Infinite Power Solutions and Firefly raise more VC for battery technologies

Infinite Power Solutions (IPS) of Golden, Colorado, which makes pager thin batteries for powering smart munitions, self-destruct circuits and other medical, military and consumer devices, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from In-Q-Tel.

In-Q-Tel is the venture capital arm of the Central Intelligence Agency and other national intelligence agencies.

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Separately, Firefly Energy, of Peoria, Ill., has raised $10 million in a second round of funding for lead acid battery technology, also for military and other uses. Stark Capital led the round, and previous investors Caterpillar, KB Partners, and the Illinois Finance Authority and Tri-County Venture Capital Fund participated. And in other battery news, 3M announced it is developing a higher capacity lithium-ion battery.

IPS has now raised a lot of cash. Core Capital Partners, Applied Ventures and D.E. Shaw & Co. invested $34 million into the company as recently as September.

From the IPS announcement:

The revolutionary LiTE*STARâ„¢ micro-battery can be used to reliably power microelectronic systems and provide backup power to volatile memory and real time clock circuits. Specific applications include active RFID tags, topical and implantable medical devices, advanced smart cards, secure ID badges with biometric sensors, embedded networks for remote wireless sensors, smart munitions fuzing and self-destruct circuits, and a host of other medical, military, and consumer electronic devices.

The IPS rechargeable, thin-film battery provides industry-leading power and temperature performance. It combines proven thin-film lithium battery chemistry, a patented and industry-leading encapsulation, and ultra-thin, flexible package design to provide a compelling micro-battery solution that is unrivaled in rechargeability and power capability.