AmpliSi raises £2m pre-seed to commercialise porous silicon anodes for EVs
This article covers AmpliSi, a University of Sheffield spin-out startup that has raised £2m in a pre-seed funding round led by Northern Gritstone and Clean Growth Fund to commercialise porous silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries. The funding is intended to move development from lab validation to industrial scale-up and early customer engagement, targeting higher energy density and faster charging for electric vehicles and denser storage for grid applications.
AmpliSi has raised £2m in a pre-seed funding round led by Northern Gritstone and Clean Growth Fund to commercialise porous silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries. The University of Sheffield spin-out says its low-temperature process converts abundant silica into porous silicon intended to replace graphite in anodes, aiming to boost energy density and charging performance for electric vehicles and energy storage — a capability that could matter as demand for higher-performance batteries grows.
Why it matters
Graphite anodes are a limiting factor in many lithium-ion batteries, constraining how much energy a cell can store and how quickly it can charge. Improvements at the anode level can translate directly into lighter packs, longer range and faster charging for EVs, as well as denser, more efficient storage for grid applications. If AmpliSi’s process can be scaled commercially, it may reduce some supply-chain and manufacturing barriers that have held back silicon anode adoption to date.
The £2m raise is earmarked for moving from lab validation toward industrial scale-up and early customer engagement — the phase where material performance must be demonstrated in real-world cell manufacturing and supply chains.
Inside the product
AmpliSi’s approach centres on a porous silicon material for anodes. The company highlights a low-temperature conversion of silica into porous silicon, which it says avoids the hazards, costs and energy intensity of conventional silicon anode production methods. Porous architectures can accommodate silicon’s volume changes during charge cycles, a major technical hurdle for silicon anodes, and AmpliSi positions its route as compatible with existing battery supply chains rather than requiring entirely new manufacturing lines.
The product claims to target three practical metrics: higher energy density, improved charging performance and manufacturability at scale. The next steps are demonstration in prototype cells and negotiation with battery manufacturers and integrators in mobility and storage markets.
Who are the investors?
The round was led by Northern Gritstone alongside Clean Growth Fund. AmpliSi also emerged from Northern Gritstone’s NG Studios venture builder programme and was co-founded with Cambridge Future Tech.
Northern Gritstone has supported the company through its NG Studios deeptech cohort in 2025, providing venture-building support to help translate university research into commercial propositions. Clean Growth Fund focuses on investments that reduce emissions and accelerate the energy transition, making AmpliSi a thematic fit if the technology delivers lower-emission manufacturing and higher-performing batteries.
In the announcement, Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, said:
AmpliSi is the embodiment of deep-tech innovation emerging from the University of Sheffield that Northern Gritstone strives to support. As a graduate of our NG Studios venture building program, the company combines world-class science with a clear route to commercial impact through its next generation of battery technology. By developing a scalable, lower-cost process aligned with the needs of existing supply chains, we are excited to support AmpliSi as it moves from the lab to commercial deployment.
In the announcement, Beverley Gower-Jones, Partner at Clean Growth Fund, said:
Silicon anodes have long been recognised as offering dramatic performance advantages over current anode materials in battery systems. AmpliSi’s technology directly addresses the challenges that have restricted the widescale adoption of silicon anodes to date, including the emissions intensity of current manufacturing processes. The Clean Growth Fund is delighted to support the company on its goal of unlocking silicon’s potential and supporting the acceleration of the energy transition.
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Founder perspective
In the announcement, Ruth Sayers, CEO at AmpliSi, said:
Our focus from day one has been on building a new type of silicon battery material that can be produced at scale and integrated into existing battery supply chains. This investment allows us to move beyond proof-of-concept and concentrate on scaling a product that delivers real commercial value to battery manufacturers, without introducing unnecessary cost or complexity.
Sayers’ comments underline the practical challenge for battery material startups: demonstrating manufacturability and cost parity in addition to lab-scale performance.
The bigger picture
AmpliSi’s raise is another example of UK university spin-outs attracting early venture capital for deeptech energy innovation. Battery chemistry improvements remain a focus for investors as EV adoption accelerates and grid-scale storage demand increases across Europe. The involvement of a venture builder, a regional investor and a climate-focused fund highlights a multi-faceted route from research to commercialisation that other university spin-outs are following.
If AmpliSi can prove its material in cell production and show integration with existing supply chains, it could join a small but growing group of companies trying to commercialise silicon anodes — a technical change with potentially large implications for vehicle range, charging times and the broader energy transition.
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