One commercial order can establish credibility. Three parallel final stage evaluations can show whether that credibility is beginning to spread. Just over a week after Novacium received its first commercial order for silicon based battery packs destined for drones for a French Army regiment, HPQ and Novacium are now advancing battery evaluations with three separate European drone manufacturers. Each manufacturer has received 10 custom configured battery packs for final stage evaluation, moving the story from a single defence order to three separate late stage evaluation programs.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Three Final Stage Evaluations: Three European drone manufacturers have each received 10 custom configured battery packs. CEO Bernard Tourillon said final stage evaluation can include static ground testing followed by operational testing, depending on the customer and application.
- Timeline Measured in Weeks: Asked whether HPQ expected these evaluations to take weeks or months, Tourillon answered “weeks,” while making clear that the final timing remains in the customers’ hands.
- European Beachhead: HPQ and Novacium have used Europe to establish initial market credibility, first through the French Army related order and now through broader manufacturer evaluations. Tourillon said the objective is to build credible customer references that can open additional doors.
- Moving Up The Value Chain: HPQ and Novacium began with silicon anode material, but the strategy has evolved toward selling complete battery packs tailored to specific drone requirements. Tourillon said the company believes this higher value product approach offers greater commercial potential than selling material alone.
- North America Comes Next: Tourillon described North America as being at the “starting line,” but said the European experience has helped define the commercial approach. With the first order now secured and more batteries in testing, he expects North American outreach to become more aggressive.
STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
The immediate story is not that three new orders have been secured. They have not. The significance is that three separate manufacturers have moved far enough through the process to request custom battery packs for final stage evaluation.
Tourillon described the process as similar to entering a customer’s procurement system. A new supplier first has to demonstrate that the product meets required energy criteria, then support ground testing and operational testing before commercial orders can follow. That process can take time, but the first French defence order has already demonstrated that Novacium’s battery program can move from testing and qualification to a commercial order.
The broader strategy is also becoming clearer. Rather than remaining strictly a silicon anode materials story, the battery division is moving further up the value chain through a growing catalogue of battery pack configurations designed around specific customer needs. Tourillon said the company is now comfortable developing a smaller group of adaptable battery models rather than maintaining a large inventory of different designs.
CEO BERNARD TOURILLON
“It creates credibility for the North American license that we own of the technology. It creates credibility on the material we’ll be able to offer. It creates credibility in what we’re doing.”
INVESTOR TAKEAWAY
Last week, Novacium crossed an important threshold with its first commercial drone battery order. Today’s interview suggests the next phase is about proving that result can extend beyond one customer.
Thirty custom battery packs are now in the hands of three European drone manufacturers for final stage evaluation. Tourillon said he expects the final stage evaluation process to be measured in weeks, although conversion to orders remains dependent on the customers and their individual testing processes.
If those evaluations progress successfully, the importance could extend well beyond Europe. Tourillon repeatedly emphasized credibility. European technical evaluation, combined with the first commercial order, can build credibility and provide important reference points as HPQ prepares for a more aggressive push into North America, where HPQ owns the North American licence to the technology. For investors, the milestone to watch is straightforward: whether these late stage evaluations can ultimately progress to product qualification and commercial orders.
Last modified: August 27, 2026
