Founded in 2022 by Sarah Fleischer and Dr. Ksenija Milicevic Neumann, Tozero focuses on addressing lithium sustainability through innovative battery recycling solutions.

The EU's Battery Directive mandates that by 2031, at least 80% of lithium must be recovered from batteries, increasing the urgency for effective recycling solutions.

The startup is initially targeting markets in Germany and Europe, with plans to expand to North America after establishing its first-of-a-kind (FOAK) plant.

Tozero's innovative recycling technology is seen as vital for Europe's competitiveness in the electrification race and could lead to potential collaborations in Japan.

Tozero has generated significant interest from customers, securing over a billion euros in off-take agreements for its recycled materials.

The recent funding will be used to build Tozero's first industrial deployment plant, which aims to process 30,000 tonnes of battery waste annually starting in 2026.

With the latest funding round, Tozero's total funding has reached €17 million, which includes a €2.5 million grant from the European Innovation Council.

Tozero, a Munich-based lithium battery recycling startup, has successfully raised €11 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round led by NordicNinja.

The company utilizes a water-based carbonation process for lithium recovery, which is more environmentally friendly than traditional methods, resulting in 70% lower emissions compared to lithium mining.

Co-founder and CEO Sarah Fleischer highlighted Tozero's achievement as the first company to deliver recycled lithium in Europe, emphasizing their ambition for future advancements.

With global lithium demand projected to quadruple by 2030, driven by the rise of electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, the importance of recycling is underscored amid limited mining production.

Tozero aims to minimize waste of critical raw materials and is open to expanding its recycling capabilities beyond lithium and graphite in the future.