BMW i Ventures Fuels Estes Energy’s Modular Battery Platform
BMW i Ventures has co‑led an $11 million seed funding round in California innovator Estes Energy Solutions alongside Fortescue Ventures, with New Systems Ventures and existing backer DCVC also joining. The fresh capital lifts Estes’ total funding to $20 million and positions the company to finalise its chemistry-agnostic modular battery pack platform while launching domestic manufacturing in the United States.
Estes Energy Solutions builds a modular battery pack platform that pairs novel materials with advanced manufacturing processes to deliver higher performance, lower cost and enhanced safety for high‑voltage applications across the US electrification market. The architecture offers an LFP option for cost-focused duty cycles and a nickel-rich variant for mass-critical missions, enabling OEMs to serve diverse sectors through a single integration effort.
Baris Guzel, Partner at BMW i Ventures, stated, “What makes Estes different isn’t just the unique technology—it’s the people. This team has built rugged, high‑density systems designed for real‑world scale and safety, and we are thrilled to partner with them.”
Commercial partners in the defence, aviation, marine, rail, and off-highway segments have already expressed keen interest. Estes will open a pilot manufacturing line to deliver early orders and strengthen a US battery supply chain aligned with national priorities.
Chief Executive Dustin Grace added, “Demand for next‑generation battery systems is accelerating. This funding propels us towards serving emerging electrification markets with the performance, economics and domestic resilience they require.”
Estes will utilise the new investment to expand its engineering team, complete the pilot facility, and begin shipping systems to lead customers in the fourth quarter of 2025.