(SLDP) Solid Power, Inc. Business Model Canvas Research

Samsung SDI has evaluated Solid Power’s solid-state battery technology, which gives Solid Power validation from a second major cell maker after its earlier partnerships. In 2025, this matters because it sharpens technical benchmarking and widens market credibility with 2 major OEM-facing battery partners.

• 2 major battery makers for validation
• Supports technical benchmarking
• Improves market credibility in 2025

The U.S. Department of Energy has supported Solid Power through public funding programs, cutting some early R&D cost and de-risking scale-up. It also fits U.S. battery policy, including the DOE’s $7 billion battery supply-chain push under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

• Non-dilutive support lowers early-stage spend.
• Strengthens U.S. battery supply-chain alignment.
• Helps validate Solid Power’s tech path.

Solid Power, Inc. uses OEM validation and testing to qualify its solid-state cells with automakers and cell partners, with checks on safety, cycle life, and performance targets. This step is mandatory before automotive adoption, and the auto path can take 12-24 months of repeat testing and sign-off.

• Tests safety, cycle life, performance
• Supports OEM qualification gates
• Direct path to auto adoption

Solid Power protects its solid-state battery IP with patents and trade secrets, then packages the tech for licensing and partner rollout. That work turns lab progress into commercial value by helping OEM and battery partners move from test data to deployment-ready plans.

• Patent and trade secret protection
• Licensing-ready technology transfer
• Partner deployment support
• Lab results to revenue path

Solid Power, Inc. depends on chemists, battery engineers, and manufacturing specialists to move sulfide solid-state cells from lab work to scale-up. In a deep-tech battery business, that human capital is the main asset because materials know-how, cell design, and process control decide how fast R&D turns into commercial product.

• Materials, cells, and scale-up expertise
• Human capital drives commercialization
• R&D talent reduces technical risk

Solid Power, Inc. relies on cash and marketable securities to fund operations because it is still pre-scale and burns cash on R&D and pilot-line work. As a public company, it can tap capital markets when needed, so liquidity is the key buffer between lab progress and funding risk.

That cash cushion matters more than near-term revenue, since the business is still building its production path for solid-state batteries.

• Funds R&D and pilot-line spending
• Supports operations before scale-up
• Gives access to public markets

Solid Power designs its sulfide electrolyte and all-solid-state battery process to slot into today’s cell lines, so automakers and battery makers can reuse much of their existing dry-room, coating, and assembly equipment. That lowers capex and transition risk, which matters as the Company moved through 2025 with no large-scale commercial battery revenue and a market cap tied to scale-up execution.

• Fits existing battery workflows.
• Cuts retrofit cost and friction.
• Speeds adoption for OEMs.

Solid Power develops its technology in the U.S., which can appeal to buyers that want a domestic battery supply chain and less exposure to overseas logistics risk. It also aligns with U.S. industrial policy, including the Inflation Reduction Act’s 45X credits of $35/kWh for cells and $10/kWh for modules.

• U.S.-based R&D and scale-up
• Supports domestic sourcing goals
• Fits IRA battery tax credits

Validation feedback loops are central at Solid Power, Inc.: testing with BMW, Ford, and SK On feeds back direct data on cell performance and manufacturability, which then shapes design and process changes. This tight loop helps keep development aligned with partner needs while reducing scale-up risk.

• Three key partners stress-test the cells
• Feedback drives design and process fixes
• Alignment improves customer fit

Solid Power’s future customer ties can be built on licensing, material supply, or both, with technical transfer helping partners adopt its sulfide-solid-state battery know-how. This fits an EV battery market built on deep OEM and supply-chain partnerships, where Solid Power already works with BMW, Ford, and SK On.

• Licensing plus material supply
• Technical transfer support
• Built for EV partnership models

Industry conferences are a key channel for Solid Power, Inc. to meet OEMs, suppliers, and investors, and to show its solid-state battery tech in technical settings where deep-tech buyers check proof, not hype. These events help the Company stay visible in battery and auto circles and speed partner talks.

• Meet OEM and supplier leads
• Build investor visibility
• Show technical credibility

Solid Power, Inc. uses its website, investor materials, and SEC filings to share progress on partnerships, product milestones, and strategy; its 2025 Form 10-K and 2025 quarterly filings keep investors aligned on execution and risk. Public disclosure also widens market awareness and gives a dated record of financial and operating updates.

• Tracks partnerships and milestones
• Updates strategy and risks
• Supports investor visibility

Strategic technology partners for Solid Power, Inc. are large battery and auto firms that work through collaboration or licensing to access its differentiated sulfide solid-state chemistry. Two anchor automakers, BMW and Ford, have already been tied to its validation path, and these partners matter because they help prove the cells at scale and speed adoption.

• Use collaboration to validate chemistry
• License for faster scale-up
• Target OEMs and battery leaders

Public-sector R&D programs are a key customer for Solid Power, Inc. because U.S. agencies fund battery research, testing, and pilot lines with non-dilutive money. The U.S. Department of Energy’s battery materials and manufacturing programs were funded at $3.16 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which supports early-stage solid-state work.

• Non-dilutive R&D funding
• Tests, pilots, and scale-up
• U.S. DOE is a core buyer

As a public Company, Solid Power carries recurring legal, audit, finance, and SEC-reporting overhead, plus general administration to support investor compliance. These SG&A costs stayed material in 2025 even before full commercialization, so they keep pressure on burn until product revenue scales.

• Public-company overhead stays fixed.
• Compliance costs hit cash burn.
• Scale is needed to absorb SG&A.

Solid Power, Inc. uses stock-based compensation to keep scarce battery engineers and materials talent, which matters in a tight 2025–2026 labor market. It cuts near-term cash burn, but it adds dilution, so every grant trades lower cash expense today for a bigger share count later.

• Retains technical talent
• Lowers cash expense now
• Raises dilution risk

Solid Power, Inc. can sell prototype cells to automakers and suppliers for testing, qualification, and joint validation programs; this is a small but strategic revenue stream that helps turn R&D into early commercial traction. In 2024, Solid Power reported revenue of about $20.1 million, showing this channel is already monetized while the company scales its solid-state battery platform.

• Supports partner qualification tests
• Creates early sales before mass launch
• Builds commercial proof with OEMs

Solid Power, Inc. can turn its sulfide electrolyte platform into license and collaboration fees, with cash tied to partner deals and future adoption. In FY2024, total revenue was $20.5 million, showing this stream is still early, but broad platform licensing could add recurring, high-margin upside as OEM and battery partner use expands.

• Monetizes IP through licenses
• Uses partner collaboration payments
• Upside rises with broad adoption