We are the battery dismantler that makes 2nd life batteries with robots.
Our mission is to make the next billion batteries out of used ones and reverse the need for mining.
The problem is that batteries are challenging to reuse today because supply is constrained by non-standard testing, dangerous disassembly by hand, and expensive shipping.
We streamline the supply of 2nd life batteries by scanning how good they still are using a visual brain scan of the battery and dismantling them with robots for 50% of the cost.
Once we have 1000s of batteries flowing through our disassembly lines, we’ll turn batteries into cheap grid storage packs. It prevents the need for new battery manufacturing, mining raw materials, and postpones recycling.
Our vision is to become the largest manufacturer of clean batteries without touching new materials. It will power a truly clean energy revolution and reduce 7 Gton of CO2 by 2050.
Super fast diagnosis & dismantling
EV
Battery pack
Pack dismantled
Module & cells
We need 5 billion batteries to electrify the world.
Mining to make batteries is environmentally destructive and expensive.
Reuse provides cheaper, cleaner and longer-lasting batteries. Scaling battery reuse massively must start now.
Reuse
2x Cheaper
$8K vs $16K per pack
5 years
Lifetime extension
10x
Less harm to planet
Mining
2023
Shortage of critical material starts
25 Mton CO2
Emissions due to mining per year
26,000 km2
Rain forest destroyed for nickel per year
63B liters
Freshwater for Lithium extraction per year
Our vision is to deploy the next billion batteries made from used batteries as its largest manufacturer.
We aim to deploy 10 TWh in grid storage capacity in 2050 by building factories that can handle 10k batteries/year around the world.
Solving the process bottleneck to enable battery reuse.
Damage or end-of-life.
100% of batteries must be recycled by law. This costs up to $3000. 70% of battery volumes are treated with ‘premature recycling’ instead of reusing it.
Damage or end-of-life.
100% of batteries must be recycled by law. This costs up to $3000. 70% of battery volumes are treated with ‘premature recycling’ instead of reusing it.
Diagnose, disassembly & discharge.
100% by hand and takes > 8 hours.
Regulation prevents outsourcing to cheap labor countries.
Shortage of high voltage technicians.
100’s of battery types = hard to automate.
Existing Model
Up To 10 Hours
Universe Energy
4.5 Hours
Inspect, diagnose and decide
4 Hours
- The decision to repurpose, recycle or repair requires multiple testing cycles for validation.
- State-of-health data is unreliable and difficult to access through current manual methods.
1 Hour
- Machine perception and battery diagnostic software provide decision to recycle, remanufacture or repurpose.
Diagnose, disassembly & discharge.
Existing Model
Up To 7 Hours
Universe Energy
<2 Hours
Inspect, diagnose and decide
4-6 Hours
- Decision on repurpose, recycle or repair needs validation.
- Unreliable data & hard to access BMS to determine state-of-health.
- Standard testing methods on pack and module level can take up to 6 hours running multiple charging and discharging cycles.
- Workers need to recognize the battery pack and operate on manual instructions.
1 Hour
- Machine perception performs battery recognition.
- Software provides decision making on recycling, remanufactured or repurpose.
Disassembly
4 Hours
- Cover removal and module extraction utilizing specialized tooling by hand.
- High variability due to varying assembly methods.
2 Hours
- The robot disassembles battery packs (500 kg) into battery modules (25 kg).
Disassembly
3-4 Hours
- Remove covers with large amounts of glue by hand.
- Extract modules from pack by hand
- Disconnect wires and remove modules with specialized tooling
- High variability due to assembly methods.
2 Hours
The robot disassembles battery packs (500 kg) intro battery modules (25 kg).
Discharge
6 Hours
- A certified engineer drains residual electricity from battery modules and cells to prevent electrocution and fire risk.
2 Hours
- Residual electricity from the battery modules and cells is discharged to the grid to reduce operation cost.
Discharge
6 Hours
- Drain battery modules and cells from residual electricity
- Electrocution and fire risk
- Certified engineer required
2 Hours
- Drain battery modules and cells from residual electricity
- Discharge module to the grid to reduce cost of operation.
Reuse
Battery packs are prepared for all forms of reuse. 50% can be reused for grid storage and industrial applications. 20% can be repaired after recalls and in service-life from EV & battery OEMs. 30% can be recycled as raw materials (Co, Ni, Li, Cu, Mn).
Reuse
Battery packs are prepared for all forms of reuse. 50% can be reused for grid storage and industrial applications. 20% can be repaired after recalls and in service-life from EV & battery OEMs. 30% can be recycled as raw materials (Co, Ni, Li, Cu, Mn).
We disassemble EV batteries with robots
Every battery
Machine perception recognizes any battery brand and how to deal with them.
Safe operation
Automated discharging avoids electrocution and fire hazards for workers.
Robotic disassembly
The robot disassembles battery packs (500 kg) into battery modules (25 kg) in 50% of the time.
Battery health
Electrical characterization of batteries to decide on recycling, reusing or repairing.
Technology.
Algorithms
Using machine perception to generate instructions to disassemble any battery.
Robotics
Robotic control for battery handling, disassembly, and discharging procedures.
Tooling
Battery data
Backed by deep-tech funds and startup operators.
We’re backed by Silicon Valley deep-tech funds Fifty Years and Innovation Endeavors together with the brightest minds in Machine Learning (Head of Google AI), Robotics (CEO AMP Robotics) and Battery tech (CTO Lightyear). We are guided by startup operators from Cruise, Google X, Deepmind, Palantir and Neuralink.
Wiebe Janssen
Founder | CEO
Wiebe designed the battery packs for Tesla Model X/3 and the 450-mile range EV powertrain for the solar-electric vehicle Lightyear One. He knows how manufacturers assemble battery packs, and how to safely disassemble them. Awarded Time 100 Best Inventions 2019 and Auto Bild Awards for all EVs developed.
Reverse Mining.
For a truly clean energy transition to manifest, we must replace mining. There’s a way to scale reuse into the largest source of new batteries. Our mission is becoming the largest provider of used batteries and its raw materials to power the 21st century energy infrastructure.
