Google paid startup Form Energy $1B for its massive 100-hour battery

Source: TechCrunch

In Brief

Posted: 1:04 PM PST · February 26, 2026

Image Credits: Form Energy

Google announced earlier this week that it is building a new data center in Minnesota that will be powered by a mix of wind, solar, and a very unique battery built by startup Form Energy. The battery is capable of discharging for days on end.

Now we know the price tag for that feat of electrochemical engineering: about $1 billion, according to The Information.

Form Energy’s massive iron‑air battery can deliver a continuous 300 MW of electricity over 100 hours. It works by “breathing”: oxygen pumped into the cells rusts iron, which releases electrons. The battery will help smooth the flow of electricity from 1.4 GW of wind power and 200 MW of solar power.

The startup has been developing the technology for years and has built a factory in West Virginia to produce the batteries, but it hadn’t landed a major customer until this deal with Google.

With the big order secured, Form Energy CEO Mateo Jaramillo said the company is raising a $500 million round. Form Energy has raised $1.4 billion to date, according to PitchBook, and plans to go public next year.