SES Expands in South Korea to Facilitate Commercialization of Li-Metal Batteries

Rhea-AI Summary

SES announced the formation of SES Korea, with plans to establish a pre-production facility in South Korea. This move is aimed at accelerating joint development of A-sample batteries in collaboration with major automotive OEMs including GM, Hyundai, and Honda. The recent capital raise and NYSE listing are expected to boost SES's growth initiatives. With a target of 50 employees by the end of 2022, SES Korea will further enhance SES’s global reach and strengthen supply chain capabilities in the competitive electric vehicle battery market.

Positive

• Formation of SES Korea to establish a pre-production facility in South Korea.
• Partnerships with automotive giants like GM, Hyundai, and Honda for A-sample battery development.
• Recent capital raise from NYSE listing expected to enhance growth plans.

Negative

• None.

• SES Korea formed, with plans to build a pre-production facility in South Korea
• SES Korea joins SES Shanghai Giga and SES Boston to accelerate A-sample joint development with GM, Hyundai and Honda, on heels of capital raise from recent business combination and listing on NYSE
• Cash raised by recent listing on the NYSE is expected to enhance SES growth plans

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SES AI Corporation (NYSE: SES), headquartered in Boston, a global leader in the development and manufacturing of high-performance lithium-metal (Li-Metal) rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and other applications, announced today that it has incorporated its subsidiary SES Korea and plans to build a pre-production facility in South Korea.

(Photo: Business Wire)

“It’s all about speed and winning the race. Momentum is building as additional auto OEMs want to establish arrangements for the joint development of A-sample batteries with SES. Having SES Boston, Shanghai Giga, and now SES Korea gives us access to deep talent pools and the highly efficient ecosystems in South Korea and China, the two industry powerhouses, as well as unparalleled chemistry and software capabilities in the United States. We also believe that the cash raised by our recent business combination with Ivanhoe Capital Acquisition Corp. and our listing on the New York Stock Exchange will help us to accelerate these developments,” said Dr. Qichao Hu, Founder and CEO of SES.

SES Korea will be SES’s second major operation outside of the United States, after SES Shanghai Giga. SES Korea expects to have approximately 50 employees by the end of 2022. South Korea is home to several of SES’s important strategic partners including Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai), SK Inc. (SK) and LG Corporation.

South Korea has a strong battery supply chain and a deep talent pool. SES Korea and SES Shanghai Giga will focus on different aspects of supply chain development and different A-sample joint development with auto OEMs.

SES has automotive A-sample joint development agreements (JDAs) with General Motors Company (GM), Hyundai, and Honda Motors (Honda). SES is backed by strategic investors including GM, Hyundai, Honda, Geely Auto Group, SAIC Motor, SK, Koch, Applied Materials, Inc., Tianqi Lithium HK Co. Ltd., Vertex Ventures Holdings, Temasek Holdings Limited, affiliates of LG and Foxconn Technology Group and several others.

“The incorporation of SES Korea marks another milestone in our quest to build on SES’s position as a global leader in the development and manufacturing of high-performance Li-Metal batteries for EVs. South Korea is a powerhouse of EV battery development, so we couldn’t be in a better position in terms of having a long-term base in Korea where we will contribute to the development of cell manufacturing equipment and process development, joint development with auto OEMs, and supply chain development,” said Hans Kim, Vice President & Head of SES Korea.

About SES

SES is a global leader in development and production of high-performance Li-Metal rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and other applications. Founded in 2012, SES is an integrated Li-Metal battery manufacturer with strong capabilities in material, cell, module, AI-powered safety algorithms and recycling. Formerly known as SolidEnergy Systems, SES is headquartered in Boston and has operations in Singapore, Shanghai, and Seoul.

Forward-looking statements

This press release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding SES’s or its management teams’ expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “predict,” “possible,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” “target” and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends that are not statements of historical matters may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on SES’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond SES’s control) or other assumptions. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination with Ivanhoe Capital Acquisition Corp., which closed on February 3, 2022 (the “Business Combination”); risks relating to the uncertainty of the projected financial information with respect to SES; risks related to the development and commercialization of SES’s battery technology and the timing and achievement of expected business milestones; the effects of competition on SES’s business; the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of SES as a result of the consummation of the business combination; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and retain its management and key employees; risks relating SES’s history of no revenues and net losses; the risk that SES’s joint development agreements and other strategic alliances could be unsuccessful; risks relating to delays in the design, manufacture, regulatory approval and launch of SES’s battery cells; the risk that SES may not establish supply relationships for necessary components or pay components that are more expensive than anticipated; risks relating to competition and rapid change in the electric vehicle battery market; safety risks posed by certain components of SES’s batteries; risks relating to machinery used in the production of SES’s batteries; risks relating to the willingness of commercial vehicle and specialty vehicle operators and consumers to adopt electric vehicles; risks relating to SES’s intellectual property portfolio; the ability of the combined company to issue equity or equity-linked securities or obtain debt financing in the future; and those factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors,” in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus relating to the Business Combination, and other documents of SES filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. There may be additional risks that SES does not presently know or that SES currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect SES’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views only as of the date of this press release. SES anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its assessments to change. However, while SES may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, SES specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing SES’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220210005609/en/

Investors: Eric Goldstein ericgoldstein@ses.ai

Media: Irene Lam ilam@ses.ai

Source: SES AI Corporation

FAQ

What is SES's recent announcement regarding its operations in South Korea?

SES has announced the formation of SES Korea and plans to build a pre-production facility in South Korea.

Which companies is SES collaborating with for battery development?

SES is collaborating with GM, Hyundai, and Honda for A-sample battery joint development.

How many employees is SES Korea expected to have by the end of 2022?

SES Korea is expected to have approximately 50 employees by the end of 2022.

What financial advantage is SES expecting from its recent NYSE listing?

SES expects the cash raised from its recent NYSE listing to enhance its growth plans.

What types of batteries does SES focus on?

SES focuses on the development and manufacturing of high-performance lithium-metal rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles.