The Junior Chamber International Luxembourg awarded Circu Li-ion, a Luxembourg startup giving a second life to used lithium battery cells, in the 2022 CYEL contest.
Out of the 10 finalists, second place went to space weather intelligence firm Mission Space, and third to fintech/regtech Cascade Lab.
Circu Li-ion was founded in 2021 by Antoine Welter and Xavier Kohll to maximise the lifetime of the battery cells used to power escooters, ebikes and Tesla EVs. The two believe that more than 80% of a used EV battery’s cells could have a second life. However, dismantling lithium batteries, particularly from EVS, has been manual and costly and only possible through specialised waste management companies.
Circu Li-ion’s technology automates the dismantling of battery packs so that cells can be reused on an industrial scale.
Circu Li-ion co-founder and CEO Antoine Welter said that the prize was recognition of the team’s hard work. “We work incredibly hard to achieve what we do. So it is well-deserved for the whole team,” he told Silicon, adding: “This prize gives the external proof that what we’re doing is something the world needs and is helpful. I also hope it inspires more people to do cool stuff with tech to save the planet.”
The greentech graduated from the 2022 edition of the Fit4Start acceleration programme and was among ten startups selected to join the Scaleup Landing Pad Hamburg.
The annual competition is open to young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 40 in Luxembourg. And there was no shortage of candidates. The 34-year-old CEO said that depending on the context, age could sometimes be good or bad. “If you’re speaking with a corporate, being too young is not a good thing. We got exposure to a multitude of international consultancies and corporates during our time abroad. So we kind of know how to handle it,” Welter said.
On the whole, age has been necessary for having the energy and confidence to go fully commit to their idea. He said: “What ultimately unites me and Xavier is that we believe that technology is the solution to solving most of our problems. So we need to be courageous, we need to take risks and that’s what you normally do when you’re young, not when you’re older.”
In 2023, the firm will roll out its machines to smaller companies, to minimise logistics and CO2 footprint around the treatment process. It also plans to focus on expansion into France and Germany, continue on R&D and expand its team.
Announcing the winners of the sixteenth edition at a ceremony on 1 December, Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel said: “I don’t want to be the prime minister who gives you a bed to sleep in. I want to be the prime minister who gives you a trampoline to jump high.”
The three finalists received a cash prize. Other prizes include free promotional media, coaching, sponsorship and partnerships and the winner received a Microsoft Surface.
