Donut Lab faces a criminal whistleblower complaint alleging overstated solid-state battery specs. Finnish newspaper *Helsingin Sanomat* reports Lauri Peltola, former CCO of Nordic Nano—a manufacturing partner—filed the complaint, accusing the startup of exaggerating energy density and production capacity. Emails reviewed by *HS* reveal CT-Coating, Donut Lab’s battery supplier, abandoned its first-gen model despite claims of mass-ready tech. Nordic Nano denies Peltola’s allegations, calling him “uninvolved” in battery development.

The dispute centers on Nordic Nano’s role in producing batteries for Donut Lab, which invested in the firm. Peltola claims Donut Lab misled investors about testing results with Finnish lab VTT, where CT-Coating’s battery was evaluated. Donut Lab CEO Marko Lehtimäki stated he was unaware of the complaint, while Nordic Nano CEO Esa Parjanen dismissed Peltola’s “unsubstantiated” views.

In a joint statement, both companies denied criminal wrongdoing but admitted uncertainty about the complaint’s specifics. They criticized Peltola’s “lack of technical expertise” to assess their work. The conflict highlights risks in startup partnerships and investor trust in emerging battery tech.

This saga underscores scrutiny over unproven energy claims in the EV sector. With solid-state batteries promising higher efficiency, transparency in R&D and manufacturing is critical. Donut Lab’s credibility—and Nordic Nano’s reputation—hang in the balance as investigations unfold.