The first domestic sodium-ion battery brand. Tariff-protected. 45X-eligible.
$250K–$500K Pre-Seed via SAFE. $3M–$4M post-money cap, 20% discount. Timing-driven by the convergence of three irreversible factors: cell-pricing parity, permanent China tariffs, and the IRA 45X manufacturing credit.
Where the round goes.
Pre-Seed is intentionally inventory-heavy. Phase 1 economics depend on landing a deep enough catalog at first dealer-order to support a real launch. Marketing is second priority — directly funding the dealer-acquisition flywheel. Manufacturing-readiness work runs in the background.
Remaining 10% is reserve — deliberately unallocated, against early-stage surprises.
Three irreversible factors converged in 2025.
If any one of these hadn’t happened yet, we’d wait. All three did, in the same year. The window opens for a domestic sodium-ion brand exactly once.
Cell pricing parity
Sodium-ion cell pricing crossed parity with LFP in 2025. The legacy “energy density penalty” stops mattering for powersports applications where the form factor was already volume-constrained.
Permanent China tariffs
The 25–100% tariff wall on Chinese cells is bipartisan and permanent. Domestic chemistry — sourced from outside China today, made in America by 2029 — sidesteps the tariff structure entirely.
IRA 45X manufacturing credit
$35/kWh production tax credit on cells made in the United States. Pays back the Phase 4 plant on a 4-5 year horizon at modest volumes.
Catalog economics at launch.
Conservative ASPs across the Phase 1 SKU range. Phase 2 portable + home expands the catalog into 5-10× higher-ticket units once powersports + auto are healthy.
| SKU | Form factor | Retail ASP | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| YTX9-BS | Powersports — 8 Ah / 135 CCA | $159 – $169 | In production · Q1 2026 |
| YTX12-BS | Powersports — 10 Ah / 220 CCA (lead SKU) | $199 – $229 | In production · Q1 2026 |
| YTX14-BS | Powersports — 12 Ah / 220 CCA | $269 – $299 | Pre-production · Q2 2026 |
| Group 35 | Automotive — Asian-import volume size | $379 – $429 | Pre-production · Q2 2026 |
| Group 24 | Automotive — domestic SUV / truck | $429 – $479 | Pre-production · Q2 2026 |
| Group 48 / H6 | Automotive — European spec / AGM replacement | $449 – $499 | In development · Q3 2026 |