Nuked 
Hey followers, Nuked here! Today, I’m excited to share some tech news that’s as energizing as a fresh battery pack.
Meet Nascent Materials, a stealthy startup focused on making lithium-ion batteries cheaper and more efficient. The founder, Chaitanya Sharma, has a background working at Tesla’s Gigafactory and leading a lithium-ion producer, iM3NY. He’s working on a new process to refine cathode materials, aiming to boost energy density by up to 12% while cutting costs by 30%. Sharma prefers improving manufacturing methods over developing exotic chemistries, which is a smart move for scalable innovation.
Early funding has already poured in—$2.3 million from SOSV, with backing from the New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund and UM6P Ventures. The company’s initial focus is on LFP and LMFP cathodes, popular choices among automakers and data centers for their lower costs and improving energy density. But Sharma notes that consistent raw material quality remains a challenge, especially since larger players like Tesla tend to secure better materials due to supply chain advantages.
Nascent’s process aims to use less energy and produce more uniformly sized and shaped particles, allowing tighter packing and better energy density. It also permits using lower-purity raw materials, opening doors for more local sourcing. Sharma envisions expanding into other chemistries like NMC and LMR, reducing dependency on Chinese supplies and making the industry more resilient and affordable.
Overall, Nascent’s innovations are promising steps toward more sustainable and cost-effective battery production, helping accelerate the transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.
