The Spark of Change: Guiding Financial Strategy in Advanced Battery Tech

by: Aiah Lacson

A fast-growing battery technology company preparing for an IPO needed a CFO to scale operations and lead fundraising. We placed a seasoned finance leader who secured major capital, strengthened financial systems, and positioned the company for public market success.

Client Overview
The Challenge / Mandate
Search Strategy
The Placement
The Outcome

Client Overview

Our client is a high-growth, pre-IPO company headquartered in Carlsbad, California, specializing in cutting-edge lithium-ion battery technology. Their patented silicon-based batteries deliver the world’s highest energy density with unparalleled safety and performance in extreme conditions. Founded in 2006, the company serves a wide array of industries, including Defense, Aerospace, MedTech, and Electric Vehicles (EV). Their customer base includes Fortune 500 defense contractors and a growing number of reshored manufacturing and supply chain businesses.

With over 40 U.S. and international patents, the company stands at the forefront of the clean energy revolution, offering solutions that power electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and advanced grid storage. Their batteries enable greater energy capture, longer lifespan, and improved efficiency across a variety of applications. Deeply committed to environmental stewardship and sustainability, they prioritize responsible sourcing, ethical manufacturing practices, and constant innovation.

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The Challenge / Mandate

Amidst rapid growth and an expanding manufacturing footprint, the client needed a CFO who could lead them through their next major milestones: securing $100M+ in additional funding and preparing for an IPO within the next 36 months. The mandate required a candidate with a rare combination of operational finance expertise and deep fundraising experience in technology or advanced manufacturing sectors.

Key responsibilities included professionalizing the finance function, leading all fundraising efforts, and building financial systems to scale. The CFO would partner closely with the CEO to drive strategic growth while fostering the discipline and transparency necessary for future liquidity events, including an IPO.

Search Strategy

The search focused on finding an entrepreneurial financial leader with 12+ years of experience, combining early-career investment banking or transaction advisory expertise with recent leadership in high-growth, manufacturing-driven technology companies. Candidates needed a strong background in fundraising, investor relations, IPO readiness, and operational finance.

Targeted industries included energy storage, electrification, renewables, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. Critical competencies included financial modeling, ERP implementation, systems scalability, GAAP compliance, investor communications, and KPI-driven strategic planning.

The Placement

The selected candidate brought a powerful combination of investment banking pedigree and hands-on CFO experience at multiple high-growth technology companies. A Goldman Sachs alumnus, he had successfully led numerous fundraising rounds, managed investor relations, and prepared companies for IPOs and other liquidity events.

Throughout his career, he demonstrated a solutions-oriented leadership style focused on driving growth, executing cost reductions, and scaling financial operations. His expertise spanned SaaS, manufacturing, and clean energy sectors, with deep experience in board relations, fundraising (equity, debt, convertible instruments), KPI development, audit readiness, and cap table management.

The Outcome

Upon joining, the CFO immediately set to work professionalizing the finance function and preparing the company for its next phase of growth. He led the successful execution of a $100M funding round by leveraging his extensive investor network, including private equity firms, family offices, and institutional investors.

He also oversaw the selection and implementation of a scalable ERP system, standardized financial processes, and improved internal controls to support compliance, audit readiness, and IPO preparation. His leadership brought rigor to budgeting, cash flow forecasting, and scenario planning, ensuring the company was strategically aligned for rapid growth.

By fostering a culture of financial discipline while maintaining flexibility for innovation, he enabled the organization to scale its manufacturing capabilities and solidify its market leadership. The CFO is now leading preparations for the company’s planned IPO, ensuring the financial infrastructure, reporting, and investor narrative are fully aligned with the demands of public markets.