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BMW i Ventures today announced that it was part of an investment in Estes Energy Solutions, Inc., a California-based materials and manufacturing firm specializing in zero-emission power systems for the electrification of commercial and industrial markets using lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries that are relatively inexpensive to make because they don’t use rare earth metals such as cobalt and nickel. The pilot manufacturing line resulting from the influx of capital will enable Estes to increase the U.S.-based battery supply chain. The $11 million seed round was co-led with Fortescue Ventures with participation from New Systems Ventures, and early investor DCVC.
“What makes Estes different isn’t just the unique technology, it’s the people.” said Baris Guzel, Partner at BMW i Ventures. “This is a team that’s been in the trenches, building rugged, high-density battery systems with real-world safety and scale in mind. It’s that rare blend of deep engineering chops, operator mindset, and execution urgency. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with them.”
“BMW i Ventures’ investment underscores its commitment to supporting disruptive technologies that enable the future of electrification. Estes is charting a new path to drive further improvements at the pack level, one focused on novel materials, advanced manufacturing processes, and architectural optimizations which unlock a new paradigm of performance and economics for high voltage battery packs in the U.S. electrification market,” the independent venture capital arm of BMW Group also said.
Estes’ modular platform “addresses cost-sensitive applications with an LFP-powered variant, and mass-sensitive applications with a nickel-powered variant. Both systems are suitable for heavy-use applications and are seamlessly interchangeable with one another, offering OEMs the ability to serve broad markets from a single integration effort,” according to Estes.
“We’re experiencing a broadening of demand across new electrification markets. From defense and aviation to marine, rail, and off-highway sectors, the need for the next generation of battery systems is accelerating,” said Dustin Grace, CEO of Estes. “This funding propels us towards serving these markets at the level of performance, economics, and domestic resilience necessary for sustainable growth.”
Estes will deploy this new capital to expand its development team, build-out pilot manufacturing capability, and begin implementing systems to early customers in Q4 2025.
