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Early-stage battery technology company Voltavate has raised $850,000 in an oversubscribed pre-seed round led by Artesian and backed by angel investors and industry innovators John Wood, Christiaan Jordaan and Steven Vassiloudis.
The Melbourne-based startup, which is also supported by Investible and Electrifi Ventures, will use the funding to advance its next-generation battery separator technology, a critical enabler of safer, more sustainable, high-performance batteries.
Voltavate is described as a deep-tech startup that has developed a proprietary nanofiber separator with the potential to revolutionise the battery industry by improving battery lifespan while also reducing production waste and cost.
“Voltavate is addressing a vital part of the battery value chain with strong technical insight and clear execution,” says Alexandra Clunies-Ross, partner at Artesian.
“We believe in the team’s ability to transform how battery components are designed and produced.”
Notable on the shareholder register are three CEOs from Australia’s battery sector – namely Vassiloudis (Novalith), Jordaan (Sicona) and Wood (Gelion) who have joined the Voltavate round in their personal capacity as angel investors.
“Voltavate’s reimagined separator design aligns well with industry needs,” says Wood. “Voltavate is seeking to address a key aspect of battery manufacturing and to open an opportunity for enhancement of cell performance generally.”
Voltavate was founded in 2023 by Dr Amir Hooshang Taheri and Omid Javadi and combines their expertise in materials science and battery engineering.
The startup says the fresh capital will be used to validate its core product, expand the team and advance strategic partnerships.
“I've had the pleasure of working closely with Amir and Omid since the earliest days of Voltavate,” says company chairman Reza Behnam, who also participated in the latest capital raise.
“As founders, they are driven by a clear vision to improve how we store and use energy more efficiently and sustainably. They have worked tirelessly to arrive at a solution which, on every relevant dimension, outperforms current best practices.
“This oversubscribed funding event, led by Artesian, is a testament to their efforts and their potential to impact the industry.
“I look forward to working closely with Amir, Omid, and all the investors and supporters to further validate the technology and approach as we build toward industrial-scale execution.”
Voltavate is looking to take a slice of a lithium-ion battery market that is projected to be worth more than $400 billion globally by 2030, with separators comprising an estimated $25 billion of the component segment of the industry.
“We’re incredibly grateful to be backed by investors and thought leaders who share our mission,” says Taheri, the CEO of Voltavate.
“This support gives us momentum to scale our work and deliver meaningful impact on how batteries are made and perform.”
Ben Lindsay, principal at Investible, says the investment in Voltavate reflects the early-stage venture capital firm’s commitment to breakthrough technologies that can accelerate the global energy transition.
“Voltavate’s nanomaterial innovation offers a rare combination of performance, safety, scalability and sustainability, which is exactly what the battery industry needs,” says Lindsay.
“We’re thrilled to support Amir, Omid, and the Voltavate team as they reimagine a critical component of the clean energy future.”
While Voltavate is based in Melbourne, the startup is exploring expansion opportunities across South-East Asia.
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