3 million pre-seed round for 8inks

ETH spin-off 8inks closes successful financing round and sets new standards in battery manufacturing

Schlieren, May 13, 2024 - Swiss startup 8inks has successfully closed a pre-seed financing round, raising close to three million euros. This financing round was led by Founderful and supported by various investors such as Übermorgen Ventures, Angel Invest, another.vc, Venture Kick, the ETH Foundation and business angels.

Costs reduced by 30 percent

8inks, a spin-off from ETH Zurich, has developed a battery production technology that can reduce costs by an average of 30 percent. This technology is based on a multi-layer process that makes it possible to produce batteries up to ten times faster than previous methods. By using techniques from the paper and photographic industries, 8inks has not only been able to reduce costs, but also improve the energy density of the batteries.

The early adopter phase in the field of electromobility is now complete. Now it's time to reach the masses. Batteries are still not powerful enough and too expensive.

Paul Baade, CEO 8inks

Solid-state batteries: Focus on the next generation of lithium-ion technology

8inks' technology could represent a revolution in battery production, especially for solid-state batteries, which are considered the next generation of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are lighter, smaller and safer than conventional liquid electrolyte batteries. However, a scalable manufacturing solution was previously lacking, which 8inks can now offer.

The company's aim is to provide customized solutions for battery cell manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers and vehicle manufacturers, depending on the battery performance requirements. Not only cost and energy density play a role here, but also power density, safety and recyclability.

Strong team in a booming market

The founding team of 8inks consists of experts, including CEO Paul Baade, CBO Leon Baade, CTO Dr. Christina Sauter and COO Dr. Karl-Philipp Schlichting. The company, which currently employs 8 people, is based in Schlieren in the canton of Zurich and has been supported by various funding programs.

The market for e-cars and the associated market for batteries is developing rapidly: 8inks is operating in a trillion-dollar growth market.

Lukas Weder, Partner at Founderful

The battery industry is booming and is expected to grow to over half a trillion euros by 2030. The market for solid-state batteries in particular is expected to reach 400 billion dollars by 2035. With its innovative production technology, 8inks is positioning itself as a key player in this fast-growing market and could make a significant contribution to the mobility transition.