GM acquires software startup to help maintain EV battery health

General Motors (GM) has acquired “substantially all the assets” of ALGOLiON Ltd, an Israel-based battery software startup, the company announced on Friday. The company’s technology helps detect irregularities in cell performance that will be used to maintain battery health in GM’s EVs.

GM aims to maintain EV battery health through software

Founded in 2014 by veteran battery experts Niles Fleischer, Ph.D., and Alex Nimberger, Ph.D., ALGOLiON has developed an early-warning battery hazard detection and prevention software called AlgoShield. The software uses patented quantitative algorithms to identify minuscule changes in EV battery health weeks earlier than other methods without the additional hardware and sensors, as the company claims. GM says the new tech will help bring an early EV battery hazard detection system for millions of GM customers worldwide. The deal, worth an undisclosed amount, was led by GM’s newly formed Technology Acceleration and Commercialization (TAC) organization. The group looks for emerging tech that can support GM’s battery development. Fleischer commented on GM’s acquisition of the company, saying:

The ALGOLiON team is excited to join GM on its track to an all-electric vehicle future. We found the right home for our technology to play an integral role in maintaining healthy batteries for exciting products and reach customers globally.

The news comes after a wave of announcements has surfaced over the past several weeks as automakers scramble to increase EV battery development and production, including GM, Stellantis Toyota, and more. ALGOLiON employees will remain based in Israel while joining over 850 employees at the GM Technical Training Center in Herzliya, Israel. The team specializes in machine learning, software-defined vehicles, cybersecurity, and user-facing solutions for autonomous and electric vehicles. GM revealed plans for its fourth EV battery plant earlier this month, a $3 billion facility in collaboration with Samsung SDI. When all four plants are up and running at full speed, GM expects to have over 130 GWh of battery cell capacity. The battery cells will be used to power the automaker’s lineup of EVs based on its Ultium platform. By the end of the year, GM is launching three new Ultium electric models, including the Silverado EV, Blazer EV, and Equinox EV.