Sila wins $1.4bn Pentagon loan commitment to break China's grip on battery anodes. The Sila Pentagon loan commitment, announced in August 2026, arrives as a conditional pledge of $1.4 billion from the US Department of Defense, one of the largest single bets the Pentagon has placed on a domestic battery materials company. The money is not yet in hand: Sila's press release via Business Wire confirms that the financing is a conditional loan commitment, meaning the Alameda, California-based company must satisfy further requirements before the facility closes. What the commitment signals, conditions aside, is that the Pentagon is willing to write very large cheques to reduce American dependence on Chinese battery supply chains. Why the Sila Pentagon loan commitment matters for US battery supply. The stakes are straightforward. Most lithium-ion battery anodes today rely on graphite, and Chinese companies dominate that supply chain. Silicon-carbon materials, which Sila manufactures at its factory in Moses Lake, Washington, can store 20% to 40% more electricity than graphite anodes. That translates into either longer-lasting cells or smaller, lighter batteries: precisely what defence contractors need for drones and what automotive companies need for electric vehicles. Sila's Moses Lake plant, which began operating in September 2025, currently produces about 2 gigawatt-hours of anode material annually. The DoD financing is intended to fund a fivefold expansion of that facility, enough to supply material for more than 100,000 EVs. Beyond anode production, the commitment also covers a new silicon battery cell manufacturing facility aimed at specialty applications with demanding performance requirements, including industrial, agricultural, and military drones, as well as energy storage, AI infrastructure, and data centres, according to the company's announcement. The loan is channelled through the Department of Defense's Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), which was formally established under the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024. The DoD's Office of Strategic Capital was granted authority under that legislation to issue loans and loan guarantees specifically to increase private investment in critical technologies and supply chains. A company built on private capital, now backed by the state. Sila was founded in 2011 and has assembled an investor base that reads like a who's who of growth-stage technology finance. The company's Sila press page lists 8VC, Atreides Management, Bessemer Venture Partners, Coatue, In-Q-Tel, Matrix Partners, Sutter Hill Ventures, and funds advised by T. Rowe Price Associates among its backers. In July 2026, Sila raised $300 million in a private round led by Atreides Management and Sutter Hill Ventures, with 8VC, Bessemer Venture Partners, Matrix Partners, and T. Rowe Price-advised funds also participating, according to Yahoo Finance's report on the Business Wire press release. Total private funding to date exceeds $1.5 billion, according to PitchBook. Secondary-market data tracked by Forge Global puts Sila's post-money valuation at $2.33 billion following the July 2026 round, with total funding of $1.61 billion on its estimates, though as a secondary-market aggregator Forge's figures may differ from company-disclosed numbers. The company has already secured commercial partnerships with Mercedes and Panasonic. The Pentagon commitment could extend that commercial reach into defence contracting, a market that has expanded considerably as conflicts in Ukraine and elsewhere sustain demand for advanced military hardware. Sila was not the only beneficiary of the Pentagon's latest round of critical-materials investments. The DoD's broader critical materials package included a $400 million loan to Australian company Sunrise Energy Metals for scandium mining, a $150 million loan to Minnesota-based Niron Magnetics for rare earth-free magnets, and an $85 million equity investment in Strategic Bauxite, which mines a mineral containing aluminium. The common thread is supply chain geography: every company in the package produces or processes materials currently sourced predominantly from outside the United States, and in many cases from China or Chinese-linked operations. Silicon-anode competition is intensifying. Group14 and Amprius are among the companies also pursuing silicon-based anode technologies, and the race to scale non-graphite materials is accelerating on both commercial and geopolitical timelines. What sets Sila apart for now is operational proof: Moses Lake is already running, and the Moses Lake facility's domestic address insulates Sila's customers from tariffs and geopolitical exposure in ways that imported anode material cannot. The conditions attached to the $1.4 billion commitment will determine how quickly that expansion capital flows. Until those conditions are met and the facility closes, the Pentagon's pledge is a floor, not a finish line. Funke Adeyemi spent a decade in corporate banking and fintech before moving to business journalism. She started in trade finance at a major UK bank, moved to a payments company scaling into African markets, and spent her last role leading partnerships at a cross-border remittance platform. She writes about business strategy, fintech, digital banking, and the corporate news that moves markets. She is interested in how companies actually make money rather than how they describe making money in investor presentations. Funke lives in South London. She reads earnings calls the way other people listen to podcasts, and finds them about as reliable. 21/08/2026 20/08/2026

Amprius Technologies (NYSE:AMPX) trading up 2% - should you buy? August 11, 2026 Key points. * Amprius Technologies shares rose 2% to about $12.04 in mid-day trading, while volume was 45% below the average daily level. The company has a $1.71 billion market capitalization and trades below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. * Analyst sentiment is broadly positive but mixed, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $23.00. Recent targets range from $24 to $30, although some firms maintain Hold or Sell ratings. * Company insiders sold 310,144 shares worth approximately $5.05 million over the past 90 days, while insiders own 5.10% of the stock. Amprius develops high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries using proprietary silicon nanowire anode technology. * MarketBeat previews the top five stocks to own by September 1st. Amprius Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AMPX - Get Free Report) rose 2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday. The stock traded as high as $12.09 and last traded at $12.0410. Approximately 4,640,550 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 45% from the average daily volume of 8,374,082 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.81. Wall Street analyst weigh in. Several analysts have recently commented on AMPX shares. JonesTrading started coverage on shares of Amprius Technologies in a research report on Friday, July 10th. They set a "buy" rating and a $30.00 price target on the stock. Northland Securities set a $24.00 price target on Amprius Technologies in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Zacks Research upgraded Amprius Technologies from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (e+)" rating on shares of Amprius Technologies in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Amprius Technologies from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Amprius Technologies presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $23.00. Amprius Technologies trading up 2.0%. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -41.52 and a beta of 2.34. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $13.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.94. Insider transactions at Amprius Technologies. In other Amprius Technologies news, Director Kang Sun sold 67,796 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.79, for a total transaction of $1,002,702.84. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,280,854 shares in the company, valued at $18,943,830.66. This represents a 5.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Thomas M. Stepien sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.97, for a total value of $41,940.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 625,625 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,119,356.25. This represents a 0.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 310,144 shares of company stock worth $5,049,997 in the last ninety days. 5.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Hedge funds weigh in on Amprius Technologies. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in Amprius Technologies by 31.1% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 12,890 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 3,055 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Amprius Technologies during the third quarter worth about $42,000. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in shares of Amprius Technologies by 61.1% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 15,690 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 5,951 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in shares of Amprius Technologies by 1,385.4% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 10,383 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 9,684 shares during the period. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Amprius Technologies in the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. 5.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Amprius Technologies company profile. Amprius Technologies, Inc NYSE: AMPX is a U.S.-based developer of high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries that leverage silicon anode technology to deliver performance levels beyond conventional graphite-based cells. The company's batteries are designed to offer industry-leading gravimetric energy density, enabling longer run times and reduced weight for portable power applications. Amprius blends advanced materials science and scalable manufacturing processes to commercialize next-generation battery solutions. At the core of Amprius' product portfolio are cylindrical and prismatic cells that employ a proprietary silicon nanowire anode, which supports high charge/discharge rates while maintaining cycle life. Further reading. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. Continue following MarketBeat Before you consider Amprius Technologies, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Amprius Technologies wasn't on the list. While Amprius Technologies currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys. The AI boom is creating opportunities across semiconductors, cloud computing, enterprise software, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and automation. 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