Ten start-up battery innovators tapped to join Supercharge Australia incubator

A cohort of ten Australian battery sector start-ups have been selected to join Supercharge Australia’s inaugural Incubator program which has been designed to accelerate Australia’s lithium battery manufacturing and innovation capabilities.

Supercharge Australia, a joint project between global clean energy startup accelerator New Energy Nexus, and EnergyLab, Australia and New Zealand’s largest climate tech startup accelerator, is aiming to build a local lithium battery supply chain in the world’s biggest lithium producer.

Having already completed two so-called Innovation Challenges, Supercharge Australia has turned its attention to launching a 12-week Incubator program that will provide all ten start-ups with hands-on support, strategic guidance, and ecosystem and investor connections.

The cohort of ten start-ups in their prototype phase cover the whole battery sector spectrum, having focused on battery chemistry breakthroughs and AI-powered energy technologies to materials innovation, recycling, second-life systems, and electrified mobility and infrastructure.

“This cohort is a great reflection of the breadth and ambition of Australian startup innovation in the battery sector,” said Megan Fisher, CEO of EnergyLab.

“Strengthening Australia’s innovation capability is critical – not only to securing our clean energy supply chain but also to fostering new companies, future employers, and manufacturers that will drive our economy forward.”

The ten start-ups selected to participate in the inaugural Supercharge Australia Incubator include:

• Adoxima (VIC) – Co-founded by Dr. Vyom Parashar and Kristoffer Collopy, Adoxima produces high-purity metal oxides for battery applications and clean hydrogen as a by-product.
• CarboPhite (VIC) – Dr. Mehrdad Parsa and his team are developing a cutting-edge, cost-effective, and eco-friendly carbon-coating technology for sustainable anode production and enhancing battery performance.
• InnoVoltIQ Tech (NSW) – Dylan Wei Zhang is leveraging existing technology to build an Australian battery and cell manufacturing capability.
• Li-ion Energy (WA) – Founded by Sarai Ball and Justin Manton, Li-ion Energy is reconditioning, recycling, and transforming lithium battery waste into reusable energy solutions.
• Naut (NZ) – Led by Fiona Bycroft and Lindsay Faithfull, Naut builds high-powered electric propulsion systems that go into the boat of your choice.
• Net Zero Engineering Solutions (SA) – Portia Rooney is providing consumer-focussed bidirectional charging solutions for EVs
• Noizend (NSW) – Founded by Paul Monsted, Noizend is bringing people together through physics-informed active noise control for battery energy storage systems
• Powerblocks (NSW) – Julie Leung and Robert Mortimer are making energy storage for better communities – safe, modular and beautiful.
• Sustainable Lithium Cells Australia (QLD) – Founded by Andrew Chadwick, this startup uses second-life batteries to bring affordable energy storage to Australians
• Voltavate (VIC) – Amir Hooshang Taheri is revolutionising battery manufacturing with nanofiber-engineered separators that double battery life, improve safety, and reduce production waste and cost.

“Supercharge Australia aims to dramatically increase the flow of Australian founders and new businesses in the lithium battery value chain that can be supported by and take advantage of new funding programs like the $500 million Battery Breakthrough Initiative, the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund and the $23 billion Future Made in Australia program,” said Kirk McDonald, Project Manager for Supercharge Australia.

Supercharge Australia has previously developed a range of programs intended to support climate tech start-ups on their journeys, including two headline Innovation Challenges which ran in 2023 and 2024.

Eleven start-ups were selected at the beginning of 2023 to participate in the inaugural Innovation Challenge, which was designed to support start-ups driving onshore lithium battery innovation.

Perth-based lithium battery recycler Renewable Metals was awarded the inaugural Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge Award for its unique technology that turns battery waste into battery metals.

A second Innovation Challenge was started in May of 2024, called Retrofit Nation, focusing specifically on accelerating the transition of Australia’s vehicle fleet to electric with the goal of developing a scalable solution capable of retrofitting over 10 million vehicles.

Local plug-and-play EV control system provider Veepower won that year’s Challenge Award for its technology that simplifies the process of EV retrofitting vehicles.