Vivas Kumar is the cofounder and CEO of Mitra Chem, the first lithium-ion battery materials product company focused on shortening the lab-to-production timeline by over 90%. They recently raised more than $80M in funding from Social Capital, General Motors, Alpha Wave Ventures, and others.

Vivas's favorite book: Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela (Author: Nelson Mandela)

(00:01) Introduction
(02:25) How Lithium-Ion Batteries Work
(04:56) Evolution of Battery Materials
(06:46) Development of Lithium-Ion Battery Technology
(08:10) Optimizing Battery Properties: Cost, Energy Density, and Cycle Life
(10:52) Supply Chain of Battery Materials
(13:16) From Lab to Production: Key Bottlenecks
(15:26) Using AI to Accelerate Synthesis Design
(18:18) Battery Cell Qualification: Process and Importance
(20:13) Managing Risk in AI-Driven Battery Experiments
(21:20) Data Generation for AI-Driven Battery Development
(22:52) Challenges in Manufacturing Large-Scale Batteries
(25:02) Current Limitations in Battery Materials Development
(26:39) Next-Generation Battery Materials in the Pipeline
(27:50) Advancements in Battery Technology Beyond Materials
(29:52) Advice for New Founders in the Battery Industry
(31:42) Rapid Fire Round

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