Participated · Series B · Nov 2023

Adionics develops a closed-loop, liquid-liquid direct lithium extraction (DLE) process that recovers lithium salts from continental, geothermal and produced brines. Its patented Flionex® system is a customized fluid that acts like a key to extract lithium without traditional reagents. The technology aims for high lithium recovery rates with minimal water usage and reduced environmental impact. The company is led by CEO Gabriel Toffani. Adionics said it will use new funding to accelerate commercial expansion, boost R&D efforts and grow its workforce. The firm is based in Paris, France.

Participated · Series A · Aug 2023

Electric Era, founded by former SpaceX engineers, is building PowerNode stations and PowerNode OS to deliver fast, reliable public EV charging without requiring major grid upgrades. The company focuses on the whole fast-charging station — integrating software, battery backup and energy management — while outsourcing some charger and battery components. It says the PowerNode design can incorporate real-time management of battery and solar systems to add local capacity and avoid extensive rewiring. The team is running extensive testing across 20–30 vehicle models and multiple edge cases to improve uptime. The company plans a near-term roll-out in nine states before year-end with about 27 chargers (roughly three per station) and a longer-term goal of about three gigawatt-hours of installed battery capacity and roughly 10,000 stations by 2030. Financially, Electric Era has raised $19 million to date and is positioning to scale reliability and deployments using its new capital. Electric Era develops the PowerNode platform, a fast-charging EV solution designed to cut grid requirements and demand charges by about one-third while supporting high charging speeds. The company targets convenience-store and gas-station deployments to recreate a gas-station charging experience and drive foot traffic. Founder Quincy Lee, formerly a SpaceX mechanical engineer, says the platform avoids costly grid upgrades and is designed to qualify sites for NEVI grants. The startup added SpaceX veteran Sam Reineman as CTO to accelerate production and delivery. Electric Era has raised $4 million in its latest financing, bringing total funding to $8 million, and is pursuing aggressive expansion: it aims to install 10,000 PowerNode stations by 2030. The company positions itself to compete in a crowded charging market by offering lower installation and operating costs for site owners. Electric Era designs and manufactures lithium-battery energy-storage systems that pair with fast-charging EV stations to buffer draws on the electrical grid and avoid utility peak charges. The product uses lithium battery cells to provide off-grid energy during rapid charges and is aimed at gas station‑style facilities, malls, and retail sites; the company says it has several customers lined up but did not name them. Electric Era is undergoing certification, safety, and qualification testing and expects to deploy its first units to customers in coming months. The company launched last year and is based in Seattle; it has seven employees and recently moved to a larger facility with capacity to build 40 energy storage units per week. Prior to the current seed, Electric Era raised $700,000 in September backed by MIT and Stanford University angel investor communities. Founders and team have aerospace and EV backgrounds, including multiple former SpaceX employees and interns from SpaceX, Tesla, and Virgin Hyperloop. The startup competes with companies such as FreeWire Technology, which has raised about $100 million.