Princeton NuEnergy, a leading clean-tech innovator specializing in lithium-ion battery direct recycling, raised another $10.3 million in Series A funding, the company announced Monday.
Key investors include SCGC (a subsidiary of SCG Group), Tech Council Ventures and a subsidiary of LKQ Corp. This recent injection of capital brings the company’s total Series A funding to more than $26 million over the past six months.
PNE’s flagship innovation is a low-temperature plasma-assisted separation process, a patented technology that significantly reduces costs, environmental waste and carbon emissions commonly associated with lithium-ion battery recycling. PNE’s direct recycling approach enables higher critical material recovery rates and superior material performance compared with traditional recycling methodologies.
“We are immensely thankful for the support of our investors and partners. With their backing, we’re set to expand upon the solid groundwork we’ve laid, driving forward with even greater momentum,” co-founder and CEO Chao Yan said.
“PNE’s cathode-to-cathode technology is reshaping the landscape of critical material reclamation, driving down costs while making a significant impact on the sustainability of battery recycling. This groundbreaking process not only reduces carbon emissions and energy consumption, but also establishes a sustainable model for battery recycling.”
The newly acquired funds will support construction of an Advanced Black Mass and Cathode Manufacturing Center in the heart of the southeastern U.S. “battery belt.”
In addition to this $26.4 million Series A raise and preceding Seed Round of $7 million, PNE has secured multiple U.S. Department of Energy grants for battery recycling research of $18 million in total. The new Series A funding further solidifies PNE’s commitment to reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign critical materials by securing the U.S. critical material supply chain, fostering domestic manufacturing capabilities, and cultivating high-quality clean energy jobs within the U.S.
