Innovative flow batteries
The start-up Unbound Potential has developed a new battery technology for long-duration energy storage – and received a grant of one million euros for it.
It’s been quite a success story for start-up Unbound Potential – and it all began with a project in the Student Project House at ETH Zurich. The goal was to find an innovative solution for long-duration energy storage. David Taylor, who was working as a postdoc at ETH at the time, teamed up with colleagues from various disciplines to develop a novel concept for a redox flow battery and build initial prototypes. By opting for immiscible electrolytes, they eliminated the need for an ion-exchange membrane, paving the way for a battery that offers a more efficient, affordable and sustainable way to store renewable energy for long periods of time.
It took the team just under two years from the initial idea to the launch of their start-up Unbound Potential in January 2023. Funding came from Germany’s Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIN-D), which awarded the founders a project grant of 1 million euros as part of its Long-Duration Energy Storage Challenge.
Student Project House
At this creative thinkspace and makerspace, ETH students from any discipline can receive support in developing and implementing their own project ideas. In this way, they learn about the various stages of the innovation process.
Globe Water
This text appeared in the 23/02 issue of the ETH magazine Globe.
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