Advano, A Leading Provider Of Scalable Silicon Battery Solutions, Moves Into Next Phase Of Growth With Appointment Of Sam Trinch As Chief Business Officer

NEW ORLEANS, July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Advano, the company delivering a scalable "drop-in" material for lithium-ion batteries with higher energy density, announced today that Sam Trinch will be its Chief Business Officer. Trinch will be responsible for business development initiatives, with a major focus on supply chains in the US, Asia, and Europe.

Made from upcycled silicon waste from semiconductor or solar panel manufacturing, Advano's A-SiFx(™) is a silicon-based anode material currently being used as an additive to improve the energy storage of lithium-ion batteries. In the long term, A-SiFx will be used to fully replace graphite in the battery anode for maximum improvement in battery life. Advano's world-class battery design experts use a systems-based approach to understand the entire battery and maintain a 'scale-first' philosophy demonstrated by achieving ton scale in the US in 2021, followed by Advano's ability to expand to thousands of tons per year in any region around the world.

This announcement demonstrates Advano's continued momentum, following the recent closing of the company's $18.5 million Series A funding round.

"Sam brings proven leadership qualities and a thorough understanding of the customer landscape to our business development efforts," said Alexander Girau, Advano founder and CEO. "In his last five years at A123, Sam's team negotiated and closed over $6 billion in battery contracts with global automotive and energy companies, and he has developed semiconductors and electronic components for the automotive industry. His arrival comes at a critical time as we focus on growing our production capacity and expanding our global customer base."

"Advano is uniquely positioned to bring a li-ion scalable Si-anode solution, one of the major bottlenecks in energy density advancement, to manufacturing production using innovative material made right here in the United States," Trinch said. "We are changing the industry landscape with a material that can be used as both an additive and a replacement for graphite which leads to very real energy density gains. I am excited to join Alex and the talented management team as we increase production and expand into new markets."

Previously, Trinch served as Chief Commercial Officer of A123 Systems, a subsidiary of the Wanxiang Group, the largest privately held Chinese multinational automotive components manufacturer, that also makes lithium-ion batteries and energy storage systems. Trinch joins Advano with extensive experience working with companies around the world, supporting automotive technology business development and introducing clean technology into the industrial and energy grid space. Additionally, Trinch brings over 15 years of experience developing semiconductors and electronic components for the automotive market at Motorola, Philips, NEC Electronics, and Lear Corporation.

Today, Advano also announced it will open its new headquarters within the University of New Orleans (UNO) Research & Technology Park. Advano's offices feature some of the most advanced laboratory and industrial facilities in the Gulf Coast Region and will be the site for its manufacturing and production. The newly renovated 30,000 square-foot headquarters provides space for up to 100 employees, with additional space to expand.

"The people of New Orleans and the greater Gulf Coast Region understand our industry and how to manufacture chemicals and chemical-derived products like better batteries and ship them safely," Girau said. "This new facility will allow us to continue to innovate and grow our business so that we can bring a critical link to the US battery supply chain from right here in our home of New Orleans."

ABOUT ADVANO
Founded in 2016, and a 2017 graduate of Y Combinator, Advano is a New Orleans-based company delivering a sustainable, scalable solution for lithium-ion batteries with higher energy density. Advano has conquered the challenges of silicon to create A-SiFx(™) which is currently being used as an additive to improve energy storage of lithium-ion batteries, and in the long term will be used as a full replacement for graphite. By leveraging their 'scale-first' approach, Advano is on track to meet the demand and align with the unique requirements of blue-chip battery manufacturers and tier one consumer electronics and automotive companies around the world.

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SOURCE Advano