Sakuu to Auction Off Surplus Equipment in August — Company Says It’s Part of Normal Operations

Sakuu, a company known for developing additive manufacturing (AM) systems for battery production, is holding an online auction to sell a wide range of equipment. The auction will run from August 12 to 14, 2025, and includes battery testing units, glove boxes, vacuum ovens, metal 3D printers, milling equipment, and more. The full list of assets and auction details is available on the Silicon Valley Disposition auction site.

In light of the auction announcement, 3DPrint.com reached out to Sakuu to confirm the status of its operations. In response, Dave Pederson, the Vice President of marketing and business development at Sakuu, provided the following statement:

“No mystery. We’re simply clearing out equipment accumulated over the last several years that we no longer need. We’re making space for our next edition of Kavian, our additive manufacturing platform, which integrates our innovative dry process manufacturing steps into an all-in-one tool to produce a complete lithium-ion battery electrode.”

According to Sakuu, the auction is part of a facility upgrade to support the next phase of its Kavian platform. This dry-process 3D printing system is used to produce complete lithium-ion battery electrodes. Unlike traditional methods, Kavian promises to eliminate the need for wet slurries and ovens by using a powder-based process that avoids toxic chemicals, such as NMP, a solvent, and PTFE, which is a plastic binder used in traditional battery manufacturing.

The system supports both current battery chemistries, such as LFP and NMC, as well as emerging options like lithium-metal, aluminum-ion, and sodium-ion. Sakuu says Kavian is designed to reduce factory footprint by about 60%, cut energy use by 40%, and lower carbon emissions by 55%. The platform has also gained attention through early partnerships with groups like South Korean battery manufacturer SK On.

As the company moves forward with Kavian, the upcoming auction will include a variety of legacy lab and manufacturing equipment, such as Neware battery testing units, ultrasonic welders, vacuum ovens, milling systems, a metal binder jet 3D printer, light-curing conveyor systems, forklifts, and other facility equipment.

All items are located at Sakuu’s San Jose facility, at 5870 Hellyer Ave, and will be available for preview by appointment only. The auction will close on August 14, with asset removal scheduled for the following week.

Sakuu is a California-based company that focuses on additive manufacturing (AM) technology for producing solid-state and lithium-ion batteries. The company has attracted attention for using 3D printing to make battery components — an approach aimed at reducing waste, saving energy, and improving performance. This type of technology is especially important as demand grows for batteries in electric vehicles, electronics, and renewable energy systems.

In March 2023, Sakuu announced plans to go public through a merger with Plum Acquisition Corp. I, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) led by former Xerox CEO Ursula Burns. The deal valued the combined company at approximately $705 million and was expected to result in a public listing under the ticker symbol “SAKU.” However, by June 2023, Sakuu and Plum mutually agreed to terminate the merger. Following that announcement, Plum Acquisition Corp. I initiated plans to liquidate. As of mid-2025, Sakuu remains a private company.

Images courtesy of Sakuu