Nascent Materials, a battery materials startup specializing in lithium-ion cathode manufacturing, announced it has completed a $2.3 million seed funding round led by SOSV, with additional backing from the New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund and UM6P Ventures. The Newark, New Jersey-based company aims to commercialize a proprietary manufacturing approach for cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries, specifically addressing US battery industry challenges around supply chain dependency, production costs, and energy consumption.

Nascent’s technology focuses on cathode production without precursor cathode active material (pCAM), using a modular and flexible manufacturing system capable of integrating and substituting various raw materials based on availability. This approach significantly reduces energy-intensive synthesis steps, lowers cost, improves process sustainability, and enables tighter quality control, according to the company.

Currently, Nascent Materials is commissioning a bench-scale manufacturing line, capable of batch production in kilogram-level quantities. The company reports it has already begun sending cathode material samples to prospective customers for qualification purposes, highlighting strong interest among U.S.-based battery cell manufacturers seeking domestic alternatives.

“Having previously built two gigafactories in the U.S., I’ve seen firsthand how critical reliable, high-quality cathode materials are to cell manufacturing,” said Chaitanya Sharma, Founder and CEO of Nascent Materials. “Nascent is solving a key bottleneck in U.S. electrification by building a domestically rooted alternative to China’s battery supply chain, with a focus on scalable, cost-efficient, and sustainable manufacturing.”

Nascent’s plans include exploring upstream partnerships for strategic raw materials through its relationship with UM6P Ventures. Additionally, its prior support through HAX, a Strategic Innovation Center powered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) in Newark, positions it favorably to expand production closer to commercialization.

Source: Nascent Materials