Behind Crino The three founders are Ilya Zilberman, Andreas Noel, and Felix Bauer. Before their startup, Ilya Zilberman and Andreas Noel conducted joint research in the field of lithium-ion cells at the Chair of Electrical Energy Storage Technology at TUM. Felix Bauer worked in the purchasing department of a large OEM before being recruited by the two to co-found Crino.
The Crino founders' vision is to make batteries cheaper and more powerful through the industrial use of thermal measurement methods. An end-of-line (EOL) test is essential in the production of lithium-ion cells. This test ensures that the cells are free from material defects:
"A major problem with lithium-ion cells is that they can easily catch fire or even explode if they fail. BMW and Ford, for example, are currently recalling vehicles due to an increased fire risk from battery cells. Therefore, all cells must be tested for safety during production."
From two weeks to less than one day
The test currently takes 14 days, making lithium-ion cells more expensive than necessary. Crino's technology—which the startup has also patented—aims to reduce the test time to less than one day. This should save storage, equipment, and capital costs in the production of lithium-ion cells, and reduce waste. But hasn't this been around for a long time? Felix Bauer says:
"Of course, thermal measurements on battery cells already exist, but there are no devices specifically developed for the requirements of lithium-ion cells. Our measuring devices can be integrated into production lines, are accordingly scalable, and are significantly more cost-effective than all known technologies. In the field of safety testing in production, there is no other technology besides ours that is as fast and as precise. But of course, competition never sleeps. Therefore, our focus is clearly on rapid market readiness and establishing the product."
The startup is currently testing its technology in a cell production facility in Germany – and according to the founders, the initial results look promising. The first customers have already been acquired.
“In five years we will be number 1 in cell finishing”
Crino has already attracted attention in the Munich startup scene, winning the jury in the first phase of the Munich Business Plan Competition convince yourself.
And what's next? The founders say:
"In five years, we'll be number 1 in cell finishing and equipping gigafactories like those of Tesla, Samsung, LG, and CATL with our test systems. We'll also shift our product focus from hardware to software. This will enable us to offer customers significant advantages in optimizing their production."
Ambitious plans. Is a quick exit also planned? Felix Bauer emphasizes:
“We are a deep-tech startup, so even a quick exit requires patience.”
