TaiSan raises £4.65M to bring solid-state sodium-ion batteries to pilot testing
What's the deal? UK deeptech startup TaiSanDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, founded by Kazakh entrepreneur Sanzhar Taizhan, has raised £4.65 million (≈$6.2 million) in an early-stage round. It plans to expand its Cambridge lab, open a site in Coventry, and start pilot testing of sodium-ion batteries with manufacturers.
Who's backing it? Eos AdvisoryDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Midlands Engine Investment FundDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → II — managed by Mercia VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — co-led the round. Other investors include AFI VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, EverQuest Capital PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Adeline Arts & ScienceDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Techmind VCDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, angel François Badelon, and existing backers InnoEnergyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, TSP VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, ExergonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Heartfelt VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. UK innovation agency Innovate UKDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → contributed £700,000 as a grant.
What's the endgame? TaiSan is developing batteries it says are lighter and more compact than existing sodium-ion and lithium-ion cells. The technology is built on a proprietary solid-state electrolyte, which the company describes as safer than traditional liquid electrolytes.
Why now? The company says it has already signed several letters of intent with potential customers. The round follows a £1.3 million pre-seed raised in 2024 for the same sodium-ion work.
Zoom out: The round sits in the top 10% for early-stage UK deeptech deals of its kind, based on 51 comparable rounds. Sodium-ion is drawing investor attention as a cheaper alternative less dependent on lithium and cobalt.
The signal: Governments and industry are pouring money into next-generation batteries — from Japan's roughly $660 million supply-chain approvals to Tata's £4 billion UK gigafactory. TaiSan shows how smaller European deeptech startups are trying to carve out a niche in that global reshaping, amid geopolitical risks around Chinese battery supply chains.
Read more: Forbes Kazakhstan
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
