An initiative supporting the world's biggest lithium producer to become a hub for battery technology innovation
Supercharge Australia is developing an ecosystem to support lithium battery innovation and capture more value from the lithium battery supply chain. It is the first initiative of the partnership between global clean energy startup accelerator New Energy Nexus, and Australia and New Zealand’s largest climate tech startup accelerator EnergyLab.
Partners and Supporters
EnergyLab
Founding Partner
New Energy Nexus
Founding Partner
The problem we're solving
The global clean energy transition will be driven in a large part by batteries.
Fact: Despite producing almost 60% of the world’s lithium, Australia retains less than 1% of the value it generates in the emerging multi-trillion dollar battery industry, with 98% of the lithium mined in Australia being refined overseas.
More can be achieved: Australia can do more than “dig and ship” lithium: it can be a leader in lithium battery technology, from extraction to advanced battery and EV manufacturing.
With benefits for the climate: This is good news for the global climate, but also for the thousands of jobs that will be created in the process.
The Plan
We need much more activity across all phases of the lithium battery value chain, which requires more investment and more startups to meet the innovation challenge. EnergyLab and its international partner, New Energy Nexus, are perfectly positioned to connect startups and players in the lithium battery value chain with international partners and expertise.
Accelerate: Incubating and developing startups in the lithium battery value chain. The inaugural Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge was run in early 2023. Check out the startup cohort here. Our next iteration, Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge #2: Retrofit Nation focussing on the mass EV retrofit is happening right now. Learn about the cohort of startups that have the technologies for mass retrofit here. We will be launching a brand new incubator for startups developing technologies in this sector soon.
Connect: Bringing the industry together to understand where innovation is required. This includes leveraging New Energy Nexus’ global expertise, and its role in the US Department of Energy’s Lithium Bridge project to accelerate the development of a domestic supply.
International Expansion: Building the profile of lithium battery startups and connecting them with international markets, especially in the USA
Get involved
To help supercharge Australia's lithium battery value chain fill in this form