BrightVolt, a Redmond, Wash., based startup developing ultra-thin batteries, announced the beginning of a Series B round of funding, starting with a $5 million investment from prominent New York venture capital firm New Science Ventures — bringing its total funding to more than $20 million to date. BrightVolt’s Flexion batteries are solid state, making them thinner, more flexible, and more heat resistant than comparable lithium ion batteries and applicable to a diverse range of products. The non-toxic batteries are already used in more than 10,000 products, and the company says the new funds will go towards “substantial growth” in 2017, to increase manufacturing and prepare for an anticipated increase in demand.…...