Top 10 BESS Startups: Form Energy’s 300 MW Google Deal, Base Power’s $1 B Fund, and Key Projects (2024-2026)
The battery energy storage system (BESS) market is undergoing a fundamental shift away from short-duration lithium-ion dominance. A new cohort of startups is disrupting the grid by developing long-duration technologies and innovative business models specifically to meet the continuous, massive power demands of the AI economy and to firm intermittent renewables. This trend is evidenced by Form Energy‘s landmark deal to build a 300 MW / 30 GWh iron-air battery for a Google data center, Base Power‘s $1 billion funding round to scale its residential virtual power plant (VPP), and the commercial traction of alternative chemistries from companies like Peak Energy (sodium-ion) and Energy Dome (CO₂ battery). The key theme for 2025-2026 is technological diversification as the market moves beyond standard 4-hour solutions to embrace a portfolio of storage options capable of providing true baseload-capable clean power.
1. Form Energy
Company: Form Energy
Installation Capacity: 300 MW / 30 GWh
Applications: Providing 24/7 clean power to a Google data center with 100-hour iron-air battery technology.
Source: Gigantic Form Energy battery to power Google data… – Canary Media
2. Peak Energy
Company: Peak Energy
Installation Capacity: Several hundred megawatt-hours to be deployed over two years.
Applications: Grid-scale sodium-ion battery deployment at an RWE facility.
Source: Peak Energy ships first grid-scale sodium-ion battery
3. Eos Energy Enterprises (EOSE)
Company: Eos Energy Enterprises
Installation Capacity: N/A (Targets 3-to-12+ hour duration market)
Applications: Medium-to-long duration grid applications using non-flammable zinc-based aqueous batteries.
Source: Top Energy Storage Stocks 2026: LDES & The Grid-Scale Buildout
4. Energy Dome
Company: Energy Dome
Installation Capacity: Pilot deployment with Google.
Applications: Large-scale, long-duration energy storage using a thermodynamic cycle with CO₂.
Source: Google Backs Energy Dome’s CO₂ Battery Breakthrough for Clean Energy Storage
Thermal Energy Storage Market to Surpass $10B
The chart on the Thermal Energy Storage market directly quantifies the addressable market for Energy Dome, which utilizes a specific thermal energy storage technology (CO2-based).
(Source: Data Insights Reports)
5. Inlyte Energy
Company: Inlyte Energy
Installation Capacity: Pilot project commissioning by end of 2026, with plans to scale to 2 MW.
Applications: Iron-sodium battery technology for data centers and utilities.
Source: Inlyte Energy Launches Iron-Sodium Battery Pilots for Data Centers …
6. Redwood Materials
Company: Redwood Materials
Installation Capacity: 63 MWh system operational, with a goal of 20 GWh by 2028.
Applications: Powering a data center with second-life EV batteries.
Source: Crusoe and Redwood Materials are powering a data center with old …
China to Lead BTM Battery Storage Growth
This chart showing China’s lead in BTM storage growth is relevant to Redwood Materials, as China represents a massive future source of batteries for recycling and a key market for its recycled materials.
(Source: Future Market Insights)
7. Torus
Company: Torus
Installation Capacity: Mo U for up to 500 MW of demand response and storage.
Applications: Utility-scale grid integration with Pacifi Corp using flywheel technology.
Source: Torus Raises $200 Million to Accelerate Deployment of … – Utah VC
Behind-the-Meter Battery Market to Hit $358B
As Torus operates in the residential energy storage market, this chart illustrates the massive size of the Behind-the-Meter (BTM) market, which is the company’s target sector.
(Source: Future Market Insights)
8. Base Power
Company: Base Power
Installation Capacity: Plans for gigawatts of storage via an aggregated VPP model.
Applications: Providing grid services by aggregating large residential batteries into a virtual power plant.
Source: Austin Startup Raises a Billion Bucks to Put Big Batteries …
Behind-the-Meter Battery Market to See Explosive Growth
Base Power’s Virtual Power Plant (VPP) model relies on aggregating Behind-the-Meter (BTM) assets. This chart, showing explosive growth in the BTM market, validates the company’s strategic focus.
(Source: Future Market Insights)
9. Amp Tank
Company: Amp Tank
Installation Capacity: 200 MW AI data center project.
Applications: Co-locating battery storage with large-scale compute to enhance grid stability.
Source: Amp Tank Announces 200 MW AI Data Center Project in Utajärvi …
10. Stem Inc.
Company: Stem Inc.
Installation Capacity: N/A (Software platform)
Applications: Aggregating distributed energy resources into virtual power plants using its Athena AI platform.
Source: Top 10 Virtual Power Plant Startups to Watch in 2026
Table: Top 10 BESS Startup Projects and Technology
| Company | Installation Capacity | Applications | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form Energy | 300 MW / 30 GWh | Data Center Power (100-hour) | Canary Media |
| Peak Energy | ‘Several hundred MWh’ | Grid-Scale Sodium-Ion Storage | Power Engineering |
| Eos Energy Enterprises | N/A (3-12+ hour duration) | Medium-Long Duration Grid Services | Exoswan |
| Energy Dome | Pilot with Google | Long-Duration CO₂ Battery | Carbon Credits.com |
| Inlyte Energy | 2 MW Scale-up Plan | Data Center & Utility Pilots | Index Box |
| Redwood Materials | 63 MWh System (20 GWh target) | Data Center (2 nd-life batteries) | Latitude Media |
| Torus | 500 MW Mo U with Pacifi Corp | Utility Demand Response (Flywheel) | Utah VC |
| Base Power | Gigawatt-scale VPP | Aggregated Residential Storage | Native Solar |
| Amp Tank | 200 MW AI Data Center | Co-located BESS for Compute | PR Newswire |
| Stem Inc. | N/A (Software Platform) | AI-powered VPP Aggregation | Nature Tech Memos |
Alternative Chemistries, Long-Duration Projects Gain Adoption
The applications for battery storage are rapidly expanding beyond traditional grid ancillary services. These startups are demonstrating that BESS can serve as a foundational component for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors and enabling 24/7 clean power. The landmark project from Form Energy will use its 100-hour iron-air battery to provide continuous, carbon-free energy to a Google data center, a task previously reserved for fossil fuel peaker plants. This move into mission-critical, baseload replacement roles is mirrored by Eos Energy, which targets the 3-to-12+ hour market to directly compete with lithium-ion for applications requiring more endurance. Furthermore, new business models are accelerating adoption. The VPP approach from Base Power and Stem Inc. creates grid capacity without building new centralized plants, while Redwood Materials‘ use of second-life EV batteries in a 63 MWh system introduces a circular economy model that lowers costs and environmental impact.
Flow Battery Market to Reach $3.88B by 2031
The section discusses the adoption of alternative chemistries. The chart on the flow battery market growth is a perfect example, providing specific data to support this trend.
(Source: Mordor Intelligence)
North America, US Startups Lead in Grid-Scale BESS Deployment
Recent project and funding data reveal a strong concentration of BESS innovation in North America, particularly within the United States. Key startups like Form Energy (Massachusetts), Redwood Materials (Nevada), Base Power (Texas), and Torus (Utah) are securing major domestic projects and significant capital. High-profile deployments such as Form Energy’s project in Minnesota, Peak Energy’s deployment in Wisconsin with RWE, and Torus‘s 500 MW Mo U with utility Pacifi Corp underscore a strong commitment from US utilities and corporations to integrate novel storage technologies. While Europe is also a key market, evidenced by Italy’s Energy Dome and Amp Tank’s 200 MW project in Finland, the sheer scale of funding and deployment in the US is currently setting the pace. This geographic trend suggests that a combination of federal policy incentives and immense corporate demand from the AI sector is creating a uniquely favorable environment for BESS development and commercialization.
Grid-Scale Battery Capacity Soars as Costs Fall
The section focuses on grid-scale BESS deployment in North America. This chart, which shows the soaring global capacity of grid-scale batteries, illustrates the macro trend driving this regional leadership.
(Source: bne IntelliNews)
Form Energy’s 30 GWh Project Signals Commercial Viability (2026)
These deployments show a clear spectrum of technological maturity, with several alternative chemistries rapidly moving from pilot stages to full commercial scale. While standard lithium-ion remains the established incumbent, its limitations are creating openings for challengers. The Form Energy project, at a massive 30 GWh of capacity, is a definitive validation of iron-air technology, elevating it from a promising concept to a bankable, grid-scale solution backed by corporate giants Google and Xcel Energy. Similarly, Peak Energy is proving the commercial readiness of sodium-ion through its partnership with GM and its shipments to an RWE site. Other technologies are close behind; Energy Dome’s CO₂ battery and Inlyte Energy’s iron-sodium chemistry are in advanced pilot phases with strong market pull from major partners. Meanwhile, mechanical storage is also demonstrating utility-scale maturity, as seen in Torus‘s flywheel technology securing a large-scale Mo U with Pacifi Corp.
Energy Storage Additions to Surge by 2030
The section highlights a specific large-scale project from Form Energy. This chart, showing the overall surge in energy storage additions, places the project within the context of a rapidly expanding market.
(Source: Energy Central)
$1 Billion, Base Power’s VPP Model Challenges Centralized Plants
The most critical strategic development to monitor is the competition between centralized, long-duration storage projects and decentralized, aggregated virtual power plants. If VPP aggregators can deploy residential and commercial systems faster and more cost-effectively than utilities can permit and construct large-scale BESS facilities, they could capture a substantial share of the multi-billion-dollar grid services market. The key is whether software-driven aggregation can outpace hardware-driven construction.
- Signal Gaining Traction: The VPP model is attracting serious capital. Base Power’s $1 billion funding round in late 2025 to deploy and aggregate residential batteries provides it with a formidable war chest to scale rapidly.
- Signal Gaining Traction: Major technology companies are now primary offtakers for LDES. Google’s distinct partnerships with both Form Energy (iron-air) and Energy Dome (CO₂) in 2025-2026 confirm that hyperscalers are technology-agnostic but demand-specific, prioritizing any solution that can guarantee 24/7 carbon-free power.
- Signal Gaining Traction: Non-lithium chemistries are entering the commercial mainstream. Peak Energy‘s shipment of its first grid-scale sodium-ion system in August 2025, with plans for hundreds of MWh in deployments, marks a tangible shift away from a singular reliance on the lithium supply chain.
- Signal Facing New Challenger: Traditional 4-hour lithium-ion systems are no longer the default solution for all grid-scale needs. The market’s focus has shifted decisively toward 10+ hour LDES technologies and software-led aggregation, which are the core offerings of nearly every disruptive startup on this list.
The questions your competitors are already asking
This report covers one angle of the emerging battery storage startups and technologies challenging lithium-ion’s dominance. The questions that matter most depend on your work.
- Which long-duration storage companies are gaining ground in the grid-scale market beyond lithium-ion?
- What is the outlook for long-duration storage deployment in the AI data center market by 2030?
- How does Form Energy’s iron-air compare to Peak Energy’s sodium-ion for grid-scale applications?
- Which utilities and hyperscalers are adopting long-duration storage solutions from startups like Form Energy and Peak Energy?
This report does not answer these. Enki Brief Pro does.
Your question, your angle, your framework. SWOT, PESTL, scenario modelling. The same niche depth, built around the decision your work actually depends on.
