Altilium Taps Public to Fund UK’s EV Battery Recycling Revolution

LONDON – April 24, 2026 – In a move poised to reshape the UK’s industrial landscape, CleanTech firm Altilium is opening a strategic investment round on the Republic Europe platform, inviting the public to help build a domestic circular economy for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This initiative follows a landmark £18.5 million grant from the UK Government, signaling a major push towards national self-sufficiency in critical battery materials.

The funds raised will accelerate the expansion of Altilium’s UK-based recycling infrastructure, including its ACT3 facility in Plymouth and a planned gigascale plant in Teesside. The campaign represents a pivotal moment, allowing both retail and institutional investors to directly participate in scaling a solution to one of the green transition's most pressing challenges: what to do with millions of end-of-life EV batteries.

“At Altilium, we are not just recycling batteries; we are securing the industrial resilience of the UK by creating a domestic supply of critical minerals and reducing reliance on overseas supply chains,” said Dr Christian Marston, co-founder and COO of Altilium, in a statement. “By partnering with Republic Europe, we are democratising access to this high-growth sector, allowing the people who drive the green transition to own a piece of the infrastructure powering it.”

Securing a Domestic Supply Chain

The strategic importance of Altilium’s mission cannot be overstated. The UK is currently almost entirely dependent on international markets for the critical minerals essential for EV batteries, such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt. With China dominating the global processing of these materials, this reliance poses significant risks to the nation’s economic and energy security.

The UK government has recognized this vulnerability, outlining the need for a robust domestic recycling capability in its Critical Minerals Strategy. The £18.5 million grant awarded to Altilium through the DRIVE35 Scale-Up Fund—a program delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC)—is a direct investment in this strategy. It aims to de-risk the supply chain and anchor EV manufacturing within the UK.

Industry analysts note that without a closed-loop system, the UK risks exporting valuable waste in the form of shredded battery material, or “black mass,” only to buy back expensive, refined materials. Altilium's plan directly addresses this gap by creating the infrastructure to process this black mass domestically, capturing the full value of the recycled materials.

The Technology Powering the Change

At the heart of Altilium's strategy is its proprietary hydrometallurgical technology. The company has developed two key processes, EcoCathode™ and EcoAnode™, protected by a growing portfolio of over ten UK patent applications. This technological moat distinguishes it within a competitive field.

The EcoCathode™ process recovers over 95% of the critical metals from battery black mass. It refines this material into high-purity, battery-grade products, including Cathode Active Material (CAM)—the single most valuable component of a battery. Crucially, the company claims its process reduces the carbon footprint of CAM production by up to 74% and cuts raw material costs by 20% compared to traditional mining.

Simultaneously, the EcoAnode™ process recovers over 99% of the graphite, a critical anode material. Extensive testing, conducted in partnership with Imperial College London, has shown this recycled graphite matches the quality of virgin materials, offering a sustainable alternative for battery manufacturing. This end-to-end capability to produce both cathode and anode materials from waste is what underpins Altilium's claim as the only UK company providing a complete “waste-to-market” solution.

From Pilot to Industrial Scale

The new funding will fuel a tangible expansion of Altilium’s physical footprint. The company is already operating a pilot plant (ACT2) in Plymouth, processing one EV battery per day to validate its technology and qualify materials with automotive partners. The new investment will help build the adjacent ACT3 facility, the UK's first commercial-scale refinery for critical battery minerals.

Slated to begin construction in summer 2026 and become operational by late 2027, the ACT3 plant will be capable of processing 24,000 EV batteries annually. It is expected to produce significant quantities of battery intermediates, including an estimated 5,200 tonnes of nickel mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) and 8,000 tonnes of lithium sulphate per year, while creating 70 new high-value jobs in Plymouth.

This is a stepping stone to an even more ambitious project: the planned ACT4 plant in Teesside. This flagship facility is designed to be one of the largest EV battery recycling plants in Europe, with the capacity to process 150,000 EV batteries per year. When operational, it is projected to produce 30,000 tonnes of CAM annually—enough to meet 20% of the UK’s anticipated demand by 2030 and create over 500 green jobs.

A New Frontier for Green Investment

By launching its investment round on Republic Europe (formerly the well-known crowdfunding platform Seedrs), Altilium is tapping into a growing trend of impact investing. It provides a rare opportunity for the public to invest in deep-tech industrial infrastructure that is typically the domain of large institutional funds and venture capitalists.

This approach aligns with a broader shift in finance, where individuals are increasingly seeking to align their investment portfolios with their values, particularly concerning sustainability and climate action. The campaign allows investors to not only potentially profit from the high-growth EV market but also to contribute directly to building a more sustainable and secure domestic industry.

As the UK's EV fleet grows, the wave of end-of-life batteries will become a critical challenge—or a valuable resource. With strong government backing and innovative technology, Altilium is betting it can turn that impending wave of waste into a cornerstone of the UK's future green economy, and it is inviting the public to help build the foundation.