WSJ BUSINESS: Marking a Decade of Engineering the Portable Power Revolution

This article was originally published on WSJ BUSINESS.

While it might be seen as standard “van life” equipment now, the all-in-one portable power station didn’t exist as a concept before 2012, when Jackery, today a world leader in the field, combined a battery, inverter, charger and a range of outlets into a single, rugged easy-to-use unit. Since its founding in Silicon Valley, Jackery has expanded the hardware’s capacity and charging speed, most recently adding efficient folding plug-and-play solar panels to create a new line of solar generators. To date, Jackery has sold over 2 million units worldwide and built a gold-plated reputation on the strength of its engineering as well as its philanthropy – the company has donated hundreds of power units to disaster areas around the world in the wake of wildfires, hurricanes and tornadoes.

Reliable and Cutting Edge

“Jackery” is a combination of “jacket” and “battery,” coined to express the goal of making using portable power as simple as putting on a jacket. A quick online search for the name immediately reflects its position among outdoors enthusiasts as the industry’s benchmark for quality, its products consistently rated highest for reliability and innovation. In 2015, Jackery became the first company to incorporate lithium batteries into portable power units for its Explorer Series, which in 2016 earned a German Red Dot Design Award and an iF Design Award. In 2018, Jackery marked another industry milestone with the invention of its first portable solar panels, launching its SolarSaga Series, recognized with a CES Innovation Award that year. Its most recent innovation is the Solar Generator 1000 Pro, which delivers a chart-topping 1,002 kWh using four double-sided solar panels operating at 25% efficiency, the highest in the industry. Tech reviewers focused on one particular statistic: the Jackery SG1000 Pro’s solar panels can fully charge the unit in under two hours.

After initially distributing within the United States, Jackery has accelerated its worldwide market growth in recent years. It entered Japan in 2019, in 2021 became available in the U.K, and Germany, and finally in 2022 added France, Italy and Spain to its territory. The company plans to extend sales to more than 100 additional countries and regions over the next three years.

Jackery’s rapid global expansion reflects both the company’s growth on the back of the exploding worldwide market for portable power units and its position as a driving force behind that market. In 2016, the portable battery storage market accounted for only 52,000 units sold globally. By 2021, it had increased to 4.84 million units shipped, a compound annual growth rate of 148%. In dollar terms, in 2016 the global market was valued at $8 million, but reached $1.5 billion by 2021 and is projected by the Chinese manufacturer Tycorun Energy to hit $12 billion by 2026. It’s not inaccurate to say that from conception to the milestone innovations continually pushing the technology’s limits, the name Jackery has become synonymous with portable power.

On the Ground, Post-Disaster

A firm advocate for emissions-free power production in an effort to mitigate global climate change, Jackery is also responding to the other side of that change – climate disasters. In 2020, during the largest wildfire in California history, Jackery donated solar generators. When Mayfield-Graves County, Kentucky, was hit by an unprecedented December tornado in 2021, Jackery did the same, as it did most recently following Hurricane Ian’s destruction in Florida. Unlike typical portable power units, Jackery’s products can run demanding household appliances such as refrigerators and microwave ovens, making it a top choice in disaster preparedness.

As 2022 comes to a close, Jackery is looking forward to a robust 2023, beginning with the CES 2023 trade show in January, where the company will launch new additions to its high-end Solar Generator Pro line, continuing its long tradition of pioneering technology and top-line production. The new units cement the company’s commitment to targeting the high-end market and keeping the name Jackery synonymous with top-line, cutting-edge portable power.