A whistleblower has filed a criminal complaint against battery startup Donut Lab, alleging the company misled the public about the capabilities and readiness of its solid-state battery technology. The complaint, reported by a Finnish newspaper, centers on claims Donut Lab made earlier this year that drew both excitement and skepticism. The individual behind the complaint is reported to be Lauri Peltola, who was until recently listed as the Chief Commercial Officer at Nordic Nano. Nordic Nano is a manufacturing partner that Donut Lab has invested in. Peltola’s complaint alleges that Donut Lab overstated the energy density and lifespan of its batteries and lacked the production capacity it had claimed. According to the newspaper’s report, which cites internal communications it has seen, there is a discrepancy between the battery Donut Lab has been promoting and the actual state of development. The battery that was given to the Finnish national lab VTT for testing and that has been the subject of Donut Lab’s advertising is reportedly a first-generation cell from a partner company called CT-Coating. However, internal emails suggest CT-Coating had already abandoned development on that specific cell in favor of a new design that was still in early stages. This appears to contradict Donut Lab’s January announcement that it had a technology ready for mass production. In response to the allegations, Donut Lab CEO Marko Lehtimäki told the newspaper he had no knowledge of the criminal complaint. Nordic Nano CEO Esa Parjanen denied the accusations, stating that Peltola’s views were not shared by the company and that Peltola had no involvement in the battery project. Donut Lab and Nordic Nano also issued a joint public statement addressing the situation. They stated they do not know the exact details of the complaint but firmly denied having committed any crime or misleading investors. The statement also sought to discredit the complainant, suggesting the individual lacked the necessary technical knowledge and a full understanding of the development work. The situation casts a shadow over Donut Lab’s ambitious promises for a solid-state battery breakthrough, a technology many see as a potential game-changer for electric vehicles and electronics. The criminal complaint introduces formal legal scrutiny into whether the company’s public statements matched its private reality.
