City Labs, a long-life Tritium battery manufacturer, has closed its first round of funding from founder of high-end computer hardware company Alienware and LCS Ventures. The South Florida-based company develops batteries that can last for more than 20 years.
City Labs' batteries are powered by the decay of Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. Tritium is the same isotope commonly used to illuminate Exit signs in buildings. City Labs' products are used in situations when replacement is difficult or impossible; uses include space satellites, medical implants and intelligence-gathering sensors. In the short term, the company plans to focus on encryption keys in defense electronics.
Aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin has tested City Labs' products, confirming they can withstand extreme temperature fluctuation, vibration and altitude. City Labs was founded in 2005 at Florida International University.