Amperesand aims to commercialize a smarter energy conversion solution for mass EV charging.
SINGAPORE – Amperesand, a start-up spun off from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), has received $10 million in funding to commercialize a revolutionary technology that aims to make electric vehicle (EV) charging more efficient. This investment comes as Singapore pushes toward the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. The funding will be used to develop proprietary equipment that will enable a smarter approach to converting electrical energy between the power grid and electric vehicles.
The start-up is the first recipient of the $75 million deep-tech pilot program, which was launched in September by Temasek, NTU, and the National University of Singapore (NUS). The goal of the program is to accelerate the commercialization of promising spin-off companies from these universities. Temasek’s deep-tech investment arm, Xora, provided $5 million, with the remaining $5 million matched by an undisclosed American-based deep-tech venture capital firm.
Amperesand’s innovation focuses on the solid-state transformer, which will play a key role in managing the energy needs of both EVs and solar energy systems that are increasingly being integrated into public power grids. Traditional transformers cannot effectively handle the conversion between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC), the two primary forms of electrical energy. The new technology enables efficient conversion between these two forms, a critical feature as more DC-powered devices such as EVs and solar panels come online.
According to Dr. Anshuman Tripathi, Amperesand’s co-founder and senior program director at NTU’s Energy Research Institute, the company’s solid-state transformer offers a more compact and efficient solution than traditional transformers. This will help regulate the flow of energy more effectively, improving the quality of power on the grid while facilitating faster charging of electric vehicles. By scaling the technology for multi-megawatt fast charging, Amperesand aims to significantly reduce charging times for EVs, which is expected to be a game-changer for the electric vehicle industry.
The start-up plans to deliver its first systems to customers globally by 2025, with the potential to transform both the EV landscape and the broader energy infrastructure.
