About Jolt
Our Purpose
We are unlocking the power of organic materials as a clean and secure alternative for large-scale energy storage. By utilizing easily accessible, carbon-based materials, we can achieve the clean energy solution the US needs for both ecological and economic sustainability.
About the Company
Tom Guarr and Jack Johnson founded Jolt in 2015 working on shunts designed to stop overcharging in lithium ion batteries. Through that research we discovered we where halfway to a unique battery technology and pivoted in 2019 after recognizing the need of low cost, long duration storage.
Based out of the MSU Bioeconomy Institute in West Michigan, Jolt has now raised several seed rounds of funding for continued breakthroughs in research and development. The team has discovered and patented an entirely new class of organic molecules, now with over 50 compounds synthesized. We are currently in the process of developing a path to commercialization for these highly valueable materials.
History
Team
Tom Guarr
Chief Technology Officer
Ph.D.: University of Rochester (Chemistry)
Postdoc: California Institute of Technology
Previous:
– Director of R & D, Michigan State University Bioeconomy Institute
– Vice President, Chemical Research and Aerospace Technology, Gentex Corporation
– Associate Professor, University of Kentucky
Tom has over 20 years of experience in designing organic materials that are sufficiently robust to meet the demanding requirements of real-world applications. He helped develop the chemistry that now forms the basis for millions of self-dimming rearview mirrors sold each year as well as the electrochromic windows on all Boeing 787 Dreamliners. He currently holds over 75 US patents and co-founded Jolt in order to revolutionize the field of electrical energy storage.
Jack Johnson
Chief Engineer
Pittsburg State University (BS Mechanical Engineering & BST Automotive Technology)
Other: Co-founder & COO Volta Power Systems
Previous: Chief Engineer, Johnson Controls
Jack is a seasoned expert of the lithium ion battery industry, and led the development of the world’s first large-format, high-volume lithium ion battery production facility in Holland, MI.
Johnson co-founded Volta Power Systems in 2014 to produce advanced energy systems for the RV, Marine and Specialized Vehicle markets. He co-founded Jolt Energy Storage Technologies to focus on improved lithium ion cell safety and operational control
Scot Lindemann
CEO
Other: President of BACA Systems
Previous: President, JR Automation
Lindemann serves as CEO of Jolt Energy Storage. Scot Lindemann served as President of JR Automation in Holland before his current role as President of BACA Systems.
He has served on the Board of Directors for the Robotics Industry Association for seven years and Lakeshore Advantage’s Board of Directors for five years.
Sharmila Samaroo
Visiting Scientist
Sharmila Samaroo is a visiting scientist with Jolt and a PhD candidate in chemical engineering at Michigan State University.
She earned her B.S. from the University of Michigan in chemical engineering. Her previous work experience includes process engineering at an oil and gas refinery and R&D projects exploring energy storage technologies. Sharmila
is excited about leveraging the unique combination of chemistry and engineering that is essential in achieving these sustainable, grid-scale energy storage solutions.
DaVarius Carter
Research Chemist
DaVarius is a research chemist at Jolt and has experience with organic synthesis, purification techniques, and characterization methods.
He earned his B.S from Hope College in biochemistry and molecular biology. Davarius has several years of research experience on projects including inorganic synthesis and oxidation of Ruthenium acetonitrile complexes. He is excited about helping Jolt to innovate grid-scale energy storage by using organic redox flow batteries to make energy storage more reliable and cost-effective.
Will Kruper
Research Chemist
Will Kruper graduated from Hope College in 2016 earning his bachelor’s in chemistry and geology composite studies. After graduation, Will spent five years honing process and analytical chemistry skills while working on several trademark agricultural products including Pyroxsulam, Zorvec and Picoxystrobin.
Since joining Jolt full-time in December 2021, Will has been engaged in organic synthesis and instrumental analysis (NMR, Mass Spec, GC, UPLC) to deliver novel, cost-effective, and highly pure electrochemically active compounds. In his journey with Jolt, Will looks forward to deepening expertise in battery testing, Structure-Activity Relationship studies, and laboratory management, contributing to Jolt’s continued growth and success.
