About
Founded in 2024, Ionworks is a private headquartered in Pittsburgh, United States with approximately 10-50 employees specializing in Energy Storage.
Ionworks is a battery modeling software company founded by the creators and maintainers of PyBaMM, the most widely-used open-source battery modeling library. The company provides two primary offerings: (1) Ionworks Studio, a web-based Battery Simulation OS that unifies cycler data, parameterized physics-based models, and simulation studies into a unified workflow for battery R&D teams, and (2) battery simulation consulting services including model parameterization, custom model development, and degradation studies. The platform supports multiple cell chemistries (NMC, NCA, LFP, silicon-anode, sodium-ion, solid-state), model types (SPM, SPMe, DFN, ECM), and cycler data formats (Maccor, Neware, BioLogic, Arbin, Novonix, BasyTec). Services include standard performance model fitting, custom non-standard models for novel chemistries, empirical and mechanistic degradation modeling, design optimization studies, and custom GUI development. The platform is API-first with REST API and Python SDK interfaces, supporting integration with AI agents and existing lab infrastructure. Ionworks also offers hands-on PyBaMM training courses delivered by core library developers.
Headquarters
Founded
Employees
Company type
Focus areas
Keywords
Products & services
Business models
Value chain
Service areas (4)
Battery Data Management
Model Parameterization
Degradation Modeling
Design Optimization
Products (3)
Ionworks Studio
Battery Simulation Consulting
PyBaMM Battery Modeling Course
Locations
Headquarters
5831 Forward Ave, 15217, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Credentials & affiliations
Certifications
SOC 2 Compliance
Partnerships
PyBaMM (open-source collaboration)
People
Management & team
Valentin Sulzer
Co-founder & CEO
Rob Timms
Co-founder & CTO
Liam Cooney
Founding Commercial Lead
Marc Berliner
Founding Algorithms Engineer
Alec Bills
Founding Battery Simulation Engineer
Leonard Li
Founding Team Member
Brady Planden
Founding Product Engineer
Anya Kuznetsova
Founding Systems Engineer
Frequently asked questions
published by the companyWhat is Ionworks?
Ionworks structures the full battery simulation workflow — from cycler data to parameterized models to design sweeps — so R&D teams can explore designs without building more cells, automate the work between cyclers, and get more from every cell they've ever tested. Built on PyBaMM by the team that created and maintains it.
Is Ionworks a replacement for PyBaMM?
No. Ionworks operationalizes PyBaMM workflows for teams: the same physics-based models, plus structured data management, parameterized models, and coordination features. Existing PyBaMM scripts do not need to be rewritten.
Do I need a modeling team to use Ionworks?
No. Ionworks Studio gives test engineers and analysts a browser-based interface for ingesting data, running simulations, and reviewing results without writing code. Teams with dedicated modelers still get full programmatic access through the Python SDK and REST API. Both work against the same data and the same parameterized models.
What kinds of battery data can Ionworks use?
Maccor, Neware, Novonix, Arbin, BioLogic, and other major cycler formats. Uploaded data is normalized into a common schema and automatically linked to its cell context, so test engineers and modelers always start from the same baseline.
Can teams run their own protocols and models?
Yes. Saved protocols, typed protocols, uploaded cycler files, or parameter sweeps. Parameterized models combine your model type, parameter sets, and cell specs into reusable assets that anyone on the team can run.
Can agents use Ionworks?
Yes. Ionworks is API-first, so any system that can make HTTP requests — including AI coding assistants and autonomous agents — can operate the full platform: ingest data, parameterize models, run simulations, and retrieve results. There is no separate agent interface. The API is the interface.
Can Ionworks integrate with our existing lab and data systems?
Yes. Ionworks is designed to sit on top of your current infrastructure. The Python SDK and REST API let teams pipe data in from existing cyclers, test databases, and internal tooling, so adopting Ionworks doesn't mean replacing the systems you already rely on.
Is my data secure?
Yes. Ionworks is SOC 2 compliant and follows industry standard practices for data protection, access control, and deployment isolation. Reports are available on request. Sensitive customer data stays inside your account boundary.
Who is this for?
Battery engineers, electrochemical modelers, and R&D leads. If your team is fitting models to data, simulating protocols, or trying to make simulation workflows repeatable across a group, Ionworks Studio is worth evaluating.
What model types does Ionworks support for parameterization?
SPM, SPMe, and DFN from PyBaMM, plus Ionworks-specific models: LumpedSPMR, LumpedSPMeR, and ECM with 0-5 configurable RC pairs. All physics-based models support full-cell and half-cell configurations. Custom PyBaMM models can be uploaded as serialized JSON.
What optimization algorithms are available for fitting?
Six algorithms: Differential Evolution and PSO for global optimization, CMA-ES, XNES, and SNES for population-based search, and Nelder-Mead for local gradient-free optimization. All support multistart runs from Latin Hypercube-sampled initial populations.
Can I fit against multiple experiment types at once?
Yes. The ionworkspipeline package supports combining current-driven cycling, cycle aging, EIS, pulse resistance, OCP half-cell, electrode balancing, and MSMR objectives in a single fitting pipeline. Different experiments constrain different parameters, and combining them builds a more complete and identifiable parameter set.
