Offgrid Energy Labs has raised US$15 million in series A funding led by Archean Chemicals Industries Ltd with participation from existing investor Ankur Capital.

The India-based battery technology startup said it will use the funds to set up a 10 MWh demo manufacturing facility in the UK, further its R&D pipeline, commercialise its patented ZincGel® batteries through certification and testing, and finalise the blueprint for a giga-factory.

Offgrid Energy Labs, founded in 2018, develops stationary energy storage solutions using zinc-bromide chemistry and holds over 25 IP families and 50+ IP assets across India, the US, UK, and EU.

The company plans to expand its technology for commercial, utility-scale, and renewable energy applications in India and global markets.

🔗 Source: Offgrid

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Alternative battery chemistries gain momentum as lithium faces supply and ethical constraints

While lithium-ion batteries dominate with 98.8% of the energy storage market share, companies are actively developing alternatives to address growing concerns about supply chain resilience and ethical sourcing2.

The industry faces significant challenges with lithium-ion technology, particularly around cobalt sourcing which raises environmental and human rights concerns2.

This has opened opportunities for zinc-based technologies like Offgrid’s ZincGel®, which achieves 80-90% energy efficiency compared to conventional lithium batteries while using widely available, non-toxic materials3.

Other companies are pursuing similar strategies, with Form Energy developing iron-air batteries for long-duration storage and Urban Electric Power commercializing zinc-manganese dioxide batteries for grid applications4.

The International Energy Agency’s projection of 1,500 GW of storage capacity needed by 2030 suggests there’s substantial room for multiple technologies to coexist, particularly as different chemistries serve different use cases and duration requirements5.

2️⃣ India’s energy storage market offers exceptional timing for domestic technology development

India’s energy storage sector represents one of the world’s most compelling growth opportunities, with projected investments of ₹4.79 lakh crore ($57 billion) by 2032 to meet demand for over 411 GWh of storage capacity1.

The government has already committed significant funding with ₹3,700 crore allocated for 13.2 GWh of battery energy storage systems and an additional ₹5,400 crore planned for another 30 GWh1.

This massive scale requirement—236 GWh from battery energy storage systems alone by 2032—creates a substantial domestic market for Indian companies like Offgrid to serve1.