Welcome to the Aqueous Battery Brief. In this week’s roundup: ZincFive’s SPAC, Time’s new list, and much more.
ZincFive Announces Plans to Go Public at ~$752M Valuation
The nickel-zinc battery maker has announced plans to go public via SPAC in a deal that is expected to close in the second half of 2026. The company caters to data center and AI infrastructure markets and comes with significant market traction:
- Nearly 2 GW of systems deployed and contracted globally
- Revenue doubling from 2024 to approximately $66.9 million in 2025
- An $81 million backlog as of December 31, 2025.
Read more in the company press release, Bloomberg News, and Data Center Dynamics.
U.S. Energy Department Awards Two Flow Manufacturers
The U.S. Department of Energy‘s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations has awarded five LDES Demonstrations Lab Call projects with a combined $30 million in federal funding, including funding for two leading flow battery manufacturers:
- Argonne National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory will work with solid flow battery manufacturer CMBlu Energy to enable economically viable electric vehicle fast charging with energy storage systems and enhancing microgrids in cold climates by providing load management and reliability.
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will work with vanadium flow manufacturer Invinity Energy Systems to demonstrate flow battery performance with a 24-hour discharge duration technology. The system aims to meet critical loads during outages.
Read the official announcement.
RKP and Richmond Vanadium Team Up for Vertically Integrated VRFB
Chinese VRFB manufacturer RKP Global has signed an agreement with Australian vanadium mine owner Richmond Vanadium Technologies (RVT) to explore creating a single “mine to battery” supply chain. The planned outfit will focus on the Richmond-Julia Creek Vanadium Project in North Queensland, one of the world’s largest untapped vanadium deposits. Details in Mining.com.au.
Aqueous on Time’s Top
Iron-flow giant ESS Inc., iron-air leader Form Energy, and soon-to-be-public zinc mega player ZincFive all rank in Time Magazine’s World’s Top GreenTech Companies of 2026. Read the list.
A Stellar 2026 So Far
In the first half of 2026:
- Octet’s additive library hit 450 molecules.
- Over 65% of Octet’s clients are new.
- Clients now turn to us for day one guidance on developing the most effective electrolyte from the start.
Read about Octet’s achievements and the industry’s growth in a banner 1H.
Mark Your Calendars
Webinar: Form Energy
Clean Energy Group‘s next Beyond Lithium webinar will spotlight iron-air giant Form Energy. Hear from Sarah Jackson, Form’s Director of Government Affairs. Time: August 6th 2026 @ 1PM ET. Details & Registration
📆 Get ahead of your planning with the Aqueous Energy Events Calendar in our December 29th Aqueous Battery Brief.
Who’s Hiring
Seeking a new role — or know someone who is? Start with the quick links to aqueous firms’ open roles pages below.
Have a specific open position you’d like to highlight? Send us an e-mail.
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