Technologies Investing in a unique discovery of Dutch soil

Christian speaks passionately about the product: “Our society needs much better batteries to enable electrification within the transition to a sustainable economy. We simply need better batteries for better products. From specialised medical devices, consumer electronics that enable smarter applications to electric cars with greater range or electric flights... That is only possible with batteries that have a higher energy density. We all want that, but so far it hasn't been achieved very well. And that – to make it somewhat technical – is due to the material from which a battery is made. It consists of various layers that act as the negative and positive poles and between which lithium ions shuttle back and forth during charging and discharging of the battery. The bottleneck for storing more lithium ions, and thus energy, is the negative layer. Traditionally, this is made of carbon and copper, but we are replacing that with silicon and copper. The rest of the battery remains the same. By doing so, we have demonstrated that we can improve the energy density by 70% in an industry that typically improves its energy density by an average of 3% per year. We are unique because we can add 100% silicon to copper. Nobody has succeeded in that before.”

The process takes time. Christian: “Invest-NL is a thorough, professional team with a long-term outlook. It takes quite a while to go through an investment process. Once on board, Invest-NL is a very capable investor with a good eye for people. We have now been working together for six months. It’s going well.” Christian and Michiel work closely together: “Michiel understands the practicalities of other investors. That is very important. On board, Michiel actively suggested ways to help us prepare for managing the significant growth. Investing not only requires understanding of cash flow modelling and technical aspects, but also team dynamics and how entrepreneurs must distribute their attention over many issues and constantly make choices. That works well. He has also been instrumental in forming our supervisory board.”

The relationship between LeydenJar and Invest-NL certainly has a future. Michiel: “LeydenJar originates from the scientific world. But they also have a very good eye for the commercial opportunities of their product. This rare combination of science and commerce consistently leads to interesting discussions, from technical topics to organisational development to strategy. The start has been exceptionally strong, with LeydenJar achieving several important ‘wins’ in a very short period. We look forward to our collaboration with great enthusiasm, and we will support LeydenJar where possible. Christian: “We are both committed to the long term. If LeydenJar continues to show good progress, Invest-NL can co-invest in the growth, which makes us partners.”