As always - I continue to be immensely grateful for the support of this community.\xa0

I want to provide a recap of the initial issues, what steps we took to mitigate and pivot, and what our plans are moving forward.\xa0 \xa0

We were hit by the global supply chain crisis in 2021 and 2022. The entire manufacturing industry was impacated by critical shortages, including the biggest tech, vehicle, and industrial manufacturers. The industry has reached a "new normal" but that crisis had a lasting impact, and it reshaped component sourcing norms. Small buyers like us were hit hardest, because we don't have the purchasing power to buy up extra component inventory.\xa0

We first worked to find and purchase the components we'd initially spec'd for the product. When it became clear we would not be able to source the entire BOM (Bill of Materials), we started working with our partners to redesign the systems to use components which we could get our hands on. This was an extremely challenging game of moving targets, as components would come in and out of stock on an hourly basis, we'd redesign to use a component we could find, and by the time we ran through the cascade of changes needed to use that piece, something else would go out of stock. This is where our small-fish purchasing power really hurt us. Big companies could buy up stock for multiple different components, but we didn't have the money or clout to give ourselves that kind of optionality. In part, because our goal was and still is to build an affordable power unit.

Throughout that time, we needed to raise additional funding to support the engineering and design work that went into all those efforts. That fundraising became the top priority, because without that capital we would not be able to finish the work to get these products built and fulfilled.

We are extremely honored to have received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), they believe in our mission to build an accessible energy storage system and their endorsement and financial support is invaluable.\xa0

With that DOE support and additional grant support from mHUB and LA Climate Incubator, we are able to run limited pilot projects with new prototype units this summer with the Grid Catalyst program. If you are interested in participating in one of these pilots, please reach out and we will see if you're eligible for those programs.\xa0

We're not out of the woods yet, but these pilots are a critical next step as we move toward final safety certifications, commercialization, and launch.\xa0

We believe in the impact this battery system will have not - not just on individual households but on the electric grid as a whole. We are working hard to get this across the finish line, thank you for your continued support.\xa0

Sophia & Chance