For years, battery innovation has largely focused on chemistry. Companies have chased longer-lasting lithium-ion cells, safer solid-state batteries, and cheaper materials. But a quieter revolution is now gaining momentum, and it could fundamentally change how batteries are designed, manufactured, and integrated into devices.
Instead of improving what goes inside a battery, a growing number of startups and researchers are trying to change the battery itself through 3D printing. The idea is simple yet ambitious: create batteries that can fit into virtually any shape or structure rather than being limited to traditional cylindrical or pouch designs.
3D-printed batteries could unlock new device designs
The potential applications are significant. Researchers believe 3D-printed batteries could allow manufacturers to fill unused spaces inside devices with energy storage, making products lighter, thinner, and more efficient. Smart glasses could hide batteries inside their frames, while drones could use their entire structure to store energy instead of relying on separate battery packs.
3D Printer Unsplash
One advantage of the technology is its flexibility. Unlike many battery breakthroughs that depend on a specific chemistry, additive manufacturing techniques can work with lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and solid-state batteries, and potentially future battery technologies.
Interest in the field is growing rapidly. According to the report, researchers published roughly 25,000 papers related to 3D-printed batteries and battery components in 2025 alone. However, only a small number of companies have begun exploring commercial applications.
Startups target drones, EVs, and military applications
Several startups are now attempting to bring the concept from research labs into the real world.
One of them is Material Hybrid Manufacturing, a Miami-based company founded by former Formula One engineer Gabe Elias and battery researcher Christopher Reyes. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the company has developed a custom 3D-printing system capable of producing batteries in unconventional shapes and configurations.
Material recently secured a $7.1 million seed funding round and a $1.25 million contract with the U.S. Air Force. The company is developing prototype batteries for Teledyne FLIR’s SkyRaider drone and claims its printed battery approach could increase energy storage by as much as 35 percent compared to conventional battery packs occupying the same space.
Smartphone battery Unsplash
Another company, Sakuu, is taking a different approach. Instead of printing complete batteries, it aims to improve battery manufacturing by eliminating energy-intensive drying ovens used during electrode production. The company says its additive manufacturing process can create battery components without solvents, potentially reducing production costs and energy consumption.
Researchers are also exploring more radical concepts, including batteries made from simulated moon dust for future lunar bases and structural batteries that form part of a vehicle’s frame.
While commercial adoption remains years away, experts believe military and aerospace applications could serve as the first proving grounds. If successful, the technology may eventually make its way into everyday consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and wearable devices.
