Battery safety startup Amionx lands Stanley Black & Decker as first named customer

Amionx, a startup trying to make batteries safer, has landed its first named customer in tool maker Stanley Black & Decker, which has licensed Amionx's SafeCore technology.

Why it matters: Batteries are increasingly central to all sorts of digital devices, from phones to electric cars — but because by their nature they compress volatile components into tight spaces, they create risks of fire and explosion.

The bigger picture: Amionx has long-term ambitions of adding its technology to all manner of gear, from electric vehicles to tools to consumer electronics.

How it works: Amionx's technology adds a material to the battery that acts something like an internal fuse that can be triggered whenever a current, voltage or temperature threshold is exceeded. 

• Amionx is a spin-off of American Lithium Energy Corp. which has used the technology in more than 20,000 batteries for the military. Former Qualcomm president Steve Altman is an investor and president of Amionx's board of directors.

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