Mana Battery, Inc. (Broomfield, Colo.), a developer of high-energy anode-free sodium-ion battery technology, and Saft Groupe SAS (Levallois-Perret, France), a wholly owned subsidiary of TotalEnergies SE (Courbevoie, France) and a global leader in advanced battery solutions for demanding industrial and mission-critical applications, announced the signing of a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to jointly develop, validate, and pave the way toward commercialization of next-generation sodium-ion batteries.
Under the agreement, the companies will combine Mana Battery’s proprietary electrolyte platform and anode-free sodium-ion cell technology with Saft’s market access and deep expertise in cell design, prototyping, manufacturing, testing, and qualification. The collaboration will develop and validate cells and demonstrate the technology under the rigorous performance and safety conditions required by defense and critical-infrastructure customers.
Anode-free sodium-ion cells are assembled without an anode active material; the sodium anode forms in situ during initial operation. This architecture delivers a step change in energy density over conventional sodium-ion designs while retaining the fundamental advantages of sodium chemistry: abundant, low-cost raw materials free of lithium, cobalt, and nickel supply constraints, a resilient and geographically diversified supply chain, strong safety characteristics, and performance across an exceptionally wide temperature range.
Those attributes align closely with the needs of the markets the collaboration targets. Defense platforms demand batteries that start engines and power systems in extreme cold, tolerate high heat, hold charge through months of standby, and meet stringent military safety standards. Aerospace and rail applications place a premium on safety, reliability, and energy density. Meanwhile, the rapid build-out of AI and cloud computing infrastructure is driving unprecedented demand for datacenter backup power, and industrial uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems across critical infrastructure increasingly seek alternatives to legacy lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries that offer longer life, wider operating temperatures, and enhanced safety.
“Saft is exactly the partner we would design for this mission — a battery manufacturer with decades of experience qualifying cells for the world’s most demanding defense, aerospace, rail, and industrial customers,” said Tyler Evans, CEO of Mana Battery. “This agreement validates the maturity of our electrolyte and anode-free platform and puts it on the fastest possible path from the lab to the field, where its energy density, safety, and supply-chain advantages matter most.”
“Sodium-ion is a strategically important chemistry for the industries we serve, and anode-free designs are its most promising frontier,” said Kamen Nechev, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at Saft. “Mana Battery brings world-class electrolyte innovation that complements our cell design, manufacturing, and qualification capabilities. Together we intend to bring safe, high-performance sodium-ion batteries to defense, aerospace, rail, datacenter, and industrial UPS customers.”
The collaboration builds on a technical evaluation the companies began in 2025. Financial terms were not disclosed.