What is tozero & how does it work?

Tozero, a Munich-based startup that recovers valuable raw materials from recycled lithium-ion batteries, is gearing up to scale. The startup just closed an oversubscribed €11 million seed round (around $11.7M) to step up production by building its first industrial deployment (A.K.A first-of-a-kind or FOAK) plant.

Is tozero ready for unlimited capacity?

Currently, Tozero’s pilot plant processes nine tonnes of lithium-ion battery waste per day, but the startup is shooting for unlimited capacity in what it hopes will be just another couple of years of scaling its business. “Other competitors raise way more money to get to industrial plant.

What is tozero based on?

Before founding Tozero, Neumann spent years at RWTH Aachen developing a breakthrough water-based carbonation process for extracting lithium and other elements like graphite from black mass. This powdery substance is produced after shredding and processing spent batteries. Neumann’s research gave Tozero a significant head-start.

Will tozero be able to recycle batteries?

That’s what we’re aiming to build,” co-founder and CEO Sarah Fleischer (pictured above, left) told TechCrunch. Once Tozero’s process hits industrial pace and functionality, the startup says there will be no hard limits on what it can achieve in battery recycling as long as it can keep accessing waste streams.

Does tozero have a black mass market?

Access to black mass, the byproduct of mechanical recycling of lithium batteries that Tozero processes, is not restricted across borders. And on the competition front, Fleischer describes this as a “completely blue ocean market,” with battery recycling efforts mostly focused elsewhere.

Who founded tozero?

Tozero was founded in 2022 by serial entrepreneur Sarah Fleischer and metallurgy expert Dr. Ksenija Milicevic Neumann. When the pair first met, they were working in the space industry. Three years later they teamed up to fix a pressing issue here on Earth.