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FluoRok raises £7.7m ($9.8m) to transform the safety and sustainability of fluorochemical production
FluoRok, an Oxford-based start-up, has raised £7.7m to scale-up, manufacture and commercialise novel fluorochemical reagents and battery electrolyte salts. The oversubscribed round was led by BGF alongside Green Generation Fund and included battery specialist Volta Energy Technologies, current investors (Oxford Science Enterprises and University of Oxford), Excellis Holding and angels.
With a growing market valued at $24bn, fluorochemical manufacturing relies on a centuries-old, carbon-intensive process centred around hydrogen fluoride (HF), a highly-toxic, hazardous and difficult-to-handle chemical. FluoRok has developed a safe and sustainable approach completely bypassing HF and providing environmentally friendly access to fluorochemicals while reducing process costs. FluoRok’s groundbreaking innovation has gained substantial traction, attracting numerous potential customers across core markets of Li-ion battery electrolyte salts and agrochemicals.
The funding will support team growth and expanded production facilities for the initial supply of fluorinating reagents and lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), a key component of lithium-ion batteries.
Echion raises £29 million in Series B investment round
The world’s leading developer of niobium-based, fast-charging battery materials, Echion Technologies, has successfully completed its Series B funding round, raising £29 million in investment capital. The round was led by specialist battery and energy storage technology investor Volta Energy Technologies (Volta), with participation from existing investors CBMM, BGF, and Cambridge Enterprise Ventures.
The investment will enable Echion to execute its go-to-market strategy to see its innovative niobium-based XNO® anode material utilised in real world applications, at volume. Echion is Volta’s first investment into a European headquartered company and having Volta as the lead Series B investor highlights Echion as a rising British battery technology business within the crucial global energy storage industry.
Echion’s longstanding partnership with the world’s leading producer of niobium, CBMM, will see the opening of a 2,000 tonne per year XNO® manufacturing facility this year. This provides Echion with the manufacturing capacity to satisfy the large and growing demand for XNO® across its global customer base comprised of major cell manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).