Linca spins out with £8.1m to recover EV battery metals
What's the deal? Linca has launched as an independent company after spinning out from Mint Innovation, backed by £8.1 million in funding. The money comes from Jaguar Land RoverDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, LiBatt Recycling, and the University of Warwick.
What's the endgame? Linca commercialises a hydrometallurgical process that recovers lithium, nickel, and cobalt from electric vehicle battery black mass. The chemical method separates valuable metals more selectively than high-temperature smelting.
Why now? Chief executive Ollie Crush said the market is "at an inflection point," arguing the pace of EV adoption demands a specialist company rather than a unit within a broader organisation. Linca plans to open a demonstration facility within the next year to validate the process at commercial scale.
Who's backing it? The three investors span the battery value chain: an automaker, a recycling specialist, and an academic institution. Their support reflects wider efforts to build circular supply chains that cut dependence on newly mined materials.
What could go wrong? If the demonstration plant performs, Linca must still scale production and secure long-term deals with battery makers and vehicle producers.
The signal: As governments and manufacturers move to secure domestic critical mineral supplies, end-of-life EV batteries are becoming a strategic resource. Rising EV adoption should swell the volume of batteries available for recycling over the coming decade.
Read more: EV Battery & Recycling
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
