Driving innovation beyond the classroom

The intersection of academia and industry is central to professor Jay Whitacre’s role as a professor in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) and Engineering and Public Policy (EPP). In addition to his position at the university, Whitacre is CEO, CTO, and Founder of Stratus Materials, a CMU spin-out that develops and manufactures manganese-rich, cobalt-free cathode active materials (CAMs) for lithium-ion batteries. 

The company, funded by Bill Gates-backed venture firm Breakthrough Energy Ventures, was founded in 2022 with the intent to commercialize next generation battery materials that offer a combination of performance, safety, cost, and environmental impact to leading battery manufacturers and their original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers. 

“I’m enjoying wearing two hats - working with the company and teaching,” said Whitacre. “I think sharing the industry perspective with students gives them an opportunity to observe and gain insights into areas they may be interested in pursuing.” 

When he arrived at CMU as a faculty member in 2007, Whitacre had a wealth of experience in studying batteries and the metal oxide materials they rely on. As he was advising one of his doctoral students, Sven Burke, Ph.D ‘22, he encouraged him to study their sensitivity to heating and cooling rates. In 2020, when lab spaces on campus became inaccessible due to the pandemic, Whitacre set up a small laboratory off campus where significant progress was made that brought the concepts to a stage where fundraising could be initiated to launch the business. To date, Stratus has raised $22 million in venture funding and employs 29 team members, including MSE alumni Wei Wu (Ph.D. ‘14) and Jiang Chang (M.S. ‘14), CMU alumni Ardash Dave (Ph.D. ‘22) and Emma Rhem (BA, ‘03), and former staff member, Jared Mitchell. 

Sharing the industry perspective with students gives them an opportunity to observe and gain insights into areas they may be interested in pursuing.

Jay Whitacre, Trustee Professor in Energy, Engineering and Public Policy, Materials Science and Engineering

Stratus makes a stable next generation lithium-rich/manganese-rich oxide cathode material (LMR) referred to as “LXMO.” Cathode materials are currently a critical bottleneck in the domestic supply chains for advanced battery and electric vehicle production. This year, the company is increasing their capabilities by setting up a pilot line in an East Liberty facility that will process up to 30 tons of material annually.  

The company was awarded $2.99 million from the Department of Energy to develop a high-energy-density composite phosphate-based cathode active material called PhosCAM, which combines the high energy density attributes of lithium-rich/manganese-rich materials with the low cost and high safety of phosphate-based materials. The goal of this project is to demonstrate the ability to produce, at meaningful scale, phosCAM material that balances durability and cost. Reeja Jayan, professor of mechanical engineering, is a co-investigator with Whitacre on the grant.  

“This scaling will be big enough to make us compelling to the automotive and battery production industries,” Whitacre said. “Our intention is to have partnerships with various large companies along the value chain, including materials producers, battery cell makers, and automotive OEMs.”