HiNa Battery Technology

HiNa Battery Technology Co., Ltd. occupies a unique position in the sodium-ion landscape: it is simultaneously one of the technology's oldest institutional champions and one of its most commercially active producers. Founded in 2017 in Beijing as a spin-off from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, HiNa traces its intellectual lineage to over 30 years of academic sodium-ion research. Its chairman Chen Liquan — dubbed 'the father of Chinese lithium batteries' — began exploring sodium-ion alternatives in the late 1980s and built the academic foundation that HiNa now commercializes. At 85 years old in 2026, Chen still oversees R&D alongside chairman Hu Yongsheng. HiNa achieved a landmark in 2022 by establishing the world's first 1,000-ton-scale sodium-ion cathode production line. Its current product portfolio spans two commercial lines: the HE240 (240 Ah, over 150 Wh/kg, 8,000 cycles at 0.5C rate, -40 to 60 degrees Celsius operating range) and the NE170 (170 Ah, over 100 Wh/kg, 10,000 cycles at 1C rate), both targeting energy storage applications. A third product — a fast-charging cell for heavy commercial vehicles capable of full charge in 20 minutes — was unveiled at an industry summit in March 2025. The company supplied and commissioned the world's first 100 MWh sodium-ion energy storage project, and a 50 MW station in Hubei Province became operational in July 2024. The National Energy Administration recognized HiNa among China's top 10 technological innovations in the energy industry for 2024. Current production stands at 1 GWh with a roadmap to 5 GWh. In January 2025, HiNa closed a venture round from Kecheng Capital and Dashu Changqing, adding to backing from Oceanpine Capital, Join Hands Capital, and China State-owned Enterprise Mixed Ownership Reform Fund. The company's 2022 valuation was reported at $786 million.