South 8 Technologies
About
About South 8 Technologies
South 8 Technologies develops LiGas, a liquefied-gas electrolyte intended to extend lithium-ion operation across extreme temperatures. The company applies the chemistry in ARCTIC AE35 18650 cells manufactured and finished in San Diego.
The cells are positioned for defence, unmanned aerial systems, robotics and aerospace. South 8 began volume production in September 2026; its stated 5 MWh annual capacity remains a 2027 target rather than current output.
Operations
Facilities & manufacturing
- Production setup
2026-09-24 - South 8 reports that its semi-automated San Diego ARCTIC AE35 cell production line is operational. - ARCTIC AE35 18650 cells
Source
Production capacity
- Production capacity
2026-09-24 - South 8 targets 5 MWh of annual ARCTIC cell capacity in 2027; this is not current output. - ARCTIC cell line
Source - Production capacity
2026-04-02 - Executed grant agreement funds an expansion intended to reach 100 MWh LiGas electrolyte production scale. - San Diego LiGas electrolyte production expansion - San Diego, California
Source - Production capacity
2026-04-02 - Executed grant agreement funds an expansion intended to reach 2 MWh annual lithium-ion cell production. - San Diego lithium-ion cell production expansion - San Diego, California
Source
Team
- Jungwoo Lee - Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder - Leads South 8’s LiGas cell commercialization, manufacturing expansion and defence and aerospace customer programmes.
- Cyrus Rustomji - Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder - Leads scientific development of South 8’s LiGas electrolyte and extreme-temperature lithium-ion cell platform.
- Rusty Heffner - Vice President of Strategy - Leads strategy for South 8’s battery technology and commercialization programmes.
- Ryo Tamaki - Vice President of Product - Leads product development for South 8’s LiGas-enabled cells and electrolyte offering.
- Josh Lukens - Vice President of Engineering - Leads engineering for South 8’s battery-cell and manufacturing programmes.
- Mari Rosales - Director of Finance and Controller - Leads finance and controllership for South 8 Technologies.
Timeline
Events
- 2026-09-24 - Production Milestone - South 8 begins ARCTIC AE35 battery volume production
The new line is designed to support 5 MWh of annual cylindrical-cell production in 2027. ARCTIC AE35 18650 cells use LiGas electrolyte for charge and discharge from -60°C to +60°C. Cells for defence customers 3ME Technology and Galvion, along with LiGas electrolyte, will be produced in San Diego.
Source
Relations
Relationships
- LG Energy Solution
Space Battery Joint Development Partner - South 8 and LG Energy Solution are jointly developing space-rated lithium-ion batteries using LiGas electrolyte for extreme-low-temperature missions.
- CTNS
Battery Pack Development And Integration Partner - South 8 and CTNS signed an LOI to develop and integrate LiGas-cell battery packs for joint defense and aerospace customers.