Dutch battery tech scale-up E-magy, a designer and manufacturer of nano-sponge silicon material for advanced lithium-ion batteries (earlier post), has secured an additional €5 million of funding. SHIFT Invest, an impact venture capital fund that invests in circular technologies, smart food & ag-tech, bio-based innovations and smart materials, led the funding round with participation of existing investors including PDENH.

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy has also committed an innovation credit to accelerate the development of E-magy’s technology.

The fresh capital injection enables E-magy to increase production at its fully operational pilot production line for nano-porous silicon and accelerate qualification programs with automakers and battery manufacturers.

The company will also use the funds to expand the team and make preparations for a new facility in the Netherlands which will boost annual capacity to thousands of tons per year. E-magy plans to start production at the new facility in 2023.

E-magy processes silicon in a unique, cost-effective and scalable way to make nano-sponge particles for high-capacity silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries. E-magy’s nano-porous silicon improves the energy density by 40% and shortens the charge time of batteries allowing for an extended range at lower costs and leading to more compact models than today’s high-end vehicles. Silicon is abundantly available and environmentally benign.

E-magy works with partners throughout the global automotive supply chain. The people behind E-magy have 20+ years of silicon crystallization experience and are based in Broek op Langedijk, The Netherlands.