Skeleton Technologies recently closed a €108 million funding round that includes Siemens Financial Services (SFS), Marubeni Corporation and other investors. This funding will accelerate the development of next-generation products and finance the manufacturing expansion for supercapacitors and the company’s new high-power battery technology – the SuperBattery.
Skeleton Technologies’ CEO and Co-Founder, Taavi Madiberk, said: "Securing an investment from one of Europe's largest tech companies is a significant milestone for Skeleton. In addition to SFS’ investment, Siemens is also a key partner, supplier, and customer. Their expertise in industrialization and commercial partnerships will propel our growth and solidify our role in leading the energy transition”.
The companies have also partnered to automate and digitize Skeleton’s upcoming factory in Leipzig, Germany.
Steffen Grosse, CEO of Equity Finance at SFS, commented: "Siemens has a long-standing relationship with Skeleton, recently signing a cooperation agreement to digitize supercapacitors production with our Manufacturing Operations Management System. We're pleased to deepen this partnership by investing in their expansion and the development of advanced battery technologies. Our goal is to support innovative technologies for a sustainable future, and Skeleton aligns perfectly with this vision, having developed cutting-edge high-power, fast-charging technologies. Therefore, we are thrilled to invest in Skeleton and help building a robust battery ecosystem in Europe.“
Existing investors, including Marubeni Corporation, have also contributed to the investment round. The conglomerate, which includes Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway as a significant shareholder, distributes Skeleton's products in Asia and aids in acquiring customers for Skeleton’s SuperBattery in the region.
The funding round marks a significant milestone for both Skeleton and the European battery industry. Taavi Madiberk added: “We’re thrilled to have partners like Siemens and Marubeni Corporation who share our vision for swift electrification. Their support positions Skeleton for enhanced global outreach, backed by two industrial powerhouses from Europe and Asia.”
Skeleton Technologies also develops and produces its own patented raw material called Curved Graphene. Curved Graphene allows Skeleton’s products to reach unprecedented levels of performance while not relying on toxic metals. Curved Graphene is developed in Skeleton Materials’ facility in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany, using locally sourced materials which are widely accessible and abundant in Europe.
In addition to Siemens and Marubeni, Brazilian mining giant CBMM has made its inaugural investment in Skeleton.
Skeleton is currently ramping up manufacturing of its supercapacitors’ product line with a new factory in Markranstädt near Leipzig in collaboration with Siemens, and developing its novel SuperBattery technology, slated for future mass production.
The Leipzig factory is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2024 and produce up to twelve million cells a year. The factory will have 40 times more output than the company’s existing site in Großröhrsdorf, Germany.