CarbonX’s graphite alternative finds €14M funding

Dutch battery material startup CarbonX has secured another 4 million euros in growth funding on top of the 10 million euros raised earlier this year. The extended round was set up to increase testing capacity, secure contracting and prepare a feedstock mixing facility in the Port of Rotterdam for the first offtake agreements. The existing shareholders Innovation Industries and Borski Fund increased their participation, while the Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam joined as a new investor.

Founded in 2014 as a spinoff from Delft University of Technology, CarbonX has developed an emulsion feedstock technology to produce a carbon anode material superior to graphite. “Our feedstock technology seamlessly integrates into existing carbon black manufacturing plants resulting in the production of a novel structured carbon material that functions as an active anode material, like graphite. CarbonX’s unique 3D porous network structure improves electron and lithium-ion transfer, while it’s still highly compressible to achieve high energy densities,” says Daniela Sordi, CTO and co-founder of CarbonX.

Aside from producing better batteries, one of the key benefits of CarbonX’s technology is that the entire production process consumes much less energy compared to synthetic or natural graphite production, resulting in lower costs and a reduced carbon footprint.

The firm also presents itself as a way to mitigate geopolitical risks in the battery supply chain; 95 percent of graphite is currently sourced in China. “CarbonX is setting the stage for a resilient, independent battery anode material supply chain that aligns with global sustainability goals,” says CEO and co-founder Rutger van Raalten. “By being price-competitive while outperforming graphite on performance, we’re empowering the battery industry to meet the demands of a rapidly growing electric future.”