Battery Recycler Tozero Raises $11.7M to Build First Industrial Plant
Munich-based startup Tozero secures €11 million in seed funding to scale its lithium-ion battery recycling technology. The company plans to build its first industrial plant to meet surging global demand for critical materials.
Munich-based startup Tozero secures €11 million in seed funding to scale its lithium-ion battery recycling operations. The company currently processes nine tonnes of battery waste daily at its pilot plant and uses this new capital to construct its first industrial deployment facility. Co-founder and CEO Sarah Fleischer notes that their lean and efficient process requires less funding than competitors to reach this crucial industrial milestone.
The startup tackles recycling bottlenecks with a water-based carbonation recovery process that extracts valuable raw materials without harming the environment. Once this new plant reaches continuous manufacturing capacity, Tozero expects to unlock infinite, exponential growth without hard production limits. The founders plan to operate their own plants worldwide, starting with expansion across Europe before moving into North America.
This industrial push arrives as global lithium demand projects to quadruple to 3.1 million metric tons by 2030 due to the rapid adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. Current mining operations produce only a fraction of that needed material, making recycling essential for future supply chains. Additionally, upcoming EU regulations mandate the recovery of at least 80% of lithium from batteries by 2031, positioning Tozero's proven technology exactly where the market needs it most.