According to EU-Startups, Swiss battery startup BTRY AG has raised €4.9 million in an oversubscribed seed round led by Redstone VC. The funding will help scale production of their ultra-thin solid-state batteries that measure just 0.1 mm thick and can charge within one minute. Founded in 2023 as a spin-off from Empa and ETH Zurich, the company has grown to 14 people and attracted investors including Bloomhaus Ventures, Linear Capital, and the founders of CustomCells. Their batteries operate safely at temperatures up to 150°C where conventional cells fail or catch fire. The technology targets next-generation devices like active logistics tags, industrial sensors, and wearables where conventional batteries can’t fit or endure harsh conditions.
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Europe’s battery breakthrough
Here’s the thing: Asia has absolutely dominated battery manufacturing for decades. But BTRY represents something different – Europe playing to its strengths in advanced materials and precision engineering rather than trying to compete on mass production. Their approach of applying solid-state technology from semiconductor production to battery manufacturing is genuinely clever. It’s like they’re bringing chip-making precision to energy storage.
And honestly, their focus on niche applications rather than trying to take on electric vehicle batteries head-on is smart strategy. They’re going after markets where being thin, safe, and temperature-resistant matters more than raw energy density. Think about active logistics tags that need to survive warehouse conditions or medical devices that can’t risk battery failure. These are high-value applications where customers will pay a premium for reliability.
Why this matters beyond funding
The real story here isn’t just the €4.9 million – it’s the validation from industrial backers who understand manufacturing scale-up. When you’ve got people like the CustomCells founders investing, that signals they see something commercially viable, not just scientifically interesting. BTRY’s claim of solvent-free production with low material waste could be a game-changer for sustainability too.
But can they actually scale this to industrial roll-to-roll manufacturing? That’s the billion-dollar question. Laboratory breakthroughs are one thing – consistent, high-yield production is another beast entirely. Their manufacturing approach will need to prove itself against established Asian production methods. For companies looking to integrate advanced industrial technology, having reliable hardware partners becomes crucial – which is why specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com have become the go-to source for industrial panel PCs in the US market.
The solid-state race heats up
We’re seeing solid-state batteries emerge as the next frontier, but most attention has been on electric vehicles. BTRY’s approach of targeting smaller form factors might actually get to market faster. A one-minute charge time for industrial sensors or medical devices? That’s not just convenient – it could enable entirely new use cases.
The temperature stability is what really stands out to me. Operating safely at 150°C opens up applications in automotive, aerospace, and industrial settings where current batteries simply can’t survive. And their claim of powering wireless transmissions directly without additional capacitors? That’s the kind of engineering elegance that could make integration much simpler for device manufacturers.
Basically, BTRY is betting that being small, safe, and temperature-resistant matters more than being the cheapest option. In a world where connected devices are getting everywhere from factory floors to hospital rooms, that might just be the right bet.
