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.
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 more innovation across all of the lithium battery value chain, which requires more investment and startups. EnergyLab and its international partner, New Energy Nexus, are perfectly positioned to connect startups with expertise, industry and investors globally.
Accelerate: Develop startups in the lithium battery value chain. The inaugural Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge was run in 2023. Check out the cohort here. Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge #2: Retrofit Nation focussing on mass EV retrofit was run in 2024, check out the cohort here. We have launched an incubator for startups developing technologies in this sector, more soon.
Connect: Bring 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.
International Expansion: Build the profile of lithium battery startups and connecting them with international markets.
Get involved
To help supercharge Australia's lithium battery value chain fill in this form