A Waukesha hardware and software startup is developing an intelligent energy storage and power distribution system that increases battery life while adding renewable energy options to environment-conscious consumers.
The team members at Manthini LLP are developing a system that intelligently charges batteries so they don't become overcharged, and that also releases energy intelligently so the user doesn’t damage the battery. Hard or initial vehicle acceleration, overcharging, or charging too quickly can cause the battery to overheat, which can lead to thermal runaway that can cause fires in electric vehicles, said Calvin Manthey, founder of Manthini.
The startup's technology essentially makes battery usage safer while providing a longer duration of power capacity.
"Right now, if you look at anything battery operated, it's dumb power," Manthey said. "You use it and then you refill it. There's no intelligence to it."
The startup will serve the transportation, residential and commercial industries, but is initially beginning with transportation and electric bikes and vehicles. The company has already built two electric bike prototypes and is currently working on a three-wheel electric car that will also run on the company’s energy storage technology. The car, which is being built in Manthey's garage, could be finished by the end of this year, he said.
Officially established in 2018, Manthini is developing a system Manthey envisioned more than two decades ago. The power system incorporates wireless technology for charging the vehicle. The power system for residential and commercial industries ideally would be recharged using renewables, such as solar and wind power.
The company’s system builds on the electric-powered model, which uses battery and capacitor modules. Capacitors are devices that store electrical energy. Although modern batteries contain a high amount of energy, they cannot deliver it at significantly high rates like capacitors can, though they discharge energy more quickly.
Manthini's business model is to sell licensing agreements to auto manufacturers, but also to potentially do small-scale production of cars and motorcycles, Manthey said.
"It's a very subtle change from taking that whole architecture from a vehicle and bringing it to a storage system for a house or a business," Manthey said.
The market opportunity for electric bikes is more than $1 billion, while the electric vehicle market is trending toward $500 billion, Manthey said. With its technology, Manthini can also be a player in the push for clean energy.
Manthey, a mechanical engineer by trade, has partnered with John Bajorek, an electrical engineer who designed, laid out and assembled the "electrical brains" of the system, and Avinash Vyas, who with his background in management and information technology, organizes and operates the overall business progress. The team has also received guidance from advisers with various backgrounds to bring their idea to fruition, Manthey said.
Manthini is currently one of six companies from across the U.S. participating in the the Mid-West Energy Research Consortium's WERCBench Labs accelerator program.
The 16-week program began this past October and will conclude with a Demo Day on April 20. The accelerator is being produced virtually from M-WERC's 12,000-square-foot Energy Innovation Center inside Milwaukee's Century City Tower.
Each business accepted to WERCBench receives a $20,000 grant and up to $20,000 in a royalty-based financing loan funded by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
