Solid-State Battery Funding Tops $1.3B, Moves Toward Pre-Commercialization

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The global solid-state battery (SSB) sector recorded over 57 financing deals between 2025 and 1Q26, with 46 companies securing new funding, according to TrendForce’s latest “Global Solid-State Battery Industry Development Report (1Q26)”. Total disclosed financing exceeded US$1.3 billion (approximately CNY 9.7 billion), with technology development primarily focused on sulfide-based and polymer/oxide composite electrolytes.

TrendForce notes that from 2025 through early 2026, the global SSB industry has entered a critical phase of engineering validation and key technology breakthroughs. Japanese and Korean players, including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Samsung SDI, are slightly ahead in small-scale pilot production and validation of ASSBs, with relatively clear commercialization timelines. Their primary focus in 2026 is to improve yield rates and product quality.

In China, leading companies such as CATL, GAC Group, Geely, and BYD began tendering for pilot production equipment in 2H25, accelerating validation efforts. Industry players across materials, equipment, cell manufacturing, and automotive OEMs are collaborating to tackle key mass-production challenges.

Meanwhile, the SSB sector has entered a funding window, with leading startups such as WeLion New Energy, QingTao Energy, and Factorial Energy accelerating IPO plans. Looking specifically at cell makers, more than 26 SSB companies (excluding materials and equipment players) have secured new funding since 2025. The top three by financing amount are QingTao Energy, QuantumScape, and Solid Power.

TrendForce highlights that semi-SSBs, primarily based on polymer and oxide technologies, have already reached GWh-scale production in China, with volumes continuing to grow steadily in 2025. More vendors are expected to enter mass production in 2026 as technology matures and supply chains scale up, helping to drive cost reductions.

For ASSBs, major global automakers are expected to begin vehicle-level testing in 2026, accelerating the build-out of next-generation battery supply chains to support commercialization. TrendForce concludes that SSB technologies are transitioning from laboratory R&D to engineering validation and industrial readiness, making 2025–2026 a critical period for companies to capitalize on funding opportunities, accelerate innovation, and move toward large-scale commercialization.