ENV Energy – the first official spin-out from the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick – has launched to deliver a strategically independent, UK-sourced electrode material for the automotive and aerospace industries.
By scaling a novel cathode chemistry developed in WMG laboratories, the start-up is positioned to make the UK’s electric vehicle battery supply chain smarter, safer and more sustainable.
The startup has already raised more than £450,000 in seed funding, with the support of Warwick Innovations, and was awarded both an entrepreneurial fellowship and an industry sprint from the Faraday Institution.
The spinout marks a major milestone in battery innovation. Production of its unique novel cathode chemistry – developed in laboratories at the University of Warwick – will now be scaled up using industrially relevant processes and equipment, allowing the team to engage with cell manufacturers, investors and industry organisations.
Developed under the leadership of Louis Piper, Professor of Battery Innovation at WMG, the new cathode material is designed to significantly enhance the performance of electric vehicles.
Matt Ogley, co-founder of ENV Energy, explained: “Our new electrode materials are founded on a fundamental understanding of how today’s batteries perform. These insights have enabled us to engineer elegant, futureproof solutions that directly support the UK Battery Strategy.
“The new materials will reduce toxicity, increase recyclability and improve performance. Our next challenge is to turn our research into reality.”
Over the next 18 months, ENV Energy – based at Warwick Science Park – aims to raise further investment and expand its team to scale production and drive large scale industrial adoption.
Louis Piper, professor of battery innovation at WMG, University of Warwick, explained: “The development of next-generation cathode materials requires academic understanding and industrial alignment to address the critical area of battery supply chain resilience. The Faraday Institution FutureCat project and the HMV Catapult capabilities at WMG provided the perfect combination for developing and demonstrating our innovation needed to accelerate scale-up.”
Professor Martin Freer, CEO of the Faraday Institution, commented: “ENV Energy’s exciting technology is a key outcome of the Faraday Institution’s research programme. We were privileged to help guide ENV Energy through to achieving their funding and spin-out milestones.”
Work by the spinout aligns with the UK Battery Strategy; the UK government’s plan to establish a globally competitive, domestic battery supply chain by 2030.
The strategy focus on enhancing the domestic supply chain for batteries, reducing reliance on imports, and developing a thriving battery innovation ecosystem.
The strategy is part of a broader effort to leverage the UK’s research and innovation base to develop the ‘batteries of the future’ and secure a resilient UK supply chain.
Dr Tim Hart, director, Warwick Innovations, University of Warwick, said: “WMG remains a poster child of how UK universities should collaborate with industry, and it is exciting to see this world-leading innovation in cleantech and advanced manufacturing emerge from a UK powerhouse in applied engineering research.”
