The goal is to enable long-lasting, low-cost flow batteries for renewable energy storage
Milan, December 16, 2024 – Flow-nano, an innovative startup developing high-performance nanomaterial-based electrodes for stationary batteries, has completed a €1 million funding round via a SAFE fully underwritten by Tech4Planet, the National Technology Transfer Hub for Environmental Sustainability led by CDP Venture Capital SGR.
Tech4Planet was established to accelerate market access and growth for new enterprises born within research labs dedicated to sustainability, focusing on energy tech, circular economy, sustainable manufacturing, smart mobility, and water management sectors.
Founded in June 2023, Flow-nano specializes in developing nanostructured electrodes for flow batteries, one of the most promising technologies for storing energy from renewable sources. The company’s proprietary, highly sustainable technology enables the production and deposition of spherical carbon nanoparticles (carbon nano-onions) onto carbon fabrics, significantly increasing their electrochemically active surface area and performance.
Flow batteries are scalable, safe, and offer an extremely long lifespan (over 20,000 cycles), but their adoption has been limited due to high costs, stemming from non-optimized electrodes.
The electrode's reaction rate is the key operational parameter for evaluating its cost-effectiveness. Higher reaction rates translate into greater working power and faster energy storage.
The investment from Tech4Planet will allow Flow-nano to scale its deposition technology from lab to pre-industrial levels and demonstrate the lower cost per unit of power and energy on flow battery prototypes. These prototypes will provide critical data for further industrialization.
"Nanotechnology and deep tech are central to Flow-nano's proposition to address one of the most pressing challenges in the energy transition: long-duration, cost-effective renewable energy storage," commented Claudia Pingue, Senior Partner and Head of the Technology Transfer Fund at CDP Venture Capital. "We strongly support their research, which embodies our vision of fostering frontier technologies that deliver innovative solutions to today’s critical issues."
“Our electrodes enable power density up to three times the current state-of-the-art, directly translating into a drastic reduction in flow battery costs. We are proud that Tech4Planet recognizes the potential of our technology, which aims to facilitate a sustainable energy transition—both environmentally and economically,” said Laura Giorgia Rizzi, founder and CEO of Flow-nano.
“We developed this patented technology at the Center of Nano Science and Technology@PoliMi of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia. Our goal is to be part of a value chain that transfers advanced research to the market through industrialization, commercialization, and internationalization—a vision we fully share with Tech4Planet,” added Fabio Di Fonzo, founder and CTO of Flow-nano.
About Tech4PlanetTech4Planet is the National Technology Transfer Hub for Sustainability, created by CDP Venture Capital to facilitate market access and growth for new enterprises born within research labs. It focuses on energy tech, circular economy, sustainable manufacturing, smart mobility, and water management sectors.
The Hub was established in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano and involves the Politecnicos of Turin and Bari as Scientific Promoters. The Politecnicos' incubators—PoliHub, I3P, and BINP—serve as entrepreneurial partners, supporting research teams in conducting technical and business feasibility studies.
Tech4Planet's co-investors include Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, A2A, Iren, and Neva SGR, alongside corporate partners such as Joule, the business school of ENI, and Snam.
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