Mana Battery, Inc. (Broomfield, Colo.), a developer of high-energy anode-free sodium-ion battery technology, and Saft Groupe SAS (Levallois-Perret, France), a wholly owned subsidiary of TotalEnergies SE (Courbevoie, France) and a global leader in advanced battery solutions for demanding industrial and mission-critical applications, announced the signing of a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to jointly develop, validate, and pave the way toward commercialization of next-generation sodium-ion batteries. Under the agreement, the companies will combine Mana Battery’s proprietary electrolyte platform and anode-free sodium-ion cell technology with Saft’s market access and deep expertise in cell design, prototyping, manufacturing, testing, and qualification. Anode-free sodium-ion cells are assembled without an anode active material; the sodium anode forms in situ during initial operation. “Mana Battery brings world-class electrolyte innovation that complements our cell design, manufacturing, and qualification capabilities. Together we intend to bring safe, high-performance sodium-ion batteries to defense, aerospace, rail, datacenter, and industrial UPS customers.”