Participated · Series D · Aug 2025

Group14 is a battery materials startup that manufactures silicon anode materials for lithium‑ion batteries. Its product is a scaffold with internal voids that hold silicon, allowing the silicon to expand without crumbling; the material can be blended with graphite or replace it entirely. Group14 says the material can improve energy density by up to 50% and cut fast‑charging times below 10 minutes. The company operates three factories—two in the U.S. and one in South Korea—and plans to expand its manufacturing footprint using proceeds from the recent round. It closed a $463 million funding round to support that expansion, a move investors took as a sign of continued confidence in EV battery technology despite softer EV demand headlines. The broader lithium‑ion battery market is expected to grow more than 15% annually and quintuple in size over the next decade, according to Precedence Research. Group14 Technologies is a commercial manufacturer and supplier of advanced silicon battery materials, producing SCC55 silicon‑carbon battery active materials. The company operates a commercial-scale Battery Active Materials (BAM-1) factory in Woodinville, Washington, with a nameplate capacity of 120 tons per year. It launched BAM-1 in April 2021 and is developing additional manufacturing capacity through a joint-venture factory with SK, Inc. in South Korea and a second U.S. factory. Group14 plans to use recent Series C funding to build its second commercial-scale BAM-2 factory. The company is led by CEO and co-founder Rick Luebbe. Recent financings indicate institutional backing from strategic and climate-focused investors. Group14 Technologies is a Woodinville, Washington–based maker of advanced silicon battery technology founded in 2015. The company developed a silicon‑carbon composite material designed to replace graphite anodes in lithium‑ion batteries, which it says improves performance by about 50% and enables faster recharging. Group14 launched its first commercial-scale Battery Active Materials factory in Woodinville in April 2021. It will use a $100 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy to build two 2,000‑ton‑per‑year commercial manufacturing modules at a second facility in Moses Lake, Eastern Washington, and expects to hire 500 employees for construction, commissioning and operations. The DOE funding is part of a first phase deploying more than $7 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to boost domestic battery production. The company raised $400 million in May in a funding round led by Porsche AG and has raised $441 million to date. Group14 produces a silicon‑carbon powder (branded SCC55) that can replace or augment graphite anodes by infusing a porous carbon scaffold with a silicon‑containing gas to create nanoscale silicon particles. The company says SCC55 can store about 50% more energy than traditional graphite anodes and can be blended with existing graphite anodes with minimal production-line changes. Group14 currently has one battery‑materials plant online and is building two more: a joint venture plant with SK Group coming online later this year and another plant slated to begin production in 2023. The company appears to be targeting production for Porsche battery packs in 2024. Prior to the new financing, Group14 had secured roughly $41.5 million combined in venture funding and government grants. The startup is based in Woodinville, Washington. Group14 Technologies develops silicon-carbon composite materials for lithium-ion markets, with flagship product SCC55™ that promises up to 50% more energy density than conventional graphite. The company has ramped pilot production and planned to supply its first commercial customers in consumer electronics in Q1 2021. It secured $17 million in Series B funding to scale production and meet rising demand for its lithium-silicon technology. Group14 plans to break ground on a hydroelectric-powered production facility in Moses Lake, Washington to build out a domestic lithium-ion battery supply chain. Earlier investors include Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), Showa Denko, Cabot Corporation, BASF, and OVP Venture Partners. Founded in 2015 and based in Woodinville, Washington, the company has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for its drop-in nanomaterials and industrial-scale process.

Led · Series B · Sep 2024

Quantum Systems develops an interoperable family of unmanned platforms across air, land, and sea domains unified by its MOSAIC UXS tactical software command ecosystem. The company operates as a deep-tech defense prime and has deepened strategic industrial collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space. It reports having achieved double-digit profitability alongside triple-digit revenue growth and has expanded its global corporate production footprint across Germany, Ukraine, the United States, Australia, Romania, the United Kingdom, and the Baltics. Led by co-CEOs Florian Seibel and Sven Kruck, the company is investing in scaling physical manufacturing and software R&D. The Series D financing will support expansion of manufacturing capacity, bolster supply chain resilience, and accelerate its software roadmap.

Participated · Equity · May 2024

HIF Global develops projects to convert hydrogen produced with low-cost renewable power into carbon neutral liquid eFuels that can be transported and used in existing infrastructure. The company is already producing eFuels at its Haru Oni facility in Magallanes, Chile. HIF intends to begin construction of the commercial-scale HIF Matagorda eFuels Facility in Texas in 2024. Led by CEO and President Cesar Norton, the company is using low-cost renewable hydrogen as the feedstock for its products. HIF plans to use recent funding to develop eFuels markets in Japan and to create CO2 supply chains to support production and distribution. The company is headquartered in Santiago, Chile. HIF Global develops eFuels — synthetic, low‑carbon fuels produced from hydrogen and carbon dioxide using renewable energy — as a complement to vehicle electrification. The company operates the Haru Oni eFuel pilot plant in Punta Arenas, Chile, and is working with partners including Siemens Energy and ExxonMobil to begin production. Porsche has invested in HIF Global, reflecting commercial interest from automakers in zero‑emission fuel substitutes. HIF Global confirmed plans to begin construction on an eFuels plant in the U.S. next year, followed by additional facilities in Chile and Australia in 2024. The company positions eFuels as a solution for reducing emissions across automotive, shipping and aviation sectors and to support motorsport and Porsche Experience Center use cases. No operating metrics or prior financing rounds are disclosed in the article.

Led · Seed · Oct 2023

Sensigo is an AI-powered automotive data platform based in San Carlos, CA. Led by CEO Rakesh Hegde, the company leverages complex automotive data to predict and assist automotive maintenance for customers and technicians. Its product prioritizes diagnostic data, predicts part replacements, and streamlines parts procurement to reduce automotive repair costs and turnaround time. Sensigo's workflows and smart diagnostic tools are designed to optimize first-time fix rates and vehicle repairs, leading to increased customer satisfaction. Those improvements also lead to increased revenue for service centers by minimizing warranty risk and improving operational efficiency. Financially, Sensigo raised USD5m in seed funding led by UP.Ventures and Porsche AG, providing early-stage capital for its platform.

Participated · Series B · Feb 2023

Quantum Motion develops full-stack quantum computers built on silicon chip technology, claiming potential reductions of roughly 100-fold in cost and space requirements and 1,000-fold in energy consumption compared with some rivals. The company was founded in 2017 by Professor John Morton and Professor Simon Benjamin and is led by CEO James Palles-Dimmock. Headquartered in London, Quantum Motion also operates offices and labs in Spain, Australia and the US. Financially, the startup has raised over $200M to date, including a recent $160M Series C. The new funding is earmarked for commercialisation, continued research and development, and geographic expansion as the company scales its platform.