Find out how this Climate Tech pioneer benefited from Bluelion’s support and the CHF 250k city of Zurich grant

One of our standout alumni from last year’s KlimUp Spring Batch, 8inks, is revolutionizing battery manufacturing with its multi-layer curtain coating technology. Their innovation makes lithium-ion electrode production up to 10x faster and 30% cheaper. By applying multiple layers in a single step, this innovation enhances energy density, safety, cycle life, and sustainability – paving the way for the future of next-gen batteries. 8inks partners with industries like automotive, drones, aviation, and consumer electronics through pilot projects, contract manufacturing, and custom production systems.

Bluelion supported 8inks early on and provided access to the Stadt Zürich grant. Interested on how they benefitted and how you might as well? Learn more about 8inks and get a behind-the-scenes look with the founding team:

Get to know 8inks

Why did you start 8inks in the first place?

We started 8inks because we saw groundbreaking battery technologies struggling to scale due to incompatibilities with existing production technologies. We realized that for the electrification of industries like transportation and grid storage to be successful, we needed to develop a new manufacturing process that could produce high-performing batteries at scale.

What is 8inks, and why is it needed?

We’re building a super-efficient process that makes the inside of batteries—what’s called the electrodes—better and faster. Think of it like making a sandwich with many thin and tasty layers, but we can do it in one go. These layers make the battery more powerful and last longer. As we shift to using more electric cars, planes, and even homes powered by batteries, we need these batteries to be better and cheaper, and we need a lot of them. Electrification is key to a sustainable future. What we do at 8inks is make sure the use of batteries is not limited by cost or performance.

How are you staying ahead of the curve with your innovation?

We constantly collaborate with our partners and customers, which keeps us on the cutting edge of what’s needed. Plus, we’re always pushing our limits to see what’s possible, which helps us stay ahead. With our multilayer technology, we do have the unfair advantage of leveraging our technology as a tool for innovation to implement battery designs that have not been done before. 

You raised quite a substantial pre-seed round with a Swiss VC in the lead. What was your experience raising a round as a Swiss pre-seed deep-tech company?

It was a challenging but rewarding experience. The key was to continuously demonstrate our progress, both in technology and business, to gain the trust of our investors. As an early-stage company with a hardware component, it was important to show that we could build a team that can execute our plans well.

KlimUp supports startups working to accelerate the path to Net Zero emissions. Its goal is to help both the city of Zurich and the world to achieve this as quickly as possible. What is your contribution to this goal?

Our contribution is enabling large-scale battery production, which is critical for storing renewable energy and making more use cases for energy storage economically viable. This is a big step toward reducing global carbon emissions.

According to the World Economic Forum, a circular battery economy enables 30% of the required emission reductions in the transport and power sector. We see production technology as the key lever to implement these targets. 

Through the funding from private investors, you also unlocked a grand of 250k by the city of Zurich as part of KlimUp. What will you spend the money on?

We will use the funds for the industrialization of our technology and customer verification with our in-house pilot plant. This will allow us to demonstrate the commercial viability of our solution on a large scale and significantly lower the adoption barrier for cell manufacturers and OEMs.

Speaking of deep-tech: Any wished to the Swiss startup ecosystem on how to support companies like yours?

Often deep tech startups rely on the use of expensive equipment and infrastructure to demonstrate their potential. To facilitate early access, grants and loans would be incredibly beneficial. Additionally, more leasing and collaboration options for deep-tech startups would help in managing the high infrastructure costs.

However, more importantly it would be great to see more established companies as early adopters and customers that are piloting amazing products and technologies with Spin-offs and start-ups. This helps refine products and value proposition from the beginning. 

8inks is an ETH spin-off; do you have any advice to aspiring entrepreneurs from academia?

Go do it. Seek feedback early and have your ideas challenged by the industry. The transition from academia to entrepreneurship is challenging, but the impact you can make is immense.

Do you have a current “call to action” (employees, investors, customers, partners, experts)?

We’re always looking to connect with people who share our vision for the future of battery technology, whether you’re a potential partner, investor, or someone with expertise in this field. Join us in revolutionizing energy storage.

If you’re a cell manufacturer or OEM, reach out to us if you’re having trouble scaling or testing new battery technologies and materials. We have the technology and skills to hit your performance and quality targets!