Amprius Technologies is a Fremont, California battery company focused on silicon-anode lithium-ion cells for aircraft, drones, defense systems, light electric vehicles, and other high-performance applications. The company entered 2026 with commercial momentum, including record Q1 revenue of $28.5 million , a $21 million purchase order from a light electric vehicle customer, and a U.S. manufacturing partnership with Nanotech Energy. AI-generated image Editorial visualization of silicon-anode pouch cells moving through inspection. Key Stats 2008 Founded 500 Wh/kg High-Energy Class $28.5M Q1 2026 Revenue 2+ GWh Capacity Access Why Amprius Matters Now Amprius matters because silicon anodes are moving from battery conference slides into commercial products. Graphite has carried lithium-ion for decades, but it is reaching practical limits in energy density and fast-charge performance. Silicon can store far more lithium than graphite by weight, which makes it attractive for aircraft, drones, defense platforms, and compact vehicles that need every watt-hour they can carry. The tradeoff is well known. Silicon expands during charge, contracts during discharge, and can damage a cell if the architecture is not managed carefully. Amprius has spent years building cells that use silicon nanowire and silicon-dominant approaches to capture the upside while controlling swelling, cycle life, and manufacturability. That makes the company different from battery startups that rely only on material promises. Amprius has shipped cells into demanding markets where high energy density justifies higher cost. Aviation and defense customers can pay for performance before the technology is cheap enough for mass-market cars. The 2026 story is about scale. Amprius is using SiCore products through contract manufacturing while expanding U.S. capability through Nanotech Energy and a Defense Innovation Unit-backed pilot line. That approach replaces the older plan to build a large Colorado factory quickly with a more distributed manufacturing path. Company Core Product Commercial Test Amprius Silicon-anode lithium-ion cells Scale high-energy cells beyond aviation niches Group14 Silicon-carbon anode material Supply material into mainstream cell factories Sila Titan Silicon anode material Automotive qualification and mass production Enovix 3D silicon-anode cells Consumer and mobility battery production ramp The Silicon-Anode Bet Amprius sells high-energy lithium-ion cells built around its Silicon Anode Platform. Public product materials describe cells in the roughly 450 to 500 Wh/kg class for high-performance applications, with other products tuned for power, cycle life, or customer form factors. Those numbers are important because many electric aircraft and drone missions are battery-limited before they are motor-limited. A battery that can provide more energy per kilogram changes aircraft endurance, payload, range, and reserve margins. In drones, it can extend flight time or allow heavier sensors. In high-altitude platforms, it can help the aircraft survive long operating cycles. In light electric vehicles, it can reduce pack weight or increase range without making the vehicle larger. The challenge is not whether silicon stores lithium. The challenge is producing cells that can cycle, charge, ship safely, pass customer qualification, and be manufactured with acceptable yield. Battery buyers do not purchase theoretical capacity. They purchase validated cells with warranties, safety data, and a supplier that can deliver. Revenue, Orders, and the 2026 Commercial Test Amprius reported Q1 2026 revenue of $28.5 million, up sharply from the prior year, and highlighted sequential growth from existing drone customers and new end markets. The company also announced a $21 million purchase order from a light electric vehicle customer, a useful sign that its products are moving beyond small aerospace batches. That purchase order matters because light electric vehicles sit between premium aviation and mass-market EVs. They are cost-sensitive, but they still value range, weight, and packaging. A successful LEV program can prove that silicon-anode cells have commercial demand outside defense and aviation niches. The company’s customer base has included aviation, drone, satellite, and defense-related buyers. Those markets often accept higher cell costs because weight has direct mission value. Amprius should keep those markets because they can protect margins while the company scales. Manufacturing After the Colorado Reset Amprius once planned a larger manufacturing expansion in Brighton, Colorado, but later terminated that lease and recorded charges tied to the reset. That decision was painful, but it fits a broader pattern across the battery sector. Companies that announced huge factories in easy-money years have been forced to rethink timing, capital needs, and customer commitments. The new path uses a mix of contract manufacturing, the SiCore platform, a Fremont pilot line, and a U.S. partnership with Nanotech Energy. Public filings and company updates describe access to more than 2 GWh of annual contract manufacturing capacity, while the DIU-backed Fremont expansion supports a 10 MWh SiCore pilot line. Contract manufacturing gives Amprius speed and flexibility. It can serve customers without owning every piece of capacity. It can also match production to demand more carefully than a single giant factory would allow. That matters while the product mix is still evolving. Where Amprius Fits in the Battery Market Amprius is not trying to replace every lithium-ion cell. That is a strength. LFP cells are dominating cost-sensitive EV and storage markets. Sodium-ion is entering low-cost and cold-weather applications. Conventional nickel-rich lithium-ion continues to improve. Silicon-anode cells need to win where the performance premium is worth it. Aviation is the cleanest fit. Electric aircraft need energy density, power, safety, and weight savings in a way that stationary storage does not. Drones and high-altitude systems also reward lighter packs. Defense customers may value domestic supply, mission endurance, and technical differentiation. Light electric vehicles are a broader test. If Amprius can serve e-bikes, scooters, motorcycles, or small mobility platforms with acceptable cost and reliability, the addressable market widens. Those customers can produce more volume than aerospace while still caring about weight and packaging. The 2026 Watchlist The first signal is delivery against the $21 million LEV order. If shipments proceed and the customer expands, Amprius will have evidence that silicon-anode cells can move into higher-volume mobility. The second signal is revenue quality. Q1 2026 was strong, but investors should watch gross margin, backlog, repeat orders, and customer concentration. Battery growth is only valuable if it does not consume cash faster than the company can raise or earn it. The third signal is manufacturing execution. Contract partners, Fremont pilot capacity, and Nanotech Energy need to translate into cells that customers trust. Yield and consistency matter more than headline capacity. FAQ When was Amprius founded? Amprius Technologies was founded in 2008 and is based in Fremont, California. What does Amprius make? Amprius makes silicon-anode lithium-ion battery cells for drones, aviation, defense systems, satellites, and light electric vehicles. Why are silicon-anode batteries important? Silicon can store more lithium than graphite, which can raise energy density and reduce weight when the cell architecture manages swelling, cycle life, safety, and manufacturability. The Customer Qualification Problem Battery commercialization is slow because customers qualify risk, not only performance. A drone company may test cells through vibration, thermal cycling, abuse cases, charge profiles, storage aging, and field duty cycles. An aircraft developer adds safety documentation, certifi