Overview
- Bryce Huff retired from the NFL in March and quickly shifted from pro football to founding a startup with his older brother to address lithium‑ion battery fires.
- Huff has put personal money behind the venture, using earnings from his NFL career to fund a small team that now totals about six employees.
- The company, which EssentiallySports names Naberstone, aims to develop a way to quickly extinguish thermal runaway in lithium‑ion batteries without releasing toxic chemicals and has not announced a widely deployed commercial product.
- Engineer Nik Tacker told reporters the team believes few products on the market match their approach and that an environmentally safer option could reduce risks for firefighters and people near battery fires.
- Coverage notes possible early customers and talks with groups including a large recycling firm and military interests, and experts warn that faster, cleaner suppression could protect homes, data centers and recycling operations as battery use grows.