KULR Technology Group will lead the design, development, and safety engineering of a state-of-the-art BBU architecture.
HOUSTON—KULR Technology Group, Inc., reported in December that it entered into a joint development collaboration with “a leading global battery-cell manufacturer” to co-develop a battery backup unit (BBU) system.
According to a release from KULR, the companies will co-develop a next-generation KULR ONE® MAX Battery Backup Unit product line designed for AI-scale data centers and high-power computing environments. KULR will lead the design, development, safety engineering, and UL certification of a state-of-the-art BBU architecture built around a new ultra-high-power 21700 cell platform.
The collaboration is reported to advance KULR’s strategic position in the AI data-center energy market, establishing the foundation for a commercial program with up to $100 million in projected value, the company said.
“AI-scale computing is fundamentally reshaping how data centers think about power, safety, and reliability,” said Michael Mo, chief executive officer of KULR Technology Group, in the release. “KULR has spent years building energy systems designed to perform safely and consistently in the most demanding environments, and this initiative allows us to extend that foundation into next-generation battery backup solutions, purpose-built for modern AI workloads. As compute density and energy intensity continue to rise, we see a clear opportunity to deliver scalable, certifiable battery infrastructure that meets where the industry is headed.”
KULR Technology Group, Inc. describes itself as a Bitcoin+ Treasury company that builds a portfolio of frontier technology businesses ranging from high-performance energy systems to AI Robotics. The company develops cutting-edge energy storage systems for space, aerospace, and defense by “leveraging a foundation of in-house battery design expertise, comprehensive cell and battery testing suite, and battery fabrication and production capabilities.”
According to KULR, the jointly developed BBU system will be optimized around an ultra-high-power 21700 cell architecture capable of supporting the next generation of ultra-high-current and high-power AI server workloads. The platform is engineered to meet the Meta Open Compute Project (OCP) ORV3 standard, as well as the NVIDIA GPU roadmap for 800 HVDC requirements.
“KULR will provide system-level architecture, thermal-management engineering, propagation-resistance design, and lead all UL 9540 and UL 9540A certification activities,” the release stated. “The partner cell manufacturer will support cell-level integration and provide technical resources as needed.”
Long-term supply commitment supports commercial scale
KULR’s joint-development partner has committed to supplying, upon successful UL 9540 certification, its ultra-high-power 21700 cells for the newly developed BBU product line throughout the lifetime of the program. This is said to ensure that KULR has predictable, scalable, cost-controlled access to premium high-performance cells as it moves into commercial production.
KULR’s capabilities are said to enable “delivery of commercial-off-the-shelf and custom next-generation energy storage systems in rapid timelines, for a fraction of the cost compared to traditional programs.”
“This venture accelerates KULR’s continued efforts to meet growing global demand for safe, certifiable, high-power lithium-ion backup systems across global hyperscalers, cloud service providers, AI data-center operators, and system integrators,” the release stated.