Kate Chaney MP and Liz Thurbon PhD at the kick-off of Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge #3

Sydney, Australia — Ten groundbreaking startups are leading the charge to build Australia’s next generation of battery manufacturing and electrification capability. These innovators form the core of Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge #3, a flagship startup program by EnergyLab and New Energy Nexus designed to strengthen the nation’s lithium battery ecosystem from mining through advanced manufacturing and end-use applications to recycling.

The new cohort represents a comprehensive cross-section of Australia’s emerging battery value chain — combining materials science, manufacturing innovation, and large-scale applications that connect clean energy to industry, transport, and communities.

Kate Chaney MP, Federal Member for Curtin: “Only 4% of the $15B National Reconstruction Fund has been spent to date. We need to go faster, and I’m interested to know more about what startups can do, what’s blocking them, and how we can help them deliver for Australia and for the region.”

Professor Elizabeth Thurbon, Deputy Head of School (Research) in Social Sciences at UNSW and Director of the Green Energy Statecraft Project, shared her systems-level perspective, Asian region development research, and, in particular, her work with the CCTI (Clean Commodities Trading Initiative) with Oliver Yates:

“By contracting to be the first buyer at commercial scale of clean commodities, the federal government can split the commodity into two — a clean credit, and the actual commodity. They can sell or bank the clean credit and sell the underlying commodity on the open market. By making these commitments at scale, this will unlock final investment decisions on a range of critical clean materials projects for Australia,” said Professor Thurbon.

The 2025 Cohort: Ten Startups Stepping Up

Together, these ten startups span the full lithium battery value chain, covering:

• Novel critical-minerals processing technologies to decarbonise and increase production efficiency and sustainability — represented by Fluoromet, Lithionex, and Next-Gen Energy Technology.
• New business models and applications to remove barriers to EV adoption for medium- and high-density dwellers, accelerate large-scale distribution network storage, and drive heavy-transport electrification — led by Dovetail Electric Aviation, Terrafuse, Bigger Energizer, and UEG Energy.
• Advanced cathode and anode coating, cell manufacturing, and AI-based materials discovery to accelerate and decarbonise production — developed by Ultrapower Tech, GreenDynamics, and Advanced United Technologies.

Advanced United Technologies (ACT) – Xun Li and Dr. Huadong Mo are innovating in AI-enabled battery energy system manufacturing, management, recycling, and repurposing.

Bigger Energizer (VIC) – Led by Louis Ching and Zoe Chen, Bigger Energizer is building purpose-designed electric trucks for Australia’s waste industry.

Dovetail Electric Aviation (VIC) – Led by Davi Doral, Dovetail Electric Aviation develops certifiable battery and propulsion systems to retrofit existing aircraft for zero-emission regional flight.

Fluoromet Limited (NSW) – Phill Hall and Jane Hall, with Richard Simons, are using advanced minerals processing technology to liberate critical minerals from ores.

Green Dynamics (NSW) – Led by Tong Xie, Green Dynamics is leading the way in intelligent solutions for materials and chemistry, turning discovery cycles from years into months.

LITHIONEX (QLD) – Michael Wilson and Mike Hewitt are producing advanced ultra-high-purity lithium metal anode and precision foils from both primary and recycled sources.

Next-Gen Energy Technology (SA) – Led by Andrew Cooper, Next-Gen Energy Technology is producing advanced lithium battery cathode materials, made in Australia.

TerraFuse (NSW) – Founded by Jack Tan, TerraFuse is unlocking long-term, stable returns from shared EV charging infrastructure in multi-tenant buildings.

UEG Energy (NSW) – George Knight is deploying front-of-meter community batteries across Australia’s urban grid.

ULTRAPOWER TECH (SA) – Founded by Mahmoud Moussa, Ultrapower Tech is innovating in high-energy dry electrode-coating technology.

Each startup will now engage in a two-month program featuring mentor matching, pitch coaching, investor exposure, and opportunities to present at national energy events. Past cohorts in Supercharge Australia have collectively raised over $84 million in follow-on funding.

“The dynamic global battery and rare earth markets remind us why we must continue to invest in our capabilities. The physics of battery energy storage and electrification is undeniable. Australia’s stability, resources, and the Future Made in Australia framework position us to anchor battery and cell production not just for our nation, but for the broader region, and for the long term,” said Kirk McDonald, Project Manager for Supercharge Australia.

“The startups in this Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge are pushing the boundaries of the lithium battery value chain. They are building the solutions we’ll need to power Australia’s prosperous renewable future — and we are excited to see what they achieve.”

Over the coming weeks, the cohort will refine their prototypes, strengthen their commercial strategies, and participate in workshops led by industry, academic, and investment experts. In November, they will present before a judging panel and a broader investor, policymaking, and peer audience at the Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge Awards. The top team will win the opportunity to visit an international battery hub guided by New Energy Nexus, to further scale their global reach.

Australia’s role in the global clean energy transition

Australia stands at a pivotal moment in the global clean energy transition. With abundant critical mineral resources and world-leading renewable energy potential, the nation has a unique opportunity to capture more value from its natural advantages. The lithium battery sector lies at the heart of this transformation — linking resource extraction to advanced manufacturing, renewable storage, and electric transport.

Investing in this value chain builds manufacturing sovereignty, reduces reliance on imports, and supports national decarbonisation and export diversification goals. The global market for lithium batteries is projected to exceed $870 billion by 2032, driven by electric vehicles, grid storage, and industrial electrification. While Australia now produces over one-third of the world’s lithium, it captures less than one percent of the value it creates in battery manufacturing and downstream technologies. By fostering startups that advance processing, materials science, and application innovation, Supercharge Australia is helping the country move from exporting raw materials to creating high-value clean energy technologies at home.

As the National Battery Strategy (2024) highlights, batteries are “essential to our net zero ambitions… presenting one of the most significant manufacturing opportunities in a generation.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led this vision in 2022, stating that “Australia can be a renewable energy superpower — not just exporting raw materials, but manufacturing the batteries, the solar panels and the technology that the world needs.”

Hong Kong, September 9, 2025 – Twenty-six women-led climate startups from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Myanmar have been selected to join a global fast-track investment readiness initiative led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and implemented in Southeast Asia by New Energy Nexus (NEX).

Supported by the Governments of Canada and Australia, the She Wins Climate accelerator helps women entrepreneurs to overcome funding barriers and scale their businesses. The program connects entrepreneurs with climate investment opportunities through mentorship, pitch coaching, investor networks, peer learning, and a global community platform.

Sarah Twigg, IFC Gender and Inclusion Lead, Asia Pacific said “Across Southeast Asia, women-led climate startups are tackling some of the region’s most pressing environmental challenges with ingenuity and grit. The She Wins Climate accelerator will amplify women’s businesses, connect them with investors, and unlock the transformative climate innovation the region urgently needs.”

The selected startups operate in diverse climate sectors, including: adaptation and resilience, buildings and urban infrastructure, circular economy and waste management, climate and environmental data, food and agriculture, renewable energy and generation, water and ocean.

According to Crunchbase, less than 7% of global climate tech venture funding in Q1 2023 went to women founders – likely even lower in Southeast Asia, where data remains incomplete.

“Women-led climate startups have the potential to drive transformative change, yet they face systemic barriers, including limited funding and restricted access to networks, ” said Thao Tran, Country Director at New Energy Nexus Vietnam.

The 26 women entrepreneurs were announced today during the Climate Business Forum: Asia Pacific – co-organized by IFC and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority as the cornerstone event of Hong Kong Green Week – following a highly competitive selection process.

Meet the participating women-led startups:

• Agro Agape Co,.Ltd: Providing resource input for solutions in the coffee supply chain and transforming agricultural waste into energy for processing.
• BeCool Indonesia: Developing an affordable and scalable solution of solar-reflective coatings to reduce heat and energy use in tropical buildings.
• Carbonwize: Offering an AI-powered carbon management platform that simplifies carbon measurement, enabling environmental impact tracking and alignment with environmental standards.
• CAS Energy: Offering REGreen, an eco-solar solution designed to support enterprises in their green transition with comprehensive benefits: green spaces, enhanced energy efficiency, and carbon emission reductions.
• Earthbound Leaf Leather: Transforming agricultural waste into biodegradable leaf leather with an accessible price, preventing open burning and landfill disposal that emit greenhouse gases and toxic particulates.
• Econella: Specializing in bio-additive products, made from agricultural waste, that improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions in diesel engines while supporting a circular, zero-waste economy.
• Enable Earth Co., Ltd.: Transforming landfilled and burnt agricultural waste into high-value carbon-negative products with a scalable, pollution-reducing solution for Southeast Asia.
• FoodCycle Farm: Revolutionizing food waste management and urban farming through its circular, sustainable, and decentralized approach of using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) bio-conversion technology.
• GAIA Builders: Managing thermal building performance for better energy building efficiency.
• Ikanesia: Transforming fish waste, agricultural residues, and local biomass into low-cost, sustainable animal feed through a circular economy model.
• Inno Green Tech: Revolutionizing wastewater management through BioCircuit, an AI-integrated bio-electrochemical treatment system that transforms wastewater from a pollutant into a regenerative resource.
• Living Roots: Regenerating agriculture by restoring soil biology, enabling farmers to cultivate thriving, self-renewing ecosystems that nourish land, crops, and communities.
• Mangrove Crab Labs: Transforming abandoned ponds into carbon sinks and sustainable livelihoods, empowering communities through the use of recycled crab houses.
• Myanmar Myat Royal: Promoting climate resilience through the installation of affordable solar-powered irrigation for smallholder farmers in Myanmar.
• MyPermaSchool: Promoting the solution to develop Healthy Soil, Healthy Food, Healthy Children by training Indonesian teachers how to grow healthy food with children by using natural methods in healthy ecosystems through permaculture.
• Nguyen Khoi Green JSC: Pioneering sustainable pig farming in Vietnam, integrating animal welfare, circular agriculture, and green innovation to redefine premium pork through an awarded net-zero model.
• PAMMÉ: Transforming collected plastic waste into handcrafted accessories made by incarcerated women, which creates a closed-loop system for social inclusion and waste diversion from landfills.
• PT. Eco Karya Teknologi (Crustea): Creating solutions for pond farmers in Indonesia by developing various technologies to increase productivity and efficiency in ponds.
• Qarbotech: Developing breakthrough solutions to enhance photosynthesis that results in increased yields and climate resilience through a nanotech-based spray, QarboGrow.
• Real Bean Coffee Co., Ltd.: From farm to cup – clean, transparent, and meaningful, Real Bean Coffee is a women-led agritech sustainable specialty coffee supplier from Vietnam.
• Sai Gon Kim Hong Trading Services Co. Ltd.: Pioneering in precision agriculture by dedicating to sustainable agri-machinery solutions for rice farming in Vietnam
• SUDrain Co., Ltd.: providing an innovative and sustainable wastewater treatment solution by recycling coconut waste into biofilm filters.
• Tambanokano Aqua Farm: Providing Crab Condominiums and recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) to boost harvesting efficiency while promoting a scalable model for climate-resilient aquaculture.
• TRI Cycle: Upcycling and recycling post-consumer textile waste into new materials and products while providing waste management services to help brands transition to a more sustainable, circular, and socially just supply chain.
• Viginseng Corporation: leading the innovative green processing to transform sustainably cultivated Vietnamese ginseng into high-efficacy health and beauty products, creating a regenerative, forest-based value chain that empowers ethnic minority women, sequesters carbon, and fosters climate resilience
• XSolar Energy: Supporting the transition to clean energy with a zero-CAPEX solar leasing model combined with an AI-powered platform for efficient energy management and a measurable reduction in carbon emissions.

August 28, 2025, Sta. Rosa — As the Philippines races to meet its 35% renewable energy target by 2030, solar industry leaders said regional support for clean energy innovation will be critical in translating national renewable energy targets into on-ground adoption.

This was highlighted through back-to-back Solar Community Meetups hosted by New Energy Nexus Philippines in Cebu City and Sta. Rosa, Laguna, on August 20 and 28, respectively. Both events convened key government officials, utilities, financiers, and solar entrepreneurs.

Consisting of panel and breakout discussions among the participating stakeholders, the Solar Community Meetup not only surfaced challenges in both Central Visayas and CALABARZON, but also brought out insights and solutions to address these gaps.

“By connecting solar entrepreneurs with potential clients, facilitating dialogues between LGUs and utilities, and offering capacity-building programs tailored to local needs, we’re ensuring that solar adoption doesn’t happen in silos. Instead, it’s driven by a collaborative ecosystem where innovation, financing, and policy support move in sync. That’s the unique role New Energy Nexus fills,” said Jacob Taguinod, Partnerships Manager at New Energy Nexus Philippines.

The two regions have made significant progress in solar adoption, from Cebu hosting the country’s first floating solar project to CALABARZON rapidly scaling rooftop installations across factories, malls, and municipal buildings. However, this momentum is slowed by common challenges: cumbersome net metering processes, supply chain constraints, and consumer concerns over unaccredited installers.

Reforms are starting to take shape. Cebu officials are committing to streamlined permitting, while in CALABARZON, MERALCO has begun improving interconnection procedures.

“One of our priorities at the DOE is to ensure that national renewable energy policies are effectively implemented at the local level. In regions like CALABARZON, this means working closely with LGUs to strengthen permitting guidelines, and with utilities to make net metering more accessible,” said Edward V. Neri, OIC-Division Chief at the Department of Energy – Solar Energy Management Division.

“We are committed to making the interconnection process simpler and clearer for our customers who want to adopt solar. Through initiatives like net metering and distributed energy resources (DER), we aim to empower consumers to become prosumers while ensuring that every installation is safe, reliable, stable, and sustainable for the grid. By working hand-in-hand with local governments, solar installers, and industry partners, we can accelerate rooftop solar adoption across CALABARZON,” said Engr. Botany KC Anne Sevilleja-Briones, Executive Assistant to the Chief Revenue Officer at MERALCO.

“To make the solar adoption easier, Cebu City will ensure, with the new administration, that the Office of the Building Official streamlines net metering requirements by minimizing red tape,” said Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera. “Cebuanos should expect changes that will make the process faster and simpler, with more incentives for those who choose renewable energy.”

Civil society groups such as the Clean Energy Advocates Association of the Philippines (CEAAPI), which was formed as a result of previous Solar Community Meetups, and the Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA) are also pushing to raise industry standards and build consumer confidence.

Meanwhile, solar installers highlighted that stronger policy support at both the national and regional levels is critical to accelerating adoption.

“Beyond financing and market competition, installers face challenges from unclear or inconsistent implementation of standards. Stronger national and regional policies that enforce safety and quality, while supporting accredited practitioners, will raise industry standards and protect the installers and consumers,” said Bernard Torralba, Owner of Solar Hyperion, a solar installation company.

New Energy Nexus builds ecosystems that enable clean energy entrepreneurs, including those in the solar business, to scale their solutions in the Philippines and beyond. The Solar Community Meetups are part of its ongoing programs backing the country’s solar industry — more information can be found here.

Cebu City, Philippines, 20 August 2025 — Clean energy leaders revealed how Cebu City is an emerging hub for solar energy at a convening today of government and industry leaders, highlighting the massive potential to scale if financing, supply chain constraints, and bureaucratic delays in net metering are addressed.

“Our [New Energy Nexus Philippines] goal is not just to convene, but to strengthen the solar community by helping set standards, address bottlenecks, and connect stakeholders across the value chain. What we saw in this meetup is that Cebu has the workforce, demand, and commitment—it just needs the right ecosystem support. That’s where NEX Philippines comes in.” said Sheryl Estella, Academy Manager of the New Energy Academy, a learning platform for clean energy professionals and entrepreneurs – powered by New Energy Nexus, GSES, and OpenSolar.

Key leaders in government, utilities, finance, and the local solar industry came together for New Energy Nexus Philippines’ Solar Community Meetup, its second run in the city. The event included panels and breakout discussions on scaling the local clean energy economy and the adoption of renewables in the Central Visayas.

The region’s solar landscape has seen promising yet modest growth over the past few years. Notably, Visayas now hosts around 472 MW of rooftop solar capacity, according to the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities’ SPECTRUM platform, which is still only a fraction of the Philippines’ total potential. Cebu Province is also home to pioneering projects such as the country’s first megawatt-scale floating solar facility in Toledo City – which has a capacity of nearly 5 MW. Meanwhile, battery storage integration is starting to emerge, while interest from households and SMEs continues to grow.

Despite this momentum, barriers persist. A recent report highlighted challenges such as high upfront costs, limited financing access, bureaucratic delays in net metering, and supply chain constraints, which threaten to slow down solar adoption across the country.

“To make the solar adoption easier, Cebu City will ensure, with the new administration, that the Office of the Building Official streamlines net metering requirements by minimizing red tape. Cebuanos should expect changes that will make the process faster and simpler, with more incentives for those who choose renewable energy,” said Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera.

One solution is the formation of the Clean Energy Advocates Association of the Philippines (CEAAPI), which emerged from the 2024 Solar Community Meetup in Cebu City. CEAAPI is a network of installers, service providers, and advocates working together to accelerate clean energy adoption in the region. By promoting certifications, transparency, and quality standards, the organization also helps address the growing issue of fly-by-night installers and low-quality systems that undermine consumer zhetrust. CEAAPI is also the official hub partner for the 2025 run.

This year’s meetup comes at a pivotal moment, with a large-scale floating solar project starting in the city and local government buildings being upgraded to solar. Establishing strong relationships between the solar industry, local government, and other key stakeholders can be a powerful catalyst for solar adoption – streamlining permitting processes, improving access to financing programs, and integrating solar into public infrastructure plans.

New Energy Nexus Philippines is set to conduct another SCM in the CALABARZON Region on August 28, part of their ongoing and future programs equipping the local solar community with the tools to scale their solutions. More information can be found here.