VoltR, a French pioneer in lithium battery remanufacturing, secures 22 million euros to accelerate its industrialization. This financing combines a €16 million equity investment raised from the SPI 2 Fund, managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance as part of the France 2030 initiative, and from Decathlon PULSE, Decathlon’s investment and innovation entity dedicated to creating new growth engines. It is completed by 6 million euros in grants obtained through the Première Usine program.
The French company aims to demonstrate on an industrial scale that a battery that has reached the end of its first life cycle can become a new resource for manufacturing new batteries in France. This initiative will enable VoltR to double the size of its factory in Verrières-en-Anjou (49) and increase its production capacity sixfold over the next two years, thereby accelerating its expansion in Europe.
As the electrification of applications intensifies, the demand for lithium batteries is accelerating, and with it, the volume of batteries reaching the end of their first life cycle. This trend places batteries at the center of a dual strategic challenge: meeting growing demand in a context of resource scarcity while minimizing their environmental impact. This is the very essence of remanufacturing: exploiting the world’s largest urban mine, our waste, and turning used batteries into a resource and a strategic asset. As a pioneer of this approach, VoltR has developed a unique, end-to-end integrated model, from the collection of used batteries to cell diagnostics and the production of new batteries.
“ For the past four years, we have been working to demonstrate a fairly simple idea : a lithium cell that has reached the end of its first life cycle has not necessarily reached the end of its industrial life. We have validated the proof of concept with more than 20,000 batteries placed on the market, and this funding round now gives us the means to demonstrate this on a large scale. Within two years, we aim to increase our production capacity sixfold and double our workforce, creating about 40 jobs. The arrival of Bpifrance’s SPI Fund and Decathlon PULSE as partners is particularly significant: it brings together, around VoltR, expertise in industrialization and very practical knowledge of applications and markets. Our course has remained the same since the beginning: to make remanufacturing a key player in the European battery value chain to strengthen its sovereignty and reduce its environmental impact. ” Maxime Bleskine, VoltR CEO
This funding round will enable VoltR to accelerate the industrial deployment of its remanufacturing model. The investment will specifically support the expansion and capacity increase of its manufacturing facilities, the industrialization and automation of its production processes, the development of its diagnostic and cell repurposing technologies, and the construction of an ICPE-certified storage facility.
This scale-up will enable VoltR to process increasing volumes of end-of-first-life batteries and extend its expertise to new products and markets.
“With VoltR, the SPI Fund reaffirms its commitment to a self-sufficient battery industry. After supporting the production of new batteries and recycling, we are now completing the value chain by giving batteries a second life. VoltR, with its expertise and unique positioning, has established itself as a key player in this circular economy revolution, and we are proud to support it in this new phase of industrialization.” Jean-Philippe Richard, CEO of SPI Fund, Bpifrance
By limiting the use of new cells and complementing recycling with an additional recovery step, remanufacturing helps strengthen the resilience of a strategic supply chain that remains heavily dependent on imports. It also addresses an environmental challenge : maximizing the use of the resources and energy already used to produce the cells before recycling them.
For Bpifrance, Decathlon PULSE, and VoltR, this collaboration is based on a shared conviction : circularity must overcome the experimental stage to become a true industrial model that creates local employment. Beyond the development of VoltR, the challenge is to build the industrial capabilities in Europe necessary for a complete circular value chain : collection, storage, diagnosis, remanufacturing, production, and, ultimately, recycling of materials when reuse is no longer possible.
“We share VoltR’s conviction that circularity must be at the heart of tomorrow’s industrial models, and we are particularly pleased to partner with such a committed team. Their model provides a concrete solution to a major environmental challenge. Together, we aim to accelerate its development and help strengthen the industrial capabilities, expertise, and supply chains in Europe that are necessary for a more circular industry.” Franck Vigo, CEO of Decathlon PULSE
MEDIA CONTACTS
VoltR I Camille Bouget : +33 7 52 05 97 19 ; presse@voltr.tech
Bpifrance I Pierre CEJKA : +33 6 63 78 64 21 ; pierre.cejka@bpifrance.fr
Decathlon Group I Olivier Pedro-Jose, international.media@decathlon.com
