AEST's Future Strategy: Jeon Hwa-sung's Startup Morning Talk #1198

## Startup Morning Coffee: AAST Emerges as a Game Changer in the Next-Generation Battery Market The YouTube live program 'Startup Morning Coffee,' hosted by CEO Jeon Hwa-sung, meets viewers every day at 8:40 AM on the 'Jeon Hwa-sung's CNTV' channel. This program deeply illuminates the core competencies and market potential of promising startups, establishing itself as a platform that provides vivid information about the startup ecosystem through real-time communication. This time, we focus on 'AAST,' a company expected to solve the chronic problems of lithium-ion batteries and change the landscape of the next-generation battery market. ### AAST: Leading Next-Generation Battery Innovation AAST aims to develop and commercialize next-generation secondary batteries, including 'solid electrolyte membranes,' which are core components of semi-solid and all-solid-state batteries. Specifically, it focuses on fundamentally resolving the chronic problems of lithium-ion batteries, such as separator rupture and thermal runaway caused by dendrite formation, which lead to fire and explosion risks. This company presents an innovative solution that secures overwhelming fire safety by introducing 'multi-ceramic solid electrolyte membranes' instead of conventional liquid electrolytes and separators. Currently, it is further advancing its technology through CNT Tech's KDB NextONE support program. ### Core Competitiveness: Simultaneous Realization of Safety and High Energy Density AAST's unique technology is realized through its 'multi-ceramic solid electrolyte membrane.' This technology has two main key points. 1. **Maximizing Fire Safety:** By applying highly durable multi-ceramic solid electrolyte membranes instead of conventional polypropylene-based separators, which pose a risk of dendrite short circuits, battery fire safety is maximized. This is key to realizing batteries free from fire and explosion risks. 2. **Achieving High Energy Density:** A structure combining a solid electrolyte membrane with a small amount of electrolyte instead of a liquid electrolyte significantly reduces battery mass. This allows for storing more energy in the same volume and weight, consequently leading to a dramatic increase in battery energy density. AAST has secured technology that simultaneously achieves both safety and high energy density. ### CEO Jeon Hwa-sung's Perspective: The Key to All-Solid-State Battery Commercialization CEO Jeon Hwa-sung evaluates AAST as having preempted the 'solid electrolyte membrane' technology, which determines the safety and performance of 'all-solid-state batteries,' a core component of the next-generation secondary battery market. He particularly praised their technology for its excellent compatibility with existing battery manufacturing lines and its stable operation at room temperature. CEO Jeon Hwa-sung emphasized that this not only meets the stringent safety standards required by downstream industries such as electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS) but will also play a crucial role in accelerating the era of all-solid-state battery commercialization. AAST is gaining attention as a company with the potential to change the paradigm of the future energy industry, going beyond simply creating new batteries.