KB Element raises $10M Series B to scale non-oxidised graphene production
What's the deal? KB Element, a South Korean maker of non-oxidised graphene, has closed a 14 billion KRW (about $10 million) Series B round, the company announced on 30 July 2026. Nine organisations took part, drawn by the company's mass-production technology, commercial references across industries, and its potential to expand into graphene dispersion and composites.
What does the company do? Founded in 2016, KB Element produces non-oxidised graphene using its own atmospheric-pressure plasma process. The method cuts the conventional oxidised-and-reduced graphene manufacturing sequence to five stages, lowering costs and avoiding wastewater. Capacity runs up to 21 tonnes per year for graphene powder and 2,100 tonnes for dispersion.
How much has it raised? The Series B brings cumulative funding to 30.7 billion KRW, following 7 billion KRW in Series A and a 7 billion KRW bridge round.
What's the money for? KB Element plans to expand its R&D and sales teams, advance its materials and applied products, and accelerate commercialisation at home and abroad. In the second half of 2026, it will push a graphene masterbatch project aimed at the domestic composite market.
What's the endgame? The masterbatch can be applied to existing polymer processing without new equipment, which the company says lowers the barrier to adoption. It is targeting sectors including electric vehicles, outdoor goods, and marine industries.
What's the signal? "We will lead the localisation of materials based on stable domestic supply chains and secure a competitive advantage in the global market," said chief executive officer Baek Ji-jung. The raise ranks modestly by size — around the 20th percentile among comparable rounds — reflecting the early, capital-light stage of most advanced-materials startups.
Read more: MK
Image credit: Idaho National Laboratory
