Lithium ions make the world go round. From the laptops we work on and the smartphones in our hands, to the now accelerating world of electric vehicles, lithium ion batteries are key, but as many of us experience with our phones after 2-3 years, the lifespans of these batteries are a key bottleneck here.

So is there a better, more long lasting battery technology out there? Well the answer might lie with a Singapore based startup.

Founded in 2018, VFlowTech is a Singapore-based startup working on the development of vanadium flow battery technology with a key selling point here seemingly being its 25-year expected lifespan - much better than the typical lifespans we see with lithium-ion batteries.

Earlier this year, VFlowTech raised US$10 million (RM43 million) in an oversubscribed Series A funding round. On this episode of Open For Business, we speak with Dr. Avishek Kumar, CEO and co-founder of Singapore-based VFlowTech, for the story behind this promising battery tech, whether it can compete with Lithium ion batteries, and the commercialization plan ahead.