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Innovate Alabama invests $1 million into transforming the stateโ€™s clean energy future

With this $1 million investment, JES is among the first companies to receive funding from InvestAL.

Johnson Energy Storage battery diagram.

Innovate Alabama is investing in Johnson Energy Storage (JES) along with NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, Cleveland Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett and Southern Company Electrotechnologies. JES is a pioneer in new energy solutions with their all-solid-state batteries, a safer and cleaner and more affordable alternative to lithium batteries. This investment will catalyze JESโ€ฏoperations in Tuskegee, AL.โ€ฏ 

Former NASA engineer and Mobile native Dr. Lonnie Johnson founded JES and has spent the past 25 years inventing new ways to convert and store energy. From an early age Johnson has been fascinated by science and engineeringโ€”winning a science fair at the University of Alabama in 1968. Today, the Tuskegee University graduate holds more than 140 patents.  

With this $1 million investment, JES is among the first companies to receive funding from InvestAL, Alabamaโ€™s new venture capital program funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and made possible through the efforts of the Alabama Legislature.โ€ฏLaunched in 2024 by Innovate Alabama, InvestAL offers direct investments in high-growth startups and early-stage venture capital funds with the goals of funding overlooked geographies and communities, creating new jobs and building shared prosperity via business growth and scale. 

โ€œDr. Johnsonโ€™s Alabama roots and symbiotic relationship with Tuskegee make Johnson Energy Storage a natural choice for this historic SSBCI investment,โ€ said Cynthia Crutchfield, Innovate Alabama CEO. โ€œWe hope this deal inspires entrepreneurs like Dr. Johnson with Alabama ties to take advantage of the momentum building in our innovation ecosystem.โ€โ€ฏ 

JES and Tuskegee University are collaborating closely to drive innovation and job creation in Alabama. JESโ€™ Alabama operation utilizes Tuskegeeโ€™s facilities, students and faculty expertise to advance its solid-state battery technology. This not only reinforces the companyโ€™s commitment to Alabama but also ensures that the benefits of this groundbreaking technology are felt in the community that helped nurture Johnsonโ€™s entrepreneurial spirit. Tuskegee benefits from high-tech job creation, which strengthens the local economy and works to position Alabama as a leader in the development of clean energy technology.โ€ฏ 

โ€œItโ€™s important to me to give back to the community that played such a crucial role in shaping the opportunities I have today,โ€ said Dr. Johnson. โ€œIโ€™m grateful to Innovate Alabama for their significant investment in the work we are doing, as well as their vision for a robust and inclusive knowledge economy in Alabama.โ€ 

JES is not just a companyโ€”itโ€™s a testament to the power of homegrown talent. Many JES engineers and scientists are Tuskegee alumni, bringing with them the knowledge and expertise that have been the hallmark of the historic institution. The strong connection between JES and Tuskegee has also laid the groundwork to establish the Johnson Research Technology Incubation Center (JRTIC) on campus to stimulate tech-driven economic growth. 

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โ€œDr. Johnson is a legend at Tuskegee,โ€ said Dr. Heshmat Aglan, Dean of the College of Engineering at Tuskegee University. โ€œSeeing so many of our alumni join JES, as well as future jobs coming to Tuskegee, is an encouraging sign that rural spaces in Alabama will play a vital role in the economy of the future.โ€ 

Launched earlier this year, Alabamaโ€™s SSBCI program represents the largest startup and small business funding in the stateโ€™s history, catalyzing increased capital access for years to come. Alabamaโ€™s SSBCI program features two avenues to fundingโ€”LendAL and InvestAL. LendAL partners with private lenders to extend credit to small businesses and entrepreneurs, fostering growth, innovation and job creation across the state. InvestAL offers high-match investments in high-growth startups, investors and early-stage capital funds in order to infuse capital into Alabamaโ€™s small business ecosystem. 

JES continues to push forward, and with each new development brings us one step closer to a sustainable future, powered by innovation and driven by a deep connection to the community. 

For more information on JES, visit johnsonenergystorage.com.

For more information on the SSBCI program, visit InnovateAlabama.org/Programs/SSBCI

The Alabama Political Reporter is a daily political news site devoted to Alabama politics. We provide accurate, reliable coverage of policy, elections and government.

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