Circu Li-ion

Circu Li-ion is a Luxembourg-based automated battery upcycling company that specializes in dismantling end-of-life batteries and reassembling them to extend their usability, thereby maximizing the lifecycle of lithium-ion cell batteries. Its automated lithium-ion battery upcycling process uses robotics and computer vision technology, enabling the delivery of sustainable energy storage on a large scale. Instead of disposing of the entire battery, the company tests each individual lithium-ion cell, also known as "Li-ion" cells, and replaces only the non-functional ones, making the process significantly more sustainable.

The company provides its technology to multiple sectors, such as micromobility, q-commerce and delivery, hardware manufacturing, and recycling. The company supplies sorted components, including plastics, electronic parts, and battery cells, to recyclers for further processing, supporting the sustainable management of battery waste. Potential clients can choose between two options: An on-site machine installation (Machine-as-a-Service) or a service-only solution where the upcycling process is carried out at a third-party service provider's facility.

As of March 2024, the company's solution was ready to be commercialized and had onboarded its first clients from the micro mobility and recycling sectors. Circu Li-ion's automated battery dismantling and diagnostics solution is claimed to recover up to 90% of battery cells for second-life applications and generate multiple clean material flows. As a result, the company asserts a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, aiming for a maximum reduction of 48% (up to 50%) compared to a traditional battery lifecycle.

The company also offers BATDAT, a dashboard for battery industry players that collects and diagnoses end-of-life batteries across Europe. This data-driven tool provides precise information and supports users in making data-based predictions, enabling them to make informed decisions in the rapidly growing battery market.

Funding and financials

The company’s latest funding round was in October 2023, when it raised EUR 8.5 million (~USD 8.9 million) in Seed funding from  BonVenture and the EICA (European Innovation Council Accelerator) to improve Circu Li-ion's battery recycling capabilities and strengthen its partnerships with EV OEMs and recyclers. Prior to this in 2022, the company also received grants from the European Innovation Council and EIT Urban Mobility (amounts undisclosed).