Blue Whale Materials, a lithium-ion battery recycling company and a portfolio company of Ara Partners, has purchased Eclipse Energy, a Greenfield, Ind.-based battery testing and evaluation lab.
The deal aims to expand Blue Whale Materials’ testing offerings to cover the life cycle of batteries, from initial testing to end-of-life evaluation for remanufacturing or reuse in secondary applications. To facilitate the expansion, Blue Whale Materials has formed a new subsidiary, BW Energy and Innovation, which is focused on battery testing and evaluation. The subsidiary will offer a range of battery testing and certification services across a set of battery chemistries, including performance, thermal cycling, aging and abuse and safety testing.
“Our customers will now have access to end-to-end solutions for the entire battery life cycle — a critical step as we develop a preeminent network for li-ion battery collection in the U.S.,” says Robert Kang, CEO of Blue Whale Materials.