Energous is partnering with CAP-XX on battery-free IoT devices using Energous’ wireless power technology and CAP-XX supercapacitors, they said Tuesday. The partnership addresses the problem of frequent battery replacement, which Energous CEO Cesar Johnston said is a challenge for large-scale IoT deployment.

The global wireless charging market is expected to reach $12.3 billion this year, up from $9.6 billion in 2021, reported The Business Research Co. Monday. Adoption of a smart wireless charging board, capable of sending power at distances over 15 feet, is a growing trend, it said, citing Huawei’s multidevice board introduced in July 2021 that can charge three devices simultaneously at 15 watts. Electric vehicles are expected to drive the market to $34.8 billion in 2026, said the report, but high materials costs could limit market growth.

Energous is working with Sensirion on "maintenance-free" CO2 sensors powered wirelessly over the air for indoor air quality improvement in industrial and commercial use. Having power delivered wirelessly over the air removes the need for battery maintenance in HVAC management, they said. CO2 sensors are typically located far from central power sources and in hard-to-reach locations that make it difficult to monitor air quality, they said.

Energous will develop solutions combining its WattUp wireless power technology with EnerCera lithium-ion batteries from Japanese battery maker NGK, the companies announced Monday. The partnership is expected to produce over-the-air wireless power solutions for IoT sensors, plus asset trackers and tags, supporting maintenance-free IoT applications that don’t require battery replacement or power cables, the companies said.

Energous hailed ITU recommendation ITU-R SM.2151-0, which includes an approval and recommendation for the 900 MHz frequency band for wireless power transfer for the wireless charging of devices such as sensors, smart tags, asset trackers and other IoT applications. The September ITU recommendation, posted Monday, is significant for Energous’ WattUp PowerBridges, which transmit power at the 915 MHz band, Energous said, calling it a “step forward” for Energous for the deployment of global active harvesting wireless power networks running at 900 MHz.

Energous announced Tuesday a deployment of its Wiliot IoT Pixel smart tags with Academy Brand, a clothing line in Australia. It’s the second retail program announced by Energous and retail technology company Flagship, which offers retailers a real-time tracking service with customer insights. The Wiliot tags are wirelessly powered by multiple Energous WattUp PowerBridges, which collect data including in-store inventory location and purchases, Energous said. Wiliot IoT Pixels are battery-free, active Bluetooth tags that can be attached “to almost anything and at a low cost,” it said.

Ossia and Energous announced advances for their wireless charging technologies this week. Ossia said Thursday its 202nd patent application has been OK'd, enabling partner companies' products with Ossia’s RF-based Cota wireless charging technology to receive power over air and at a distance from a transmitter, without line of sight. Cota-enabled products can also have communication capabilities, the company said. Energous announced Wednesday its 1W WattUp PowerBridge transmitter has met all of the requirements of the Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and New Zealand Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) and is approved for import, marketing and sales in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Energous and e-peas announced Wednesday an energy-harvesting evaluation kit for wireless power networks, comprising Energous’ 1W WattUp PowerBridge transmitter and two e-peas evaluation boards. The kit is geared to energy-harvesting applications for smart buildings, smart homes, industrial, IoT, medical and for asset trackers in retail and warehouses. The IoT ecosystem includes sensors, tags, trackers and other devices “that require reliable and consistent power,” said Energous CEO Cesar Johnston. The combination of Energous and e-peas technology brings a "complete solution from transmitter to receiver enabling developers to power IoT edge devices and remove battery maintenance drawbacks for the target markets,” said e-peas Chief Marketing Officer Christian Ferrier.

Energous got an FCC Part 18 grant of equipment authorization for 15 watts of conducted wireless power transfer, the company said Wednesday. CEO Cesar Johnston called the approval a “landmark” for Energous, because it allows 15 times more wireless power transfer than previously allowed “without distance limitations.” Energous’ WattUp PowerBridge transmitters, which can charge multiple devices simultaneously at a distance using RF-based wireless power, send at 1- , 5.5- and 15 watts; they also are a data link for connected IoT devices such as sensors, electronic shelf labels (ESLs), IoT tags for asset tracking and batteryless devices, the company said. Energous positions its wireless power technology as an alternative to replaceable batteries, which it says are affected by temperature and frequency of use and require power cables that can add logistical issues and cost. Energous posted Q2 revenue of $233,000 Wednesday, up from $185,000 in the year-ago quarter.

Energous and retail technology company Flagship announced Monday that Energous' WattUp PowerBridges technology was deployed in a Bluetooth smart tag pilot at a “major retail store” in Sydney. Flagship’s technology automatically tracks movement of items in a store, fitting room or warehouse, and gives instant inventory counts, loss prevention data, insights into what customers are trying on, stock replenishment requirements and merchandising insights, they said. It’s Energous’ first deployment of a wireless power network for RF-tags, said CEO Cesar Johnston, saying the Flagship technology is working with thousands of Wiliot IoT Pixel tags powered by WattUp PowerBridges. The Wiliot IoT devices are described as low-cost, active Bluetooth tags “that can be attached to nearly anything,” with sensors that monitor light, humidity, proximity and temperature, among other inputs.