Ilika (AIM:IKA), the UK solid-state battery (SSB) developer, has completed its grant-supported PRIMED programme to optimise its Goliath 10Ah battery prototypes.
The AIM-listed company, which targets electric vehicles, defence and consumer appliance markets through its Goliath and Stereax product lines, chose to focus resources on refining the 10Ah cells rather than scaling them up to 50Ah during the 12-month project.
That decision has already yielded commercial traction: a UK defence agency gave positive feedback on the battlefield resilience of Goliath cells, leading to ongoing commercial discussions, while Ilika and Brompton began a 12-month joint development programme for next-generation foldable e-bikes.
Ilika also secured independent third-party testing of its Goliath cells through About:Energy, with the results now listed on The Voltt, About:Energy's cell selection platform.
"Adding Ilika's Goliath cells to The Voltt means pack designers can now test the cells virtually, obtaining the performance data that matters for next-gen programme decisions," said About:Energy CEO Gavin White.
Technical gains from the programme include improved gravimetric energy density, higher peak power, faster charging, longer cycle life and thermal stability at higher temperatures.
The £3 million programme, of which Ilika received £1.25 million in grant funding, was backed by the UK Government's £4 billion DRIVE35 initiative, delivered through the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade alongside the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK and Innovate UK.
Ilika partnered with manufacturing consultancy HSSMI and used electrode production lines at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, with HSSMI producing a Production Scale Model to support future gigafactory-level output.
"The performance of our 10Ah cell format offers a useful early commercialisation opportunity at this point on our roadmap, as we continue to interact with automotive partners for our ultimate EV rollout," said Ilika chief executive Graeme Purdy.
News Intelligence what this means for the company
Ilika has completed its PRIMED optimisation programme on Goliath 10Ah cells, prioritising performance refinement over scale-up and securing tangible commercial validation: a UK defence agency has begun commercial discussions following positive battlefield resilience feedback, Brompton Bicycles has launched a 12-month joint development programme for e-bikes, and independent third-party testing via About:Energy now makes the cells available to pack designers on The Voltt platform. The company received £1.25 million in grant funding for the £3 million programme and achieved technical gains including improved energy density, peak power, charging speed, cycle life and thermal stability—positioning the 10Ah format as an early commercialisation opportunity while it pursues larger automotive partnerships.
- Brompton Bicycles' 12-month joint development programme signals near-term revenue potential in the e-bike segment, a lower-barrier entry point than automotive OEM qualification.
- Third-party validation through About:Energy and listing on The Voltt removes a key information barrier for potential customers evaluating Goliath cells, likely accelerating design-in discussions beyond defence.
- The decision to optimise 10Ah rather than scale to 50Ah suggests Ilika is managing cash burn strategically; the company allocated about £3 million of its recent fundraising to Goliath development, and completing PRIMED on schedule may extend runway for automotive qualification work.
Ilika has moved from prototype to validated product with real commercial traction (defence interest, Brompton partnership, third-party testing), reducing execution risk on Goliath. However, the company remains pre-revenue on Goliath and dependent on automotive OEM adoption; the 10Ah format is a stepping stone, not the ultimate EV target, and the path to gigafactory-scale production and material revenue remains unproven.
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