Innovative battery technology from Mülheim
Start-up "Minerva Carbon" receives 1.8 million euros in funding from EXIST Research Transfer I
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The Mülheim-based deep tech start-up Minerva Carbon has received around 1.8 million euros in funding from the EXIST program of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The project was initiated by Abdu Bilican, a former doctoral student at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research, together with his co-founders. Their goal: to commercialize mesoporous high-performance carbon materials that make batteries and fuel cells more efficient, durable and powerful.
Mesoporous carbons are considered versatile materials for energy storage, for example in batteries or supercapacitors, but also in catalysis, for example in PEM fuel cells. So far, however, there are hardly any scalable and controllable syntheses for large-scale applications. During his doctorate in Dr. Wolfgang Schmidt's research group at the MPI, Bilican succeeded in making the synthesis process significantly more efficient. The key lies in the reaction time: Bilican found a way to produce large quantities of carbon in a much shorter time, which represents a significant advance for industrial use. "We now have a unique opportunity to commercialize mesoporous carbons with outstanding properties on a large scale for a wide range of applications," explains Bilican. Initial tests have shown that the use of the developed carbons significantly improves the fast-charging capability of batteries and the longevity of PEM fuel cells. A pilot plant is now to be built at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research.
"Our aim is to combine cutting-edge research with modern production technology. This will enable us to produce application-optimized carbons efficiently and in a resource-saving manner - right here in NRW," adds co-founder Jonas Gram, previously an automation engineer at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation. The young founding team of the deep tech start-up has also set itself the ambitious goal of strengthening Germany as a location for battery and fuel cell technologies and becoming part of a European value chain.
Inventions and spin-offs from the institute have a long tradition: from the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in 1925 to Karl Ziegler's process for the production of polyolefins and Mechsyn, a current start-up in the field of mechanochemistry. "I am very proud to support young scientists from my department in founding companies," says Prof. Dr. Ferdi Schüth. "The energy transition in particular needs new ideas from an innovative environment like the Max Planck Institute. There is no other way to meet the challenges of the future."
The interdisciplinary founding team brings experience from the fields of materials science, process automation and business administration. It consists of Dr. Abdu Bilican (Material Development & Overall Strategic Direction), Jonas Gram (Automation & Operations), Julius Kaiser (Finance & Business Development) and Nguyen-Khang Tran (Laboratory & Quality Control). Together, they are pursuing a clear vision: the development of novel carbon materials for a more sustainable future.
With the help of the EXIST program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the young founders will be able to bring their business idea to maturity at the MPI of Coal Research over the next two years. Businesses in the field of chemistry are particularly risky and capital-intensive. "The EXIST program is like a booster for us. With this support behind us, we have the ideal starting position to lead Minerva Carbon into a successful future," says Bilican.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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