Singapore Startup Makes Paper Batteries to Fight Climate

Imagine a battery that's as powerful as your laptop's, costs the same, but is made from paper and won't catch fire.

Singapore startup Flint has turned that idea into reality. Founded in 2019 by Carlo Charles and his team, the company produces batteries made from cellulose, the main ingredient in paper. These batteries work just as well as conventional lithium batteries but leave a carbon footprint 30% smaller.

The batteries can power everything from computer mice and keyboards to wearables and medical devices. Major companies like Amazon and Logitech are already using them. What makes them special goes beyond just being greener.

Paper batteries solve a problem most people don't think about. The batteries powering our clean energy transition aren't clean themselves. They require lithium and cobalt, scarce materials that create supply chain bottlenecks and geopolitical tensions.

Flint's batteries use cellulose, manganese, and zinc instead. That means countries without natural resources, like Singapore, can manufacture them locally. As companies move supply chains out of China, demand for Flint's products has surged, especially from tech companies in Europe and North America.

"The batteries that we're using today are not green themselves. It's such an irony," Charles said. He started Flint as a passion project to fix that contradiction.

The company showcased its products at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. Today, a team of 10 runs operations from an 8,000 square foot facility in Singapore, producing five million batteries annually.

The Ripple Effect

Flint's success shows how innovation can untangle complicated environmental problems. By replacing scarce materials with abundant ones, the company makes clean energy more accessible to everyone. Paper batteries are also fire-resistant, unlike conventional batteries made from flammable materials, making them safer for homes and workplaces.

The startup plans to build a European facility that will boost production to 300 million batteries per year. Within five years, Flint wants its batteries in every device that needs them. Electric vehicles are the ultimate goal, though that requires massive factories the young company isn't ready to build yet.

Flint expects to become profitable this year after completing seed and pre-Series A funding rounds. Charles said the company has enough capital to grow without giving up too much ownership. He wants to keep focused on what matters most: the products and innovation.

Looking ahead, Charles dreams bigger than batteries. He wants Flint to tackle other environmental challenges using technology. The paper battery is just the beginning of what's possible when innovation meets urgency.

In a world hungry for clean energy solutions, sometimes the answer is as simple as paper.