Participated · Seed · Jun 2026

Atana Elements uses proprietary AI and machine-learning models combined with deep subsurface expertise to identify and de-risk overlooked mineral deposits. The company claims it can accelerate discovery timelines to roughly 22 months, compared with the typical five-to-ten year cadence. Atana is currently focused on lithium exploration, with plans to expand into helium, hydrogen, and copper. It already has projects underway across the EU and the Americas. The company is led by CEO Thomas Wilson. Financially, Atana recently closed a $27.5 million seed round from Overture Ventures to support its ongoing exploration and growth activities.

Led · Series C · Nov 2024

Iontra develops an integrated RISC-V charge-control and fuel-gauge microcontroller that applies electrodynamic principles to optimize battery charging. The company is a fabless supplier of low-cost, small-footprint battery charger MCUs with embedded cybersecurity and advanced high-speed peripherals for OEMs. Iontra says its charge technology is chemistry-agnostic and can increase battery cycle life and charge speed up to and greater than 200%, support cold charging to -20°C, and reduce plating and dendrite formation. Its technology has been validated by approximately eight million cycling hours in-house and tested by independent labs including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Novonix, and the University of Michigan. Iontra plans to make MCU samples available mid-2025 and expects release to production in 2026, and the company is preparing to support customers launching Iontra-enabled products in the near term. Financially, Iontra completed a $45M Series C and has raised $120.3M to date, and it recently received a $2.15M ARPA-E circular grant. Iontra is an innovator of next-generation battery charging technology that aims to improve charge speed, cycle life, capacity utilization, cold-weather charging, and safety for lithium batteries. The company says its breakthrough solution delivers the performance that next-generation batteries are promising to deliver years from now. Iontra announced an additional $29 million Series B financing, bringing its Series B total to $67 million and total capital raised to date to $80 million. The additional Series B was led by Volta Energy Technologies and Riverstone, with support from Flag Asset Management and other investors. JPMorgan Chase acted as the placement agent for the financing. The company is based in Centennial, CO.

Participated · Equity · Sep 2024

FluoRok is an Oxford, UK-based startup developing fluorochemical reagents and battery electrolyte salts. Led by Dr Gabriele Pupo, CEO and Founder, it was spun out of the University of Oxford in 2022 and focuses on fluorochemical manufacturing and licensing. The company develops novel technologies to access fluorochemicals efficiently, safely and sustainably, directly employing fluorinated waste or naturally occurring fluorite as raw material. Its proprietary technology targets production of high-value fluorochemicals including fluorinating reagents and lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6). FluoRok says its solution reduces energy requirements, lowers CO2 emissions, enables reshoring due to intrinsic process safety, and introduces circular-economy principles in fluorochemical production. The company plans to use the funds to support team growth and expand production facilities for initial supply of its reagents and LiPF6. It raised £7.7M in funding.

Participated · Series E · Sep 2024

6K develops and produces critical engineered materials using its UniMelt microwave plasma technology across battery and additive manufacturing markets. The company operates distinct businesses including 6K Additive, 6K Energy and 6K Next and is industrially operational and producing materials at scale today. 6K’s headquarters and the 6K Energy Battery Center of Excellence are in North Andover, MA; 6K Additive’s production facility is in Burgettstown, PA, and a full‑scale PlusCAM battery material plant is under construction in Jackson, TN. The company plans to scale up production of battery cathode active materials (CAM) and expand production of additive manufacturing metal powders. 6K closed an $82M Series E to support those scale‑up and expansion efforts. Leadership changes accompany the raise: Dr. Aaron Bent transitioned out as CEO and COO Dr. Saurabh Ullal assumes the CEO role, and new board members Beda Bolzenius and Dr. Jeff Chamberlain have been added. 6K produces engineered materials for lithium-ion batteries and additive manufacturing using its UniMelt microwave plasma technology. Its UniMelt system transforms engineered materials across industries including additive manufacturing, renewable energy, aerospace and consumer electronics by replacing a multi-day, high-waste hydro-met chemical co-precipitation process with an ultra-clean, rapid plasma process. The UniMelt process can operate in as little as 2 seconds and is powered by a 6000K microwave plasma. UniMelt systems are already deployed in 24/7 high-volume production at 6K Additive’s ISO9001-certified, 45-acre facility. The company plans to use Series D proceeds to expand production of premium 3D metal powders in its Additive division and to deploy cathode production plants in its Energy division. Led by CEO Aaron Bent, 6K raised $102M as the first tranche of a Series D expected to reach $150M total. 6K develops sustainable advanced materials for energy storage and additive manufacturing, using a proprietary advanced plasma processing system and a continuous UniMelt process. The UniMelt production process allows complete control of materials engineering to produce battery materials, semiconductor materials, 3D printing powders, phosphors, advanced ceramics and electronic materials. Led by CEO Aaron Bent, the company raised $51M in a Series C financing to scale its operations. 6K plans to use the funds to complete a Battery Development Center of Excellence, adding 33,000 sq ft of product development space and doubling its 6K Energy team. The company will also triple production capacity for 3D metal powders at its 6K Additive division, expand its powder product offerings, and grow commercial sales activities globally.

Led · Series B · Jun 2024

Echion Technologies, based in Cambridge, UK, develops and supplies a niobium-based anode material called XNO® for lithium-ion cell manufacturers. Its XNO® material is claimed to enable safe charging in under 10 minutes, high energy densities, and a cycle life exceeding 10,000 cycles. Applications cited include battery electric and hybrid trains, mining haul trucks, electric buses, heavy-duty industrial transport and delivery vehicles. In November the company opened a niobium-based anode production facility capable of producing 2,000 t/year of XNO®, equivalent to about 1 GWh of Li-ion cells. The company is led by CEO Jean de La Verpilliere. Echion says it will use new funding to accelerate the speed at which its network of partnered cell manufacturers can produce commercially available cells using XNO®. Echion develops XNO®, a proprietary mixed niobium oxide anode material designed for fast-charging lithium-ion batteries. XNO® is claimed to enable safe charging in under ten minutes, retain high energy density at low temperatures, deliver high power and sustain more than 10,000 cycles. The company holds 13 international patent families covering its compositions and microparticle designs. Its target end markets include battery electric and hybrid trains, mining haul trucks, opportunity-charging e-buses, heavy-duty industrial transport, and delivery vehicles. A $35 million Series B will fund go-to-market execution and scale-up toward full commercial production. Echion is positioned as a British battery innovator and supplies a global customer base of major cell manufacturers and OEMs. Echion Technologies is a Cambridge, UK–based developer of next-generation lithium‑ion battery materials led by CEO Jean de La Verpilliere. Its advanced materials are designed to enable cell manufacturers to deliver cost‑effective, fast‑charging, high‑energy‑density and long‑life power cells across automotive, transportation, premium consumer electronics and grid‑storage markets. The company's batteries and materials have been evaluated by major battery cell and battery materials manufacturers worldwide and are progressing to larger-scale trials. In August 2021 Echion raised £10M in a Series A led by CBMM with participation from the University of Cambridge and Origin Capital. The company intends to use the funds to scale material production, demonstrate manufacturability, and supply material for pre-production trials. It will also strengthen customer support as well as commercial and R&D operations to support wider adoption and larger manufacturing trials. Echion Technologies, founded in March 2017 from University of Cambridge PhD research, develops mixed niobium oxide anode materials designed to enable safe, superfast (six‑minute) charging lithium‑ion batteries. Its technology is positioned as an alternative to graphite and lithium titanate (LTO) anodes, offering higher energy density, retained performance at −20°C, and enhanced cell safety. Echion has demonstrated superfast charging in 3 Ah pouch cells and in 12.5 Ah cells, and has formalised industry collaborations including projects with Vantage Power and Johnson Matthey. The company closed a £1.5M seed funding round led by Cambridge Enterprise at the end of 2018 and had previously secured £1.5M in government grants. After initially housing equipment within the University, Echion moved into new facilities in Sawston, Cambridgeshire in April 2019, has rapidly outgrown that space, and is looking to expand and double its floorspace. Echion continues to engage with university research programmes, including EPSRC-supported work and departmental collaborations.