15/04/2026
Those interested in batteries will likely have heard of “Donut Lab”, a Finnish start-up which is a spin-off of Verge Motorcycles, a Finnish company founded in 2018 that specialises in high-performance electric motorcycles.
In early 2026, at CES (the Consumer Electronics Show), Donut Lab introduced a “production-ready” solid-state battery which, according to the Company, contains no lithium, has an energy density of 400 Wh/kg, survives 100,000 charge cycles, fully charges in five minutes, and operates at temperature between −30 and 100 °C.
Incremental release of independent testing
Following the impressive performance claims, Donut Lab has been gradually releasing some independent test results from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, a well-respected, Finnish state-owned research institute.
The test results, which are publicly available (here and here), appear supportive of some of Donut Lab’s claims. However, neither the test results nor the gradual release of information have eliminated doubts being expressed by some solid-state battery experts (see, for example, MIT Technology Review).
Donut Lab’s CEO, on the other hand, has suggested the gradual release serves to “control the narrative” – Donut Lab have even set up a website to give their side, called “I Donut believe”. Further results are expected over the next few weeks.
One reason for doubts being raised about Donut Lab’s claims is that there are no published patent applications, peer-reviewed papers, or detailed technical specs available – suggesting that Donut Lab may be relying heavily on trade secrets, although of course patent applications are not generally published until about 18 months after filing and thus there may be an as-yet-unpublished patent portfolio.
How to protect your battery breakthrough
Intellectual Property in the battery sector may be protected using patents or as trade secrets.
Trade secrets offer some clear advantages over patents; if trade secrets are kept confidential, they may offer protection indefinitely. Trade secrets, by their very nature, do not require any public disclosure and there is no formal application process. They may also be maintained at relatively lower cost. Incremental improvements may be protected by trade secrets because the threshold for protection is generally lower than for patents.
Patents on the other hand are obtained through a formal application process, requiring disclosure of the invention. Patent applications are typically published around 18 months after filing, as mentioned above. However, importantly, patents grant an exclusive right to exploit the patented technology for a limited period, typically a maximum of 20 years – trade secrets do not provide exclusive rights.
A trade secret heavy IP strategy may appear appealing, particularly for manufacturing inventions, as it can be hard to reverse-engineer manufacturing methods, and because of the promise of indefinite protection. However, good trade secret management can be challenging – keeping good records and maintaining confidentiality is difficult. And trade secret enforcement is tricky: Tesla, which it is understood, relies heavily on trade secrets and whose CEO’s negative stance on patents has been well publicised, last year suffered multiple setbacks in trying to enforce trade secrets against their supplier, Matthews International Corporation (see our article here).
In addition to providing exclusivity, or “monopoly” rights, patents and patent applications have further advantages: they may establish credibility and help attract investment. As such, for start-ups and scale-ups particularly, patents and patent applications can hold value beyond the direct protection of an invention.
In most cases, a mixed IP strategy combining patenting of major breakthroughs with trade secrets provides maximum protection, flexibility, and value.
So, what about Donut Lab?
Donut Lab appears to have no published patents or patent applications, which has led some to raise doubts in light of the impressive performance claims.
It is possible that any patent applications Donut Lab have filed have not yet been published (this typically happens about 18 months after filing, as mentioned above), or that they are relying on patented technology held by other entities (links have been drawn between Donut Lab, Nordic Nano, and Holyvolt). In any event, it appears that the company may be relying heavily on trade secrets.
It remains to be seen whether this is the battery breakthrough that will revolutionise energy storage, or simply marketing. Questions remain as to the cell chemistry, cell design, and manufacturing methods which would enable a battery to achieve the promised performance.
Take-home points
Trade secrets are valuable assets. But trade secrets can be challenging to maintain and enforce. To maintain a trade secret, it must be identified and kept secret. Good trade secret management is challenging – recordkeeping is essential, as are reasonable steps to maintain confidentiality (access restrictions, confidentiality clauses, etc).
Patents offer exclusive rights to make, use, sell, or import an invention for a limited period – they thus offer strong, time-limited protection for inventions, including protection against a third party’s independent invention. Patents may also establish credibility in a new technology and help to attract investment.
As patents and trade secrets have different advantages, a hybrid IP strategy of patents and trade secrets is essential for many deep tech companies.
Trade secrets may lend themselves to protecting hard-to-reverse-engineer manufacturing processes, manufacturing know-how or chemical formulas, and other information that may require protection for more than 20 years. Patents protect against reverse engineering and independent discovery, by providing exclusive rights to exploit an invention.
At Reddie & Grose, we have a broad range of experience in deep tech, with particular expertise in the battery sector, covering all forms of IP – patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and designs. Please feel free to get in touch if you need any advice regarding your IP.
This content is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking any action in reliance on it.
