Aepnus Technology Raises 8M seed round

Aepnus Technology, the developer of an electrochemical platform to improve circularity and reduce emissions in battery supply chain chemicals, raised $8 million in seed financing to accelerate the production of their novel end-to-end sodium sulfate recycling technology. Aepnus will leverage the funding to deploy pilot systems with customers across the battery supply chain, including critical minerals refineries, battery manufacturing plants and battery recycling facilities.

The lithium-ion battery supply chain produces millions of tonnes of sodium sulfate waste every year, which is disposed in domestic and international landfills. As demand for batteries continues to rise, battery manufacturers are facing the headache of what to do with this vast volume of waste while maintaining access to critical input chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. 

Aepnus addresses both challenges through a highly efficient, scalable electrolysis platform that converts sodium sulfate waste back into sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid, two of the battery industry’s essential input chemicals. Inspired by the two founders’ research on electrochemical water desalination at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Aepnus’ advanced electrolysis process is 50% more energy efficient than traditional electrolysis processes and does not require expensive components made of rare earth elements such as Iridium. This competitive advantage enables the company to achieve market-leading unit economics valorizing an industry waste product.

“The close of our seed round marks another milestone for Aepnus. We’re delighted to have an exceptional syndicate of investors onboard with unparalleled track records scaling the most innovative and impactful climate technologies on the market today,” said Lukas Hackl, CEO of Aepnus. “Our investors’ market expertise will be crucial as we double down on our growth strategy in the coming months to decarbonize of the battery supply chain.”