecosystem thinking for energy innovationSouth Carolina's role in strengthening US clean energy leadershipCIBIUniversity of South Carolina
Transcribe →CIBI Episode 3 - Alumni Success: Guiding a Fast Growing Industry
Oct 2101:01:33Tap to summarizeThis week's episode highlights how USC alumni are driving impact across national labs and industry.We hear from:Drew Pereira, NREL – early-career researcher at the frontline of battery R&DWill Rigdon, Stanley Black & Decker – mid-career leader bridging engineering and real-world deploymentVenkat Srinivasan, Argonne National Lab – late-career visionary shaping the national research agenda for energy storageKey themes:How USC talent is contributing to global battery leadershipBridging academic research, government labs, and industryAlumni insights on scaling innovation in a fast-moving sectorCIBI University of South Carolina
Transcribe →CIBI Episode 2 – USC Research: Faculty at the Forefront of Innovation
Oct 700:50:13Tap to summarizeIn Episode 2 of our CIBI Series, we turn the spotlight on the University of South Carolina (USC) faculty driving battery and energy storage research forward.This episode explores how researchers at different career stages — from early-career innovators to established leaders — are shaping the growth of the Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation (CIBI).You’ll hear insights from:Goli Jalilvand – early-career researcher leading fresh approaches in energy storage innovationXinyu Huang – mid-career faculty member advancing applied battery science and technologyRalph White & Adel Nasiri – late-career experts whose decades of research, mentorship, and leadership continue to influence global energy storage researchKey themes covered include:How diverse perspectives strengthen USC’s research communityThe role of faculty in connecting cutting-edge science with industry needsUSC’s long-standing leadership in energy storage research and its central role in CIBI’s growthThis conversation highlights why the University of South Carolina remains a cornerstone of U.S. battery research and how faculty expertise is powering the future of clean energy innovation.
Transcribe →
NENY Charge Up Series: Part 1 - The cohort
Sep 2501:14:58Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we speak with the leaders of 6 companies driving innovation in battery technology and energy storage, and carefully selected for the NENY Charge Up Accelerator.Amel Energy – non-toxic solvents and PFAS-free binders for sustainable lithium-ion manufacturingValgotech – developing lithium–sulfur batteries to diversify and secure supply chainsFastLion Energy (FLE) – improving performance and efficiency of next-generation batteriesvsNew – scaling solutions for U.S. battery manufacturing capacityCoulomb Technology – advancing smarter tools for battery monitoring and integrationLiBAMA Power – innovating new approaches in energy storage and power systemsThe NENY Charge Up Accelerator provides funding, lab access, mentorship, and ecosystem connections, supporting startups across four pillars: Innovation, Workforce Development, Equity & Justice, and Supply Chain.
Transcribe →Building CIBI: South Carolina’s New Hub for Battery Innovation
Sep 1800:31:42Tap to summarizeThis episode launches our special 7-part series on the Carolina Istitute for Battery Innovation (CIBI), founded in 2024 and adding to South Carolina’s long history in battery research dating back to the 1980s.We’re joined by William Mustain, key leader from the University of South Carolina, to explore how CIBI is positioning itself as a hub for world-class battery innovation.In this conversation, you’ll hear about:The origins of CIBI and its role in South Carolina’s clean energy ecosystemPlans for a 20,000 sq. ft. pilot-scale battery manufacturing facilityNew research labs and office space for 40+ researchers, opening in just 18 monthsStrategic partnerships with companies and national labs driving the initiative forwardHow USC is connecting decades of research expertise to shape CIBI’s growthThis series will also feature insights from Siemens, Phenogy, Stanley Black & Decker, SC Nexus, Argonne National Lab, NREL, and more — offering a rare look at how partnerships and infrastructure are accelerating the next chapter in battery research and energy storage innovation.(3) Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation: Overview | LinkedIn(3) University of South Carolina: Overview | LinkedIn(3) William Mustain | LinkedIn
Transcribe →