Dr. Gwen Chimonides is Co-Founder and CTO at AmpliSi, a University of Sheffield spinout pioneering next-generation porous silicon anode materials to replace graphite in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage.

Gwen completed her bachelor's in Biological Chemistry at Aston University before earning a PhD in polymer chemistry, and joined the University of Sheffield in 2015 as a postdoctoral researcher working on polymers for sensing technology before transitioning into battery science.

Gwen's career showcases a remarkable pivot from cell biology to battery research, and she has been recognised for her work through the Faraday Institution Industry Sprint programme and won the Faraday Institution 2024 conference poster prize for Industrial Context.

As CTO, Gwen leads the development of AmpliSi's patented magnesiothermic process, a low-temperature, silane-free method that converts abundant silica into high-performance porous silicon anodes, overcoming key barriers of volume expansion, lifetime stability and scalability.

AmpliSi secured £2 million in pre-seed funding led by Northern Gritstone and Clean Growth Fund, and participated in Northern Gritstone's NG Studios deeptech venture builder cohort in 2025, positioning the company to move from lab to industrial scale-up.