TROY, N.Y., Jan. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PBC Tech, developer of innovative supercapacitor-based energy storage and battery enhancement technologies, today announced a manufacturing partnership agreement with KLA-Tencor (NASDAQ:KLAC) in preparation for the commercial launch of its PowerWRAPPER ultrathin supercapacitor later in 2018.  Also, PBC Tech announced it received a U.S. Patent (No.: 9,831,533) relating to the architecture of the PowerWRAPPER product line.

PowerWRAPPER is an ultrathin supercapacitor with a revolutionary design that enables the 5V product line to fit into spaces where other energy sources cannot and deliver peak power and new functionality not possible in today’s wireless devices with small, aging batteries. The new patent, valid through 2037, adds to a growing patent portfolio that covers proprietary electrode materials, specific applications for use of an ultrathin supercapacitor and architecture and design for the PowerWRAPPER technology, providing comprehensive protection for commercial applications of this product. Ten other patent applications are pending.

With deep engineering expertise in building high-precision, production-scale equipment, KLA-Tencor Corporation has signed on as PBC Tech’s manufacturing partner for PowerWRAPPER.  The first scalable production equipment built by KLA-Tencor as part of this agreement is currently under validation testing. Separately, KLA-Tencor’s corporate venture group has made a strategic capital investment in PBC Tech.

“Our partnership with KLA-Tencor is a major milestone for PBC Tech and its customers,” said Shreefal Mehta, Chief Executive Officer of PBC Tech. “The equipment KLA-Tencor is building will demonstrate the readiness of PowerWRAPPER to be scaled and manufactured at production levels in the millions of units/day as required by the leading electronics companies that have shown interest in PowerWRAPPER. KLA-Tencor’s strategic investment will enable us to grow our existing customer base and prepare for higher volume sales of our PowerRESPONDER, a UL-certified, hybrid-supercapacitor product line. With KLA-Tencor, we are now ready to scale up, deliver and disrupt the battery power management world in mobile electronics.”

PBC Tech has proven its capabilities to deliver a reliable, commercially-viable product with the launch of PowerRESPONDER in 2017, which is qualified by industry leading OEM customers in cloud computing and medical applications.

About KLA-Tencor Corporation
KLA-Tencor Corporation, a leading provider of process control and yield management solutions, partners with customers around the world to develop state-of-the-art inspection and metrology technologies. These technologies serve the semiconductor and other related nanoelectronics industries. With a portfolio of industry-standard products and a team of world-class engineers and scientists, the company has created superior solutions for its customers for more than 40 years. Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., KLA-Tencor has dedicated customer operations and service centers around the world. Additional information may be found at www.kla-tencor.com (KLAC-P).

About PBC Tech
PBC Tech has designed a game-changing, ultrathin, supercapacitor with industry-leading performance. Supercapacitors enable companies to use smaller batteries without compromising energy or peak performance and the company’s patented form factor solution allows for revolutionary size changes in wearables, accessories, and mobile electronics. The long life, environmentally-friendly device works with existing lithium batteries, reducing waste, and fits in or around existing components. The company’s innovative business model and technology has garnered recognition with awards such as the “startup of the year” from the Consumer Technology Association, innovation awards at CES 2015 and as a TIE50 2013 awardee as well as multiple competitive awards from NY State Energy and Research Development Authority. For more information go to http://www.pbctech.co

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/338c036b-83f2-439b-b490-83356f0b5d59