Innovate Alabama is placing a million-dollar investment in a visionary Alabama inventor.
And the public-private partnership isn’t alone – as NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and Cleveland Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett are also backing the project.
The $1 million investment in Johnson Energy Storage (JES) of Tuskegee will fund research in all-solid-state batteries.
JES is the firm of former NASA engineer and Mobile native Lonnie Johnson, which has spent 25 years researching battery technology.
He is perhaps the only man lauded by Popular Mechanics as developing a world-changing technology, and earning a place in the Toy Hall of Fame for his Super Soaker water gun.
A Tuskegee University graduate with degrees in mechanical and nuclear engineering, Johnson has worked at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Strategic Air Command. He’s been involved in the building of deep space probes such as Cassini and Galileo, perfecting the technology to keep the probe’s memory preserved during powerdowns, and developed components for the Stealth Bomber.
Innovate Alabama is responsible for allocating funds from the State Small Business Credit Initiative, a federal program reauthorized under the American Rescue Plan Act. It provides $10 billion in grants and loans to support small businesses across the country.
In addition to Johnson and Garrett’s support, Southern Company Electrotechnologies is another investor.
JES is among the first companies to receive funding from InvestAL, Alabama’s new venture capital program funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Launched in 2024 by Innovate Alabama, InvestAL offers direct investments in high-growth startups and early-stage venture capital funds.
Innovate Alabama CEO Cynthia Crutchfield said Johnson’s Alabama roots and relationship with Tuskegee made his company a natural choice.
“We hope this deal inspires entrepreneurs like Dr. Johnson with Alabama ties to take advantage of the momentum building in our innovation ecosystem,” she said.
Many JES engineers and scientists are Tuskegee alumni, and the Johnson Research Technology Incubation Center (JRTIC) on campus concentrates on tech-driven economic growth.
“It’s important to me to give back to the community that played such a crucial role in shaping the opportunities I have today,” Johnson said in a statement. “I’m grateful to Innovate Alabama for their significant investment in the work we are doing, as well as their vision for a robust and inclusive knowledge economy in Alabama.”
