ConnectM Enters Energy Fray with AI-Powered Hi-E™ Smart Battery

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – December 29, 2025 – ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. (OTC: CNTM) today stepped into the fiercely competitive distributed energy storage market, announcing the launch of its Hi-E™ line of smart batteries. Developed by its AI-focused subsidiary Keen Labs, the new system aims to do more than just keep the lights on during an outage; it positions itself as an intelligent hub for the modern home, promising lower energy bills, enhanced grid stability, and a gateway into the burgeoning world of virtual power plants.

The move targets a global energy storage market that multiple analysts project will surpass $100 billion within the next decade, driven by the accelerating transition to renewable energy and the increasing need for a resilient, flexible power grid.

A New Contender in a Booming Market

The Hi-E™ line enters a landscape populated by established giants like Tesla, Enphase, and Generac. However, Keen Labs is banking on a combination of cutting-edge technology and intelligent design to carve out its niche. The system is built on Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO₄) chemistry, a technology increasingly favored for stationary storage due to its superior safety profile, longer cycle life, and thermal stability compared to the nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry used in some competing products and many electric vehicles.

This launch comes as the demand for residential and light commercial energy storage is skyrocketing. Market research from firms like Wood Mackenzie and BloombergNEF forecasts exponential growth, with global energy storage capacity expected to increase sixfold or more by the early 2030s. This surge is fueled by consumers seeking energy independence from an aging grid, protection from extreme weather events, and a way to maximize the value of their rooftop solar installations.

"The economics and resilience offered by distributed storage are fundamentally changing the relationship between consumers and their power," noted an independent energy analyst. "The key to winning market share is no longer just about battery capacity, but about the intelligence that manages it."

ConnectM's initial offering of 2 kWh to 5 kWh modules is designed for this new reality. The scalable architecture allows homeowners and small business owners to tailor a system to their specific needs—from backing up essential loads like refrigerators and internet routers to powering an entire home or small commercial facility. This modularity provides a flexible entry point, allowing users to start small and expand their storage capacity as their needs or budget evolve.

Beyond Backup: The Rise of Virtual Power Plants

Perhaps the most significant feature of the Hi-E™ system is that it is "VPP-ready" from day one. A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a network of decentralized, small-scale power sources—like residential solar panels and batteries—that are aggregated and controlled by a central operator to provide power and services to the grid. For homeowners, this transforms a passive battery into an active, income-generating asset.

When the grid is under stress, such as during a summer heatwave, a utility or grid operator can call upon the VPP to discharge energy from thousands of home batteries simultaneously, avoiding the need to fire up expensive and polluting "peaker" power plants. In return, battery owners receive compensation, often in the form of bill credits or direct payments.

This capability aligns perfectly with major regulatory shifts and market trends. In the United States, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Order 2222 has mandated that regional grid operators open their wholesale energy markets to distributed energy resources, paving the way for VPPs to participate on a massive scale. The U.S. Department of Energy has projected that VPPs could meet 10-20% of the nation's peak demand by 2030, representing a colossal opportunity.

By designing the Hi-E™ line with native VPP integration, ConnectM is positioning its customers to capitalize on this movement. The system's proprietary power electronics and energy management platform are built to communicate seamlessly with utility programs, turning individual homes into active participants in a cleaner, more resilient energy future.

The Brains Behind the Power: Keen Labs' AI-Driven Ecosystem

ConnectM is betting that the true differentiator for Hi-E™ lies not in the battery cells themselves, but in the intelligence that controls them. This is the domain of Keen Labs and its "Energy Intelligent Network™," an AI-powered platform designed to be the central nervous system for a building's energy assets.

Unlike basic systems that simply charge when solar power is available and discharge when the grid goes down, the Energy Intelligent Network™ employs predictive analytics. It learns a household's unique consumption patterns, analyzes weather forecasts to predict solar generation, and monitors utility time-of-use rates. Using this data, the AI engine makes thousands of micro-decisions each day to optimize performance. It might, for example, pre-charge the battery from the grid when electricity is cheapest overnight, save that energy to avoid expensive peak-hour rates in the afternoon, and then sell excess power back to the grid during a VPP event in the evening for maximum profit.

This integrated strategy extends beyond the battery. The press release highlights the synergy between Hi-E™ and ConnectM’s Keen Heat Pumps. The AI platform can coordinate these devices, using stored battery power to run the heat pump during high-cost electricity periods, thereby reducing overall energy costs and minimizing wear on the equipment.

This holistic approach—integrating storage, heating and cooling, and potentially other assets like EV chargers under a single intelligent platform—is what ConnectM believes will set it apart. The company aims to sell not just a product, but a comprehensive energy management solution that optimizes performance and cost across an entire facility or fleet of assets. The platform's real-time telemetry and health monitoring also provide valuable data for proactive maintenance, helping to extend the useful life of all connected equipment and lower the total cost of ownership for the consumer.

As the energy landscape becomes increasingly complex and decentralized, this level of integrated, AI-driven control could prove to be the critical component that transforms a simple home battery into a cornerstone of the modern energy economy.