Investors reacted positively to the news. QuantumScape’s stock rose more than 12% in intraday trading on the day of the announcement, reaching its highest level in several months, as traders saw the partnership as a vote of confidence in the company’s technology. The market response comes at a time when investors are carefully watching which companies can overcome the technical and manufacturing challenges of next-generation batteries.
The rise reflects optimism that QuantumScape, often criticized for its slow pace toward commercialization, may now have an experienced partner to help accelerate progress. Corning brings decades of expertise in glass and ceramic materials, which are essential to developing the solid ceramic separators QuantumScape relies on for improved safety and energy density.
With the stock moving upward, the announcement has placed renewed attention on the company’s roadmap and its prospects in the broader electric vehicle battery race.
What the Corning Partnership Involves
The newly announced partnership between QuantumScape and Corning focuses on the development and commercialization of ceramic separators, a key component in QuantumScape’s solid-state lithium-metal batteries. Ceramic separators are critical because they act as a barrier between the anode and cathode, allowing lithium ions to pass while preventing short circuits and improving battery safety.
For QuantumScape, which has built its technology around these separators, scaling production efficiently and reliably is one of the biggest challenges before full commercialization.
Under the agreement, Corning will contribute its decades of experience in advanced materials, particularly glass and ceramics, to improve separator production. Corning has a long track record of working with highly engineered ceramics for industrial and consumer applications, making it a strong fit for QuantumScape’s needs.
While the companies did not disclose financial terms or exclusivity details, they stated that the collaboration aims to move beyond laboratory-scale processes toward scalable manufacturing solutions.
The timing of the partnership is significant. In June 2025, QuantumScape announced that its new “Cobra” separator process had entered baseline production, claiming the method is about 25 times faster than its previous “Raptor” process and requires less factory space.
By working with Corning, the company aims to refine this step further, bringing down costs and preparing for eventual high-volume manufacturing.
The collaboration also signals a strategic move for QuantumScape. By adding a well-established industrial partner, the company hopes to increase investor confidence and demonstrate that its path toward commercialization involves not only technological milestones but also practical supply-chain planning.
For Corning, the deal provides an entry into the emerging solid-state battery market, positioning it as a partner in what could become a major growth sector.
Context:
QuantumScape has been working for over a decade to commercialize solid-state lithium-metal batteries, which promise higher energy density, faster charging, and improved safety compared with conventional lithium-ion cells.
The company’s design replaces the liquid electrolyte and polymer separator typically found in lithium-ion batteries with a solid ceramic separator. This innovation is meant to prevent dendrite formation, a common issue in lithium-metal designs that can cause short circuits and reduce battery life.
In recent years, QuantumScape has highlighted technical milestones that suggest steady progress. One of the most notable is the introduction of the “Cobra” separator manufacturing process.
Announced in June 2025, Cobra entered baseline production and is reported to be about 25 times faster than the earlier “Raptor” process, while requiring significantly less production space. The company describes Cobra as a breakthrough step toward making large-scale separator manufacturing more practical.
QuantumScape has also partnered with Murata Manufacturing, a Japanese electronics and ceramics specialist, to explore ceramics collaboration. This move, along with the Corning deal, shows a strategy of aligning with industrial partners who have expertise in scaling advanced materials.
The partnerships aim to address one of the biggest criticisms facing the company, which is the gap between promising laboratory results and the challenge of producing commercially viable batteries at scale.
These technical advances and collaborations come as competition intensifies in the global race for next-generation batteries. Companies such as Solid Power, Toyota, and CATL are all pursuing their own solid-state technologies. For QuantumScape, maintaining its pace of development while proving that its processes can scale up efficiently will be key to winning trust from automakers and investors alike.
Implications for QuantumScape and the Battery Industry
The agreement with Corning could help QuantumScape address one of its most pressing hurdles: moving from laboratory-scale breakthroughs to mass production. Solid-state batteries have long been seen as a potential successor to today’s lithium-ion cells, but scaling up separator manufacturing has proven difficult.
By collaborating with a company that has deep expertise in ceramics and large-scale production, QuantumScape may be able to accelerate its path toward commercialization. For QuantumScape, this partnership represents more than just technical support. It also strengthens credibility with investors and automakers that are closely monitoring the company’s progress. Several carmakers, including Volkswagen, have shown interest in solid-state batteries, but widespread adoption depends on proven scalability, consistent performance, and competitive costs.
The Corning partnership could provide an additional layer of confidence that QuantumScape is taking steps to meet these requirements. In the broader battery sector, the deal underscores the growing importance of collaborations between startups and established industrial players. While companies like Toyota and CATL are also developing solid-state technologies, the addition of Corning gives QuantumScape a distinctive advantage in ceramic separator expertise.
At the same time, risks remain. Manufacturing at scale is complex, and competitors working on improving conventional lithium-ion batteries may deliver incremental gains that could delay solid-state adoption. Overall, the partnership signals that QuantumScape is preparing for the next phase of its journey. If successful, it could shift the dynamics of the electric vehicle battery market, but execution will ultimately determine whether this opportunity translates into commercial impact.
Conclusion
The Corning partnership marks a significant step for QuantumScape, but the company’s future will depend on execution. Investors and industry observers will be watching closely for updates on separator production yields, cost improvements, and timelines for pilot-scale deliveries to automakers.
Any progress toward higher-volume manufacturing or confirmed partnerships with vehicle manufacturers would serve as important validation of its technology. Near-term catalysts include further data releases on the Cobra separator process and indications of how quickly Corning’s involvement can improve manufacturing efficiency.
Longer term, the challenge lies in balancing technological innovation with economic viability, as solid-state batteries must compete not only on performance but also on cost against rapidly advancing lithium-ion alternatives.
The announcement has reignited optimism around QuantumScape’s path forward. However, the next several quarters will be critical in determining whether this optimism is sustainable. The company’s ability to scale production and secure industry adoption will define its role in the evolving electric vehicle battery market.