MoSTLi, a next-generation battery startup pitched by Dr Ismail Sami, has won first place in this year’s hotly contested Chris Abell Postdoc Business Plan Competition, beating battery tech peers and others to secure the £20,000 first prize provided by Cambridge Enterprise.

MoSTLi, co-founded with Dr Zhuangnan Li and Professor Manish Chhowalla, was selected by the judges for its groundbreaking developments in the battery space. The firm is utilising lithium-sulphur batteries developed with funding from the Faraday Institution, which promise higher energy density than alternatives whilst also being cost-effective, light-weight and capable of utilising existing manufacturing processes. The company will target a number of sectors, including drones, satellites, vehicles, and aerospace.