BREAKTHROUGH! Valgotech’s Li-S Battery Successfully Flew a Quadcopter

Recently, Valgotech (Fishers, Indiana) reached another major milestone in the development and commercialization of its high-performance, affordable, and made-in-USA lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries.

The company, in collaboration with Packet Digital (Fargo, North Dakota), successfully powered a quadcopter (rotating wing drone) during its first flight test. It is important to note that most flight tests on Li-S batteries use a fixed-wing drone, as they do not require a high C rate to lift the drone.

The successful lift and flight of the quadcopter drone is a testament to the high C rate capability that Valgotech has achieved with its Li-S battery technology. This is a game-changer for the United States’ battery supply chain because the cathode, a major component of the battery, uses sulfur, which is abundantly available in the US. This is unlike a lithium-ion battery cathode, which uses expensive, foreign-sourced rare-earth metals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese.

The collaboration between Valgotech and Packet Digital is an example of how US companies can leverage each other's strengths to accelerate product development and commercialization, ensuring made-in-USA products remain competitive in the market.

With plans to start shipping its cheaper, lighter-weight SulfurcellTM in February/March of 2026, the company is accelerating efforts to build on the success of this first test by further optimizing its cell performance for future tests.

The success of this first Li-S-powered battery flight test conducted by Packet Digital for Valgotech is significant. The breakthrough affirms the continued partnership and support of the US Space Force, US Air Force, National Science Foundation (NSF), Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), Elevate Ventures, Applied Research Institute (ARI), Packet Digital, Battery Innovation Center, and the New York New Energy ChargeUp program.