Top 10 Sodium-ion Battery Companies to Watch in 2026

BYD is the world's second-largest battery manufacturer and the largest EV producer by units, with a sodium-ion program ambitious in scale. It broke ground on a 30 GWh sodium-ion gigafactory in Xining in early 2024, operational by July 2025, and another 30 GWh facility in Xuzhou. BYD's NFPP cathode chemistry offers outstanding cycle stability and thermal safety. Its third-generation sodium-ion platform, announced February 2026, surpasses 10,000 cycles to 80% retention at -40°C—more than triple the cycle life of standard LFP. Cells achieve ~160 Wh/kg in blade format. The MC Cube-SIB targets 2–8-hour utility storage at 1,200V. BYD's vertical integration—producing cathode, anode, electrolyte, separator, and cells—outperforms #3 HiNa in supply chain independence, enabling adoption in the Seagull EV platform.

HiNa Battery, spun off from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2017, is a veteran sodium-ion champion with over 30 years of academic roots. In 2022, it established the world's first 1,000-ton-scale sodium-ion cathode line. Its HE240 cell delivers 240 Ah, 150+ Wh/kg, 8,000 cycles at 0.5C, operating from -40°C to 60°C—making it the most cycle-stable product among the top four for grid storage. The NE170 offers 10,000 cycles at 1C. A fast-charging cell for heavy commercial vehicles charges fully in 20 minutes. HiNa built the world's first 100 MWh sodium-ion storage project and a 50 MW station in Hubei (July 2024). Current production is 1 GWh, with a 5 GWh roadmap. Backed by Kecheng Capital and others, its 2022 valuation was $786 million.

Hithium, founded in 2019, is the highest-valuation pure-play energy storage battery maker in sodium-ion, with a $4.2 billion valuation after Series C. Its N162Ah BESS cell uses a NaxFePO4 cathode, delivering 95 Wh/kg (lowest among the top four) but an unmatched cycle life exceeding 20,000 cycles—the highest for mass-produced sodium-ion cells. It earned UN38.3 certification in October 2024, with GWh-scale production in Q4 2025. Hithium's Infinity Power Solutions, launched December 2025, is the world's first lithium-sodium hybrid for AI data centers, combining an 8-hour lithium cell with a 1-hour sodium cell in a 6.9 MW/55.2 MWh system. A global agreement with Samsung C&T in August 2025 and a Texas facility (10 GWh) give Hithium a US footprint that no other sodium-ion producer, including #3 HiNa, can match.

Faradion (Reliance New Energy) holds the strongest early-mover advantage in global sodium-ion, with commercial cells delivering 160 Wh/kg at 32 Ah and 4,000 cycles to 80 percent capacity retention. Founded in 2011 in Sheffield, the company pioneered layered nickel-manganese-magnesium-titanium oxide cathodes paired with hard carbon anodes. Its next-generation design targets 190 Wh/kg, which would outperform #6 Peak Energy's grid-focused cells by a 30 Wh/kg margin. Reliance Industries acquired Faradion for $136 million in 2022, committing an additional $34 million for growth, and plans a sodium-ion gigafactory in Jamnagar, India to reduce reliance on Chinese imports. This technology-licensing role for Indian EV and grid storage markets gives Faradion a supply-chain position no other Western sodium startup currently matches.

Peak Energy is the most commercially advanced sodium-ion company in the US, operating the nation's first large-scale sodium-ion system. Its NFPP polyanion cathode eliminates thermal runaway, enabling a passive thermal system that removes 85 percent of failure causes. The GS-1.1 product delivers 3.1 MWh with 95 percent DC round-trip efficiency across a -40 to 55°C range. In November 2025, Peak signed a $500 million contract with Jupiter Power for up to 4.75 GWh — the largest US sodium-ion deal — outperforming #7 Tiamat Energy's 5 GWh factory target in scale and maturity. A March 2026 deployment with RWE entered the MISO grid. Peak targets 5 GWh production by 2028 and 50 GWh by 2032, with a gigafactory starting operations in 2026.

Tiamat Energy’s NASICON cathode cells achieve 30C continuous and 100C pulse discharge, making them the fastest-charging sodium-ion option for power tools, UPS, and data centers. Gen1 cells provide 90 to 110 Wh/kg with over 5,000 cycles, while Gen2 targets 140 to 160 Wh/kg. Compared to #8 Altris’s Prussian White cells, Tiamat sacrifices 50 Wh/kg in energy density for 60 times faster charging via 100C pulses. Founded in 2017 in Amiens as a CNRS spin-off, the company secured $30 million in January 2024 from investors including Stellantis and Arkema. A 5 GWh gigafactory planned for 2029 will produce 500,000 cells daily, with 1.5 GW power output targeted for mid-2027. First 700 MWh/year phase shifted to 2026.

Altris AB’s Prussian White cathode uses only iron, salt, wood carbon, and air — eliminating cobalt, nickel, and manganese entirely — while matching LFP at 160 Wh/kg. This near-zero critical mineral cost outperforms #5 Faradion’s layered oxide chemistry, which still requires nickel and magnesium. Founded in 2017 in Uppsala as an Angstrom Advanced Battery Centre spin-off, Altris raised $77.1 million total, including a Series B1 led by Clarios and Volvo Cars Tech Fund. Its Sandviken factory produces 2,000 tons of cathode yearly (3 GWh equivalent). A partnership with Ligna Energy created the world's first ultrathin sodium-ion battery for wireless electronics, a niche no rival addresses. Northvolt integrated Altris’s technology before restructuring in 2024.

Envision Energy's sodium-ion cell, a 180 Ah format that began rolling off production lines in March 2026, is the most compelling entrant for AI data center backup power, a market projected to exceed 300 GWh this decade. Backed by a $500 million finance deal in April 2026, the company leverages its formidable financial position and integrated clean energy platform to outperform capital-constrained startup rivals like Sodion Energy. The cell's 20,000-cycle life and -40 to 70°C operating range ensure durability in extreme environments where lithium cells degrade fastest. Additionally, its 12.5 MWh AI energy storage system, equipped with AI adaptive power conversion, offers a software-defined advantage that no pure battery maker on this list can replicate.

Sodion Energy is the most strategically positioned sodium-ion startup for India's two-wheeler market, which sells 20 million units annually at prices below $2,000. Its oxide-based cells deliver 120 to 140 Wh/kg at the pack level, outperforming the average lithium-ion pack in thermal tolerance for tropical conditions. The company's cell-to-pack design reduces weight and cost by eliminating modules, making it cheaper than rival Altris’s modular approach for urban ranges of 80 to 150 km. Pilloted at 100 MWh capacity in Bengaluru, Sodion benefits from India's PLI incentives and pilot agreements with three OEMs, while Tiamat's European focus limits its access to this cost-sensitive market.