TaiSan has raised £4.65m to accelerate commercialisation of its sodium‑ion battery technology, positioning the UK company to push the chemistry into mass‑market sectors including electric bikes, scooters, vehicles and power tools.
The round was co‑led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II via Mercia Ventures, with additional backing from AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, François Badelon, and existing investors InnoEnergy, TSP Ventures, Exergon and Heartfelt. Innovate UK contributed £700,000 through its Investor Partnerships Programme.
The funding will support technology advancement and pilot testing with leading manufacturers. TaiSan has already signed multiple letters of intent, indicating strong demand for sodium‑ion solutions that overcome the cost and scarcity issues associated with lithium.
Sodium‑ion batteries have historically been bulky and heavy, limiting deployment to stationary storage. The company’s platform delivers lighter, more compact cells than current sodium‑ion and lithium‑ion options, enabled by a proprietary solid‑state electrolyte engineered for long service life and improved safety compared with flammable liquid electrolytes. For battery manufacturers and integrators, this opens pathways to diversify chemistries without compromising form factor or performance.
Founded by Sanzhar Taizhan—formerly a research electrochemist at Jaguar Land Rover and The Faraday Institution—the company has previously secured multiple innovation grants and £1.3m in pre‑seed funding. TaiSan plans to expand its Cambridge laboratory and establish manufacturing operations in Coventry.
Taizhan said: “At TaiSan, we are pushing the limits of electrochemistry… Watch this space.” Investors emphasised sodium‑ion’s potential to provide a credible, cost‑effective alternative to lithium while addressing supply chain and safety concerns.
Image: TaiSan team. Credit: TaiSan.
